--Guadeloupe

Ethnic divisions: 90% black or mulatto; 5% white; less than 5% East
Indian, Lebanese, Chinese

Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 5% Hindu and pagan African

Language: French, creole patois

Literacy: over 70%

Labor force: 120,000; 53.0% services, government, and commerce,
25.8% industry, 21.2% agriculture

Organized labor: 11% of labor force

- Government
Long-form name: Department of Guadeloupe

Type: overseas department of France

Capital: Basse-Terre

Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)

Independence: none (overseas department of France)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French legal system

National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Executive branch: government commissioner

Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral
Regional Council

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over
Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique

Leaders:
Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since
21 May 1981);

Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Paul PROUST
(since November 1989)

Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR),
Marlene Captant; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian
Medard Celeste; Socialist Party (PSG), Dominique Larifla;
Independent Republicans; Union for French Democracy (UDF); Union
for a New Majority (UNM)

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
General Council --last held NA 1986 (next to be held by NA 1992);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(42 total) number of seats by party NA;

Regional Council--last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held
by 16 March 1992);
results--RPR 33.1%, PS 28.7%, PCG 23.8%, UDF 10.7%, others 3.8%;
seats--(41 total) RPR 15, PS 12, PCG 10, UDF 4;

French Senate--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be
held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects two representatives;
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(2 total) PCG 1, PS 1;

French National Assembly--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988
(next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects four representatives;
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat

Communists: 3,000 est.

Other political or pressure groups: Popular Union for the Liberation
of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Popular Movement for Independent Guadeloupe
(MPGI); General Union of Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG); General