Introduction
Background
First settled by the French in the early 17th century, the islands represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North American possessions.
Geography
Location
Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)
Geographic coordinates
46 50 N, 56 20 W
Area (sq km)
total: 242 sq km
land: 242 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups
Area - comparative (sq km)
one and half times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries (km)
0 km
Coastline (km)
120 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate
cold and wet, with considerable mist and fog; spring and autumn are often windy
Terrain
mostly barren rock
Elevation extremes (m)
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m
Natural resources
fish, deepwater ports
Land use (%)
arable land: 8.7%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 91.3% (2011)
Irrigated land (sq km)
NA
Natural hazards
persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues
recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment
Geography - note
vegetation scanty
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French
Ethnic groups (%)
Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Languages (%)
French (official)
Religions (%)
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Population
5,716 (July 2014 est.) evolution and prospects (1950-2100)
Age structure (%)
0-14 years: 16.3% (male 481/female 450)
15-24 years: 8.5% (male 249/female 235)
25-54 years: 43.5% (male 1,234/female 1,252)
55-64 years: 13.9% (male 416/female 378)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 421/female 600) (2014 est.)
Median age (years)
total: 44.6 years
male: 44.2 years
female: 45 years (2014 est.)
Population growth rate (%)
-1.02% (2014 est.)
Birth rate (births/1,000 population)
7.7 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
Death rate (deaths/1,000 population)
9.27 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
Net migration rate (migrant(s)/1,000 population)
-8.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
Urbanization (%)
urban population: 90.7% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 0.14% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major urban areas - population
SAINT-PIERRE (capital) 5,000 (2011)
Sex ratio (male(s)/female)
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Infant mortality rate (deaths/1,000 live births)
total: 6.95 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)
Life expectancy at birth (years)
total population: 80.26 years
male: 77.95 years
female: 82.7 years (2014 est.)
Total fertility rate (children born/woman)
1.56 children born/woman (2014 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%)
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Literacy (%)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1982 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon
local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
Dependency status
self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France
Government type
parliamentary representative democracy
Capital
name: Saint-Pierre
geographic coordinates: 46 46 N, 56 11 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
Administrative divisions
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France); note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are two communes at the second order - Saint Pierre, Miquelon
Independence
none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)
National holiday
Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789)
Constitution
4 October 1958 (French Constitution) (2013)
Legal system
French civil law
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by Prefect Patrice LATRON (since 16 November 2011)
head of government: President of the Territorial Council Stephane ARTANO (since 21 February 2007)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 6 May 2012 (next to be held in 2017); prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council elected by the members of the council
Legislative branch
unicameral Territorial Council or Conseil Territorial (19 seats, 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2018)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect one member to the French Senate; elections last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last held on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRG 1
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel (composition NA)
judge selection and term of office: judge selection and tenure NA
subordinate courts: NA
Political parties and leaders
Archipelago Tomorrow or AD (affiliated with UDF/RPR list)
Cap sur l'Avenir (affiliated with PRG)
Left Radical Party or PRG
Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR (now UMP)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2000/Avenir Miquelon or SPM 2000/AM
Socialist Party or PS
Union pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
International organization participation
UPU, WFTU (NGOs)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
Flag description
a yellow three-masted sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a blue background with scattered, white, wavy lines under the ship; a continuous black-over-white wavy line divides the ship from the white wavy lines; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part (called ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the rectangle into four sections; the middle part has a white background with an ermine pattern; the third part has a red background with two stylized yellow lions outlined in black, one above the other; these three heraldic arms represent settlement by colonists from the Basque Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy; the blue on the main portion of the flag symbolizes the Atlantic Ocean and the stylized ship represents the Grande Hermine in which Jacques Cartier "discovered" the islands in 1536
note: the flag of France used for official occasions
National symbol(s)
16th-century sailing ship
National anthem
note: as a collectivity of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)
Economy
Economy - overview
The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, because of disputes with Canada over fishing quotas and a steady decline in the number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre. In 1992, an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of 12,348 sq km to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although it represents only 25% of what France had sought. France heavily subsidizes the islands to the great betterment of living standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost economic prospects. Fish farming, crab fishing, and agriculture are being developed to diversify the local economy. Recent test drilling for oil may pave the way for development of the energy sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$215.3 million (2006 est.)
note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million
GDP (official exchange rate)
$215.3 million (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate (%)
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$34,900 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (%)
agriculture: 2%
industry: 15%
services: 83% (2006 est.)
Labor force
3,194 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation (%)
agriculture: 18%
industry: 41%
services: 41% (1996)
Unemployment rate (%)
9.9% (2008 est.)
Population below poverty line (%)
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share (%)
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget
revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million (1996)
Taxes and other revenues (% of GDP)
32.5% of GDP (1996)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) (% of GDP)
4.6% of GDP (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) (%)
4.5% (2010)
8.1% (2005)
Agriculture - products
vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Industries
fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
Industrial production growth rate (%)
NA%
Exports
$6.641 million (2010 est.)
$5.5 million (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities (%)
fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts
Imports
$95.35 million (2010 est.)
$68.2 million (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities (%)
meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials
External debt ($)
$NA
Exchange rates
Currency converter
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
0.7634 (2013 est.)
0.7752 (2012 est.)
0.755 (2010 est.)
0.7198 (2009 est.)
0.6827 (2008 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Energy
Electricity - production (kWh)
53 million kWh (2010 est.)
Electricity - consumption (kWh)
49.29 million kWh (2010 est.)
Electricity - exports (kWh)
0 kWh (2012 est.)
Electricity - imports (kWh)
0 kWh (2012 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity (kW)
26,600 kW (2010 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels (% of total installed capacity)
97.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels (% of total installed capacity)
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants (% of total installed capacity)
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources (% of total installed capacity)
2.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Crude oil - production (bbl/day)
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil - exports (bbl/day)
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil - imports (bbl/day)
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves (bbl)
0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production (bbl/day)
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption (bbl/day)
974 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports (bbl/day)
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports (bbl/day)
584 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Natural gas - production (cu m)
0 cu m (2011 est.)
Natural gas - consumption (cu m)
0 cu m (2010 est.)
Natural gas - exports (cu m)
0 cu m (2011 est.)
Natural gas - imports (cu m)
0 cu m (2011 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves (cu m)
0 cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy (Mt)
91,430 Mt (2011 est.)
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use
4,800 (2010)
Telephone system
general assessment: adequate
international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 in French domestic satellite system
Broadcast media
2 TV stations with a third repeater station, all part of the French Overseas Network; radio stations on St. Pierre and on Miquelon are part of the French Overseas Network (2007)
Internet country code
.pm
Internet hosts
15 (2012)
Transportation
Airports
2 (2013)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
Roadways (km)
total: 117 km
paved: 80 km
unpaved: 37 km (2009)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Saint-Pierre
Military
Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49: 1,064
females age 16-49: 1,069 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 34
female: 32 (2010 est.)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
none
Largest cities of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
These are the 50 largest cities of Saint Pierre and Miquelon ordered based on their number of inhabitants.
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint-Pierre | 6,200 |