Long-form name: Department of Reunion

Type: overseas department of France

Capital: Saint-Denis

Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)

Independence: none (overseas department of France)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French law

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

Executive branch: French president, Commissioner of the Republic

Legislative branch: unicameral General Council, unicameral Regional Council

Judicial branch: Court of Appeals (Cour d'appel)

Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN (since September 1989)

Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Francois Mas; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Gilbert Gerard; Communist Party of Reunion (PCR); France-Reunion Future (FRA), Andre Thien Ah Koon; Socialist Party (PS), Jean-Claude Fruteau; Social Democrats (CDS), other small parties

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections: Regional Council--last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held March 1991); results--RPR/UDF 36.8%, PCR 28.2%, FRA and other right wing 17.3%, PS 14.1%, other 3.6%; seats--(45 total) RPR/UDF 18, PCR 13, FRA and other right wing 8, PS 6; French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(3 total) RPR-UDF 1, PS 1, independent 1; French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(5 total) PCR 2, RPR 1, UDF-CDS 1, FRA 1

Communists: Communist party small but has support among sugarcane cutters, the minuscule Popular Movement for the Liberation of Reunion (MPLR), and in the district of Le Port

Member of: WFTU

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

Flag: the flag of France is used

NOTE: The information regarding Reunion 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 Reunion Government 1990 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Reunion Government 1990 should be addressed to the CIA.