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
Saint Pierre and
Miquelon
Location:
Northern North America, islands
in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Saint Pierre and Miquelon)
Geographic coordinates:
46 50 N, 56 20 W
Map references:
North America
Area:
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
total: 34.9 years
male: 34.3 years female: 35.3 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.114% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
12.92 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.81 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-4.97 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85
male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.04 deaths/1,000
live births male: 8.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.91
years male: 76.55 years female: 81.4 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.98 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Frenchman(men),
Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
Ethnic groups:
Basques and Bretons (French
fishermen)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Languages:
French (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 99% male:
99% female: 99% (1982 est.)
Government
Saint Pierre and
Miquelon
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:
NA
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 -
Saint Pierre, Miquelon at the second order
Independence:
none (territorial collectivity
of France; has been under French control since 1763)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system:
the laws of France, where
applicable, apply
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by Prefect Yves
FAUQUEUR (since 28 August 2006) 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 6 May 2007 (next to
be held in 2012); prefect appointed by the French president on the advice
of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council
is elected by the members of the council
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Council
or Conseil Territorial (19 seats, 15 from Saint Pierre and four from
Miquelon; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held 19 and 26 in March 2006 (next to
be held in March 2012) election results: percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - AD 16, Cap sur l'Avenir 2, SPM 2000/AM 1
note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect one seat to the French
Senate; elections last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held in
September 2013); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
UMP 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects one seat to the French
National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 10 June 2007, second
round - 17 June 2007 (next to be held in 2012); results - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - Left Radical Party 1
Judicial branch:
Superior Tribunal of Appeals or
Tribunal Superieur d'Appel
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
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 sailing ship facing
the hoist side rides on a dark blue background with yellow wavy lines
under the ship; 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 flag of France is used for official occasions
Economy
Saint Pierre and
Miquelon
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 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 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 Saint Pierre and Miquelon,
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):
$48.3 million note:
supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million (2003
est.)
fish and fish products,
soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts
Exports - partners:
Spain 33.6%, Belgium 21.8%,
India 18.3%, France 9.4%, US 7.5% (2006)
Imports:
$68.2 million f.o.b. (2005
est.)
Imports - commodities:
meat, clothing, fuel,
electrical equipment, machinery, building materials
Imports - partners:
France 51.3%, Saint Pierre and Miquelon 31.8%,
Belgium 4.1% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
approximately $60 million in
annual grants from France
Debt - external:
Currency (code):
euro (EUR)
Currency code:
EUR
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.7345
(2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Saint Pierre and
Miquelon
Telephones - main lines in use:
4,800 (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
adequate domestic: NA international: country code -
508; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world;
satellite earth station - 1 in French domestic satellite system
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
4,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (2 repeaters rebroadcast
programs from France, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and the US) (1997)
Televisions:
4,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.pm
Internet hosts:
0 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
NA
Transportation
Saint Pierre and
Miquelon
Airports:
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2 1,524 to
2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
