home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
CNN Newsroom: Global View
/
CNN Newsroom: Global View.iso
/
eur
/
fran
/
fran.po1
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-05-02
|
6KB
|
144 lines
<text>
<title>
France: Government
</title>
<article><hdr>The World Factbook 1993: France
Government</hdr><body>
<list>
<l>Names:</l>
<l> conventional long form: French Republic</l>
<l> conventional short form: France</l>
<l> local long form: Republique Francaise</l>
<l> local short form: France</l>
</list>
<p>Digraph: FR
</p>
<p>Type: republic
</p>
<p>Capital: Paris
</p>
<p>Administrative divisions: 22 regions (regions, singular -
region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie,
Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse,
Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France,
Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees,
Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie,
Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes
</p>
<p>note: the 22 regions are subdivided into 96 departments; see
separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana,
Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the territorial
collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon)
</p>
<p>Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa
Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands,
Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin
Island, Wallis and Futuna
</p>
<p>note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
</p>
<p>Independence: 486 (unified by Clovis)
</p>
<p>Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election
of president in 1962, ammended to comply with provisions of EC
Maastricht Treaty in 1992
</p>
<p>Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts;
review of administrative but not legislative acts
</p>
<p>National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14
July (1789)
</p>
<p>Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR),
Jacques CHIRAC; Union for French Democracy (UDF, federation of
UREI, UC, RDE), Valery Giscard d'ESTAING; Republican Party (PR),
Gerard LONGUET; Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Pierre
MEHAIGNERIE; Radical (RAD), Yves GALLAND; Socialist Party (PS),
Michel ROCARD; Left Radical Movement (MRG), Emile ZUCCARELLI;
Communist Party (PCF), Georges MARCHAIS; National Front (FN),
Jean-Marie LE PEN; Union of Republican and Independents (UREI);
Centrist Union (UC); (RDE)
</p>
<p>Other political or pressure groups: Communist-controlled labor
union (Confederation Generale du Travail) nearly 2.4 million
members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation
Francaise Democratique du Travail or CFDT) about 800,000 members
est.; independent labor union (Force Ouvriere) 1 million members
(est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale
des Cadres) 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of
French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais - CNPF
or Patronat)
</p>
<p>Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
</p>
<p>Elections:
</p>
<p> President: last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held by May
1995); results - Second Ballot Francois MITTERRAND 54%, Jacques
CHIRAC 46%
</p>
<p> Senate: last held NA September 1992 (next to be held
September 1995 - nine-year term, elected by thirds every three
years); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (321
total; 296 metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and
territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad) RPR 91, UDF 142
(UREI 51, UC 68, RDE 23), PS 66, PCF 16, independents 2, other 4
</p>
<p> National Assembly: last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to
be held NA 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
(577 total) RPR 247, UDF 213, PS 67, PCF 24, independents 26
</p>
<p>Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
</p>
<p>Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists
of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
</p>
<p>Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (Cour Constitutionnelle)
</p>
<p>Leaders:
</p>
<p> Chief of State: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
1981)
</p>
<p> Head of Government: Prime Minister Edouard BALLADUR (since
29 March 1993)
</p>
<p>Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group,
BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE,
EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, FZ,
GATT, G-5, G-7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UNTAC, UN
Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO, ZC
</p>
<list>
<l>Diplomatic representation in US:</l>
<l> chief of mission: Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI</l>
<l> chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007</l>
<l> telephone: (202) 944-6000</l>
<l> consulates general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San
Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)</l>
</list>
<list>
<l>US diplomatic representation:</l>
<l> chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela HARRIMAN</l>
<l> embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08, Unit
21551</l>
<l> mailing address: APO AE 09777</l>
<l> telephone: [33] (1) 4296-12-02 or 4261-80-75</l>
<l> FAX: [33] (1) 4266-9783</l>
<l> consulates general: Bordeaux, Marseille, Strasbourg</l>
</list>
<p>Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white,
and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design
and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags,
including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, and
Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas
</p></body></article></text>