France City Guide

Political Status
France is a pluralistic democracy with a semi-presidential regime.
The present constitution was drawn up under the 5th Republic (9th January 1959).
The President of the Republic is elected for a seven year term of office by general election.
The present President is Mr Jacques Chirac. The presidential seat is at the Elysée Palace.
He is seconded by the Prime Minister, who is responsible towards the National Assembly.
The present Prime Minister is Mr Dominique De Villepin .
The Prime Minister's office is in the Hotel Matignon.
The National Assembly is made up of 577 members, elected by general election.
The house of the National Assembly is in the Palais Bourbon.
There are 317 members in the Senate who are elected by indirect universal franchise.
The Senate, which is renewed a third at a time, every three years, sits in the Palais du Luxembourg.
France is a member of the European Union.

Historical outline :
1958 : General Charles de Gaulle came to power.
08.01.1959 : General Charles de Gaulle is elected President.
28.10.1962 : Approval, by referendum, of voting by direct general election for the presidency.
28.04.1969 : Mr Georges Pompidou is elected President.
27.05.1974 : Mr Valéry Giscard d’Estaing is elected President.
27.05.1981 : Mr François Mitterand, a socialist, is elected President.
16.03.1986 : Mr Jacques Chirac is elected Prime Minister
8.05. 1988 : Mr François Mitterand is re-elected for a second term of office.
17.05.1995 : Mr Jacques Chirac is elected President.
8.01.1996 : Death of ex-President François Mitterand.
4.06.1997 : Election of Mr Lionel Jospin as Prime Minister
2002 -2007 : Mr Jacques Chirac is elected President
Mr De villepin as Prime Minister

France Overseas
1534 Jacques Cartier's expedition to Canada.
1510-71 Expeditions to Brazil, led by Nicolas de Villegaignon
17th century :
Founding of a French colony in Acadia (Nova Scotia in Canada)
1642 Founding of Montreal.
The French East Indian Company founds Fort Dauphin in Madagascar
1659 Foundation of St Louis in Sénégal.
In 1939
French territories represent 12,300,000 square kilometers and 103 million inhabitants.
In North Africa : one French territory Algeria and two protectorates, Morocco and Tunisia
In equatorial Africa : Gabon, Middle Congo, Oubangui Chari, Tchad and a mandate territory the Cameroons.
Islands : Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, Reunion, the southern isles of the Indian Ocean
In America : French West Indies : Martinique, Guadeloupe, and the dependencies of Guyana, St-Pierre and Miquelon, North America, Clipperton which is 1300 kms from Mexico.
In the Antarctic : Terre Adélie.
In Asia : two mandated countries, Lebanon and Syria
Ex-Orient : one colony Cochinchina, 4 protectorates Tonkin, Annam, Cambodia, Annam Empire
In Oceania : New Caledonia, several settlements.

In 2005, French dependencies are :
America : St Pierre and Miquelon, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana and the north of the island of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy.
In Antarctica : Terre Adélie.
In the Indian Ocean : Glorieuses, Reunion, the Crozet islands, Kerguelen, Tromelin Island, the Saint Paul islands and New Amsterdam, Mayotte.
In the Pacific : the islands of Wallis and Futuna, the Marquises islands, Tahiti, Moorea, the islands du Vent, the Tuamotu islands, the Australes or Tubuaï, the Gambie islands, New Caledonia, Clipperton Island and the Islands Sous le Vent
The DOM TOM (the territories overseas) have their own Ministry. They are Martinique, Guyana, Guadeloupe and Reunion. They are managed by France but regulations can be adapted to fit local conditions.
Regional councils are elected by general election. There are also consultative committees.