Capital: Basse-Terre
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)

Independence: none (overseas department 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 LARIFA (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, PS 1
French National Assembly: elections last held on 21 and 28 March1993 (next to be held March 1998); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) PS 1, RPR 1, PCG 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; Union for the Center Rally (URC; coalition of the FGPS, RPR, and UDF); Guadeloupe Objective (OG), Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY; Progressive Democratic Party (PPDG), Henri BANGOU
Other political or pressure groups: Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Popular 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 department of France)

Flag: the flag of France is used

NOTE: The information regarding Guadeloupe on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Guadeloupe Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Guadeloupe Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.