Country name
conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe
conventional short form: Guadeloupe
local short form: Guadeloupe
local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe

Dependency status overseas department of France

Government type NA

Capital Basse-Terre

Administrative divisions none (overseas department of France)

Independence none (overseas department of France)

National holiday Bastille Day, 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 Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Francois CARENCO (since NA July 1999)
election results: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils
head of government: President of the General Council Jacques GILLOT (since 23 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet: NA

Legislative branch unicameral General Council or Conseil General (42 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held 22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2004); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004)
note: Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 1, FGPS 1; Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - diverse left parties 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6, diverse right parties 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - RPR 48.03%, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 24.49%, PCG 5.29%, diverse right parties 5.73%; seats by party - RPR 25, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 12, PCG 2, diverse right parties 2

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

Political parties and leaders Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Christian CELESTE]; FGPS [Dominique LARIFLA]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Aldo BLAISE]; Socialist Party or PS [Georges LOUISOR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Marcel ESDRAS]

Political pressure groups and leaders Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI

International organization participation FZ, WCL, WFTU

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

Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas department of France)

Flag description the flag of France is used

NOTE: The information regarding Guadeloupe on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Guadeloupe Government 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Guadeloupe Government 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.