2008 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2008 (Project Gutenberg)
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
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
Area - comparative
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy
Coastline
120 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m
Environment - current issues
recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment
Geographic coordinates
46 50 N, 56 20 W
Geography - note
vegetation scanty
Irrigated land
NA
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 12.5% permanent crops: 0% other: 87.5% (2005)
Location
Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)
Map references
North America
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards
persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources
fish, deepwater ports
Terrain
mostly barren rock
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 806/female 772) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 2,370/female 2,301) 65 years and over: 11.3% (male 366/female 429) (2008 est.)
Birth rate
12.92 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate
6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Education expenditures
NA
Ethnic groups
Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
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.)
Languages
French (official)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.91 years male: 76.55 years female: 81.4 years (2008 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1982 est.)
Median age
total: 34.9 years male: 34.3 years female: 35.3 years (2008 est.)
Nationality
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
Net migration rate
-4.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Population
7,044 (July 2008 est.)
Population growth rate
0.114% (2008 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
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.)
Total fertility rate
1.98 children born/woman (2008 est.)
Government
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
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
Constitution
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
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
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by Prefect Jean-Pierre BERCOT (since 28 July 2008) 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
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
Government type
NA
Independence
none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)
International organization participation
UPU, WFTU
Judicial branch
Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel
Legal system
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
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
National holiday
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture - products
vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Budget
revenues: $70 million expenditures: $60 million (1996 est.)
Currency (code)
euro (EUR)
Currency code
EUR
Debt - external
$NA
Economic aid - recipient
approximately $60 million in annual grants from France
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.
Electricity - consumption
49.29 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production
53 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Exports
$5.5 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities
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)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$7,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
GDP (official exchange rate)
$NA
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$48.3 million note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$68.2 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities
meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials
Imports - partners
France 51.3%, Canada 31.8%, Belgium 4.1% (2006)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8.1% (2005)
Labor force
3,450 (2005)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 18% industry: 41% services: 41% (1996 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Oil - consumption
560 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports
556.8 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
10.3% (1999)
Communications
Internet country code
.pm
Internet hosts
0 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
NA
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
4,000 (1997)
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
Telephones - main lines in use
4,800 (2002)
Television broadcast stations
0 (2 repeaters rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)
Televisions
4,000 (1997)
Transportation
Airports
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Ports and terminals
Saint-Pierre
Roadways
total: 117 km paved: 80 km unpaved: 37 km (2000)
Military and Security
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 61 female: 58 (2008 est.)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
none This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008