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

Data code: GP

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

Constitution: September 28, 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 May 17, 1995), represented by Prefect Dominique Vian (since August 6, 2002)
head of government: President of the General Council Jacques Gillot (since March 26, 2001); President of the Regional Council Lucette Michaux-Chevry (since March 22, 1992)
cabinet: 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
election results: 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)
election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - left-wing candidates 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6, right-wing candidates 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
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 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FGPS 2, RPR 1, PPDG 1

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: three horizontal bands, a narrow green band (top), a wide red band, and a narrow green band; the green bands are separated from the red band by two narrow white stripes; a gold five-pointed star is centered in the red band toward the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions

'''See Also:'''

• Colonial and Departmental Heads of Guadeloupe