of France)

National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French legal system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
head of government: Prefect Franck PERRIEZ (since NA 1992); President
of the General Council Dominique LARIFLA (since NA); President of the
Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet: Council of Ministers

Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional
Council
General Council: elections last held NA March 1992 (next to be held by
NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (43 total)
FRUI.G 13, RPR/DUD 13, PPDG 8, FGPS 3, PCG 3, UPLG 1, PSG 1,
independent 1
Regional Council: elections last held on 31 January 1993 (next to be
held by 16 March 1998); results - RPR/DUD 48.30%, FGPS 17.09%, FRUI.G
7.44%, PPDG 8.90%, UPLG 7.75% PCG 6.05%; seats - (41 total) seats by
party NA
French Senate: elections last held in September 1986 (next to be held
September 1995); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) PCG 1, FGPS 1
French National Assembly: elections last held on 21 and 28 March 1993
(next to be held March 1998); Guadeloupe elects four representatives;
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) FGPS 1, RPR
1, PPDG 1, independent 1

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over
Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique

Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Aldo
BLAISE; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE;
Socialist Party (FGPS), Georges LOUISOR; Popular Union for the
Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG), Lucien PERATIN; FGPS Dissidents
(FRUI.G); Union for French Democracy (UDF), Simon BARLAGNE;
Progressive Democratic Party (PPDG), Henri BANGOU

Other political or pressure groups: Popular Union for the Liberation
of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Movement for Independent Guadeloupe (MPGI);
General Union of Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG); General Federation of
Guadeloupe Workers (CGT-G); Christian Movement for the Liberation of
Guadeloupe (KLPG)

Member of: FZ, WCL, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in US: none (overseas department of France)

US diplomatic representation: none (overseas departmen