Country name:
conventional long form: Department of Martinique
conventional short form: Martinique
local short form: Martinique
local long form: Departement de la Martinique
Dependency status:
overseas department of France
Government type:
NA
Capital:
Fort-de-France
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); Prefect Michel CADOT (since 21 June 2000)
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 Claude LISE
(since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Alfred
MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998)
cabinet: NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (45 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a
unicameral Regional Assembly or Conseil Regional (41 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 Assembly - last held on 15 March 1998 (next
to be held by March 2004)
election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - left-wing candidates 13, PPM 11, RPR 6, right-wing
candidates 5, PCM 3, UDF 3, PMS 2, independents 2; note - the PPM
won a plurality; Regional Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - RPR-UDF 14, MIM 13, PPM 7, left parties 4, PMS 3
note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last
held NA September 2001 (next to be held September 2004); results -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPM 2; Martinique
also elects 4 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last
held, first round - 9 June 2002, second round - 16 June 2002 (next
to be held not later than June 2007); results - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1, PS 1, MIM 1, left-wing
candidate 1 (candidacy of the left-wing candidate was found invalid
by the Constitutional Council; new elections will be called)
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel
Political parties and leaders:
Martinique Communist Party or PCM [Pierre SUEDILLE]; Martinique
Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Martinique
Progressive Party or PPM [Camille DARSIERES]; Martinique Socialist
Party or PMS [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Movement of Democrats and
Ecologists for a Sovereign Martinique or Modemas [Garcin MALSA];
Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michel CHARLONE]; Socialist
Revolution Group or GRS [Philippe PIERRE-CHARLES]; Union for French
Democracy or UDF [Jean MAREN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for
Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle;
League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP
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:
a light blue background is divided into four quadrants by a white
cross; in the center of each rectangle is a white snake; the flag of
France is used for official occasions