Long-form name: Department of Guadeloupe

Type: overseas department of France

Capital: Basse-Terre

Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)

Independence: none (overseas department of France)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French legal system

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

Executive branch: government commissioner

Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council

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

Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Paul PROUST (since November 1989)

Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Marlene Captant; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard Celeste; Socialist Party (PSG), Dominique Larifla; Independent Republicans; Union for French Democracy (UDF); Union for a New Majority (UNM)

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections: General Council --last held NA 1986 (next to be held by NA 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(42 total) number of seats by party NA; Regional Council--last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held by 16 March 1992); results--RPR 33.1%, PS 28.7%, PCG 23.8%, UDF 10.7%, others 3.8%; seats--(41 total) RPR 15, PS 12, PCG 10, UDF 4; French Senate--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) PCG 1, PS 1; French National Assembly--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat

Communists: 3,000 est.

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: WFTU

Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, the interests of Guadeloupe are represented in the US by France

Flag: the flag of France is used

NOTE: The information regarding Guadeloupe on this page is re-published from the 1990 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Guadeloupe Government 1990 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Guadeloupe Government 1990 should be addressed to the CIA.