The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

name:

       conventional long form: French Republic

       conventional short form: France

       local long form: Republique Francaise

       local short form: France

      Government type:

       republic

      Capital:

       Paris

      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

       note: metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the

       "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided

       into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas

       departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the

       overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and

       Miquelon)

      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

       note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

      Independence:

       486 (unified by Clovis)

      National holiday:

       Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

      Constitution:

       28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in

       1962, amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht

       Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam Treaty, 2000 Treaty of Nice; amended to

       tighten immigration laws in 1993; amended in 2000 to change the

       seven-year presidential term to a five-year term

      Legal system:

       civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative

       but not legislative acts

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)

       head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN (since 7 May

       2002)

       elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term

       (changed from seven-year term in October 2000); election last held

       21 April and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first round April 2007,

       second round May 2007); prime minister nominated by the National

       Assembly majority and appointed by the president

       election results: Jacques CHIRAC reelected president; percent of

       vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN

       (FN) 18.04%

       cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the

       suggestion of the prime minister

      Legislative branch:

       bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat

       (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas

       departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad;

       members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve

       nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years); note -

       between now and 2010, 25 new seats will be added to the Senate for a

       total of 346 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas

       departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre

       and Miquelon, 3 for overseas territories, and 12 for French

       nationals abroad; members will be indirectly elected by an electoral

       college to serve six-year terms, with one-half the seats being

       renewed every three years; and the National Assembly or Assemblee

       Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a

       single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms)

       election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by

       party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF 33, PCF 23, RDSE 15, other 7; National

       Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 355,

       PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Radical Party 7, Greens 3, other 22

       elections: Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held

       September 2007); National Assembly - last held 8–16 June 2002 (next

       to be held not later than June 2007)

      Judicial branch:

       Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges are appointed

       by the president from nominations of the High Council of the

       Judiciary); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (three

       members appointed by the president, three appointed by the president

       of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the president of

       the Senate); Council of State or Conseil d'Etat

      Political parties and leaders:

       Citizen and Republican Movement or MCR [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT];

       Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly RAD. and PRG)

       [Jacques PELLETIER]; French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George

       BUFFET]; Left Radical Party or PRG (previously Radical Socialist

       Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel

       BAYLET]; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; Rally

       for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois

       HOLLANDE]; Greens [Gilles LEMAIRE, Francine BAVAY, Jean DESESSARD,

       Christophe PORQUIER, Maud LELIEVRE]; Union for French Democracy or

       UDF [Francois BAYROU]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP

       (including RPR, DL, and a part of UDF) [Nicolas SARKOZY]

      Political pressure groups and leaders:

       historically-Communist labor union (Confederation Generale du

       Travail) or CGT, approximately 700,000 members (claimed);

       left-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du

       Travail) or CFDT, approximately 889,000 members (claimed);

       independent labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - Force

       Ouvriere) or FO, 300,000 members (est.); independent white-collar

       union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members