Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
that the best minds in the country will be in the public service
and 500 grands écoles prepare them for the jobs. The French
accept this level of interference in their lives, and the costs
associated, because it works.
Administrative Divisions
France proper has 22 regions: 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.
These regions are called France Métropolitan , which
refers to the part of France in Europe. They are divided
into 96 departments. In addition, there are four overseas
departments: French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique in
the Caribbean and Reunion of the east coast of Africa.
They are now referred to as Départements et regions d'outre
mer (DOM-ROM).
In addition there are six territories with a variety of
ofi cial status called Collectivité d'outre mer (COM). They
are: French Polynesia, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Wallis-et-
Futuna, Mayotte, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy. New
Caledonia has its own unique status and is expected to gain
full independence in 2014.
The Major Political Coalitions
There are so many political parties in France, contenders are
forced to make up coalitions to get elected. These are the
major ones at the moment:
UMP ( Union pour un Mouvement Populaire ) is currently the
coalition party in power under President Nicholas Sarkozy.
A coalition created by former President Jacques Chirac of
the more conservative parties: RPR, DL and UDF, it includes
many Christian Democrats as well. Francois Fillon is his
Prime Minister. The party leader is Jacques-Francois Copé.
Considered “centre right”, Sarkozy will have the Socialists to
contend with in elections in 2012.
 
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