Country name:
conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana
local short form: Guyane
local long form: none
Dependency status:
overseas department of France
Government type:
NA
Capital:
Cayenne
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 Ange MANCINI (since 31 July 2002)
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; presidents of the General and Regional
Councils are appointed by the members of those councils
head of government: President of the General Council Joseph
HO-TEN-YOU (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council
Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet: NA
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 - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7,
other 2; 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 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007);
results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR
1, Walwari Committee 1
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in
Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French
Guiana)
Political parties and leaders:
Guyanese Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese
Socialist Party or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Guyana Democratic
Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Popular National Guyanese Party or
PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Roland
HO-WEN-SZE]; Socialist Party or PS [Pierre RIBARDIERE]; Walwari
Committee [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
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