read and write
total population: 97.7%
male: 97.4%
female: 98.1% (2003 est.)

Government Martinique

Country name:
conventional long form: Department of Martinique
conventional short form: Martinique
local long form: Departement de la Martinique
local short form: 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:
4 October 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 Yves DASSONVILLE (since 14 January 2004); note - took
office 8 February 2004
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
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

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 28 March 2004 (next
to be held by March 2010)
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 (second round) - percent of vote
by party - MIM 53.8%, PPM 30.6%; seats by party - MIM 28, PPM 9,
other 4
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 J