Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Introduction Saint Pierre and Miquelon
--------------------------------------
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 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
-----------------------------------
Location: Northern North America, islands in
the North Atlantic Ocean, south of
Newfoundland (Canada)
Geographic coordinates: 46 50 N, 56 20 W
Map references: North America
Area: total: 242 sq km
note: includes eight small islands
in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon
groups
water: 0 sq km
land: 242 sq km
Area - comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 120 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: cold and wet, with much mist and
fog; spring and autumn are windy
Terrain: mostly barren rock
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande
Montagne 240 m
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use: arable land: 13.04%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 86.96% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
--------------------------------
Population: 6,954 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.4% (male 904; female
864)
15-64 years: 64.4% (male 2,288;
female 2,193)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 303;
female 402) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.35% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 14.96 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 6.61 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -4.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.93 years
female: 80.32 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.66 years
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman
(women)
adjective: French
Ethnic groups: Basques and Bretons (French
fishermen)
Religions: Roman Catholic 99%
Languages: French
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 short form: Saint-Pierre et
Miquelon
local long form: Departement de
Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
Dependency status: self-governing territorial
collectivity of France
Government type: NA
Capital: Saint-Pierre
Administrative divisions: none (territorial 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: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: French law with special adaptations
for local conditions, such as
housing and taxation
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques
CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Jean-
Francois TALLON (since NA)
elections: French president elected
by popular vote for a five-year
term; election last held, first
round - 21 April 2002, second round
- 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA
2007); prefect appointed by the
French president on the advice of
the French Ministry of Interior;
president of the General Council is
elected by the members of the
council
head of government: President of the
General Council Marc PLANTAGENEST
(since NA)
cabinet: NA
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or
Conseil General (19 seats - 15 from
Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon;
members are elected by popular vote
to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held 19
and 26 Marach 2000 (next to be held
NA April 2006)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - PS 12,
PRG 2, UDF-RPR 5
note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon
elect 1 seat to the French Senate;
elections last held NA September
1995 (next to be held NA September
2004); results - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 1;
Saint Pierre and Miquelon also
elects 1 seat to the French National
Assembly; elections last held, first
round - 9 June 2002, second round -
16 June 2002 (next to be held NA
2007); results - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - UDF 1
Judicial branch: Superior Tribunal of Appeals or
Tribunal Superieur d'Appel
Political parties and leaders: PRG [leader NA]; Rassemblement pour
la Republique or RPR [leader NA];
Socialist Party or PS [leader NA];
Union pour la Democratie Francaise
or UDF [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization FZ, WFTU
participation:
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territorial collectivity of
France)
Diplomatic representation from the none (territorial collectivity of
US: France)
Flag description: a yellow sailing ship facing the
hoist side rides on a dark blue
background with a black wave line
under the ship; on the hoist side, a
vertical band is divided into three
parts: the top part is red with a
green diagonal cross extending to
the corners overlaid by a white
cross dividing the square 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 on top
of the other; 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 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. The islands
are heavily subsidized by France to
the great betterment of living
standards. The government hopes an
expansion of tourism will boost
economic prospects. Recent test
drilling for oil may pave the way
for development of the energy
sector.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $74
million (1996 est.); supplemented by
annual payments from France of about
$60 million
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,000
(1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (1991-96 average)
Labor force: 3,000 (1997)
Labor force - by occupation: fishing 18%, industry (mainly fish-
processing) 41%, services 41% (1996
est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.8% (1997)
Budget: revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million, including
capital expenditures of $24 million
(1996 est.)
Industries: fish processing and supply base for
fishing fleets; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 41 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 38.13 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep,
pigs; fish
Exports: $12 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities: fish and fish products, soybeans,
animal feed, mollusks and
crustaceans, fox and mink pelts
Exports - partners: US 43%, Egypt 14%, Japan 11%,
Colombia 8% (1999)
Imports: $55 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities: meat, clothing, fuel, electrical
equipment, machinery, building
materials
Imports - partners: France 44%, Canada 40% (1999)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: approximately $60 million in annual
grants from France
Currency: euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)
Currency code: EUR; FRF
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.06594
(January 2001), 1.08540 (2000),
0.93863 (1999); French francs per US
dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367
(1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Saint Pierre and Miquelon
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Telephones - main lines in use: 4,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1994)
Telephone system: general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone
communication with most countries in
the world; 1 earth station in French
domestic satellite system
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 4,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (there are, however, two repeaters
which rebroadcast programs from
France, Canada, and the US) (1997)
Televisions: 4,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .pm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: NA
Transportation Saint Pierre and Miquelon
----------------------------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 114 km
paved: 69 km
unpaved: 45 km (1994 est.)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Saint Pierre
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 2 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
Military Saint Pierre and Miquelon
----------------------------------
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of
France
Transnational Issues Saint Pierre and Miquelon
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Disputes - international: none
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