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| Country name: |
conventional long form:
Department of Guiana
conventional short form:
French Guiana
local long form:
none
local short form:
Guyane
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| Dependency status: |
overseas department of France
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| Administrative divisions: |
none (overseas department of France)
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| Independence: |
none (overseas department of France)
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| National holiday: |
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
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| Constitution: |
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
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| Legal system: |
French legal system
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| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
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| Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Dominique VIAN (since NA January 1997)
head of government:
President of the General Council Andre LECANTE (since NA March 1998); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet:
NA
elections:
French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the members of those councils
|
| Legislative branch: |
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections:
General Council - last held NA March 2000 (next to be held NA 2006); 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 - NA; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - PS 28.28%, various left parties 22.56%, RPR 15.91%, independents 8.6%, Walwari Committee 6%; seats by party - PS 11, various left parties 9, RPR 6, independents 3, Walwari Committee 2
note:
one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, PSG 1
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| Judicial branch: |
Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana)
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| Political parties and leaders: |
Guianese Socialist Party or PSG [Antoine KARAM]; Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Roland HO-WEN-SZE]; Socialist Party or PS [Pierre RIBARDIERE] (may be a subset of PSG); Walwari Committee [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]
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| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA
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| International organization participation: |
FZ, WCL, WFTU
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| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none (overseas department of France)
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| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none (overseas department of France)
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| Flag description: |
the flag of France is used
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