| The goal of this study was to provide economic data to align Ifremer's research programme with the global socio-economic context, which is the crux of this work. Although the economies of the French Overseas Departments and Territories are poorly understood in mainland France, a brief macroeconomic analysis shows that they have the following main features: steady, but unbalanced growth, as indicated by high unemployment rates and low trade indices, and an overdeveloped services sector. This situation can be explained by an economic growth regime specific to the French overseas regions. It is based on, for the most part, public subsidies, a voluntary strategy promoted by the public authorities to raise the standards of living in the overseas regions. |
