2010 Edition

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.

Area

land

242 sq km

total

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 considerable mist and fog; spring and autumn are often windy

Coastline

120 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 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%

other

87.5% (2005)

permanent crops

0%

Location

Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard

Natural resources

fish, deepwater ports

Terrain

mostly barren rock

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.9% (male 789/female 755) 15-64 years: 66.4% (male 2,378/female 2,313) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 382/female 446) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

8.58 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

8.41 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 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

female

6.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

8.94 deaths/1,000 live births

total

7.65 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.12 years (2010 est.)

male

77.49 years

total population

79.74 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

99% (1982 est.)

male

99%

total population

99%

Median age

female

42.4 years (2010 est.)

male

41.6 years

total

42 years

Nationality

adjective

French

noun

Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

Net migration rate

-9.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

5,943 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.909% (2010 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.54 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

89% of total population (2008)

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

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

geographic coordinates

46 46 N, 56 11 W

name

Saint-Pierre

time difference

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

cabinet

NA (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by Prefect Jean-Regis BORIUS (since 29 October 2009)

elections

French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 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 elected by the members of the council

head of government

President of the Territorial Council Stephane ARTANO (since 21 February 2007)

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

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 elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)

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 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, 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

elections

elections last held on 19 and 26 in March 2006 (next to be held in March 2012)

National anthem

note: as a collectivity of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)

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

Agriculture - products

vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Debt - external

$NA

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 (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

53 million kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7179 (2009), 0.6734 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006)

Exports

$5.5 million (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts

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 (2003 est.) note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$68.2 million (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials

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 (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

564 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

10.3% (1999)

Broadcast media

2 television stations with a third repeater station, all part of the French Overseas Network; has radio stations on St. Pierre and on Miquelon that are part of the French Overseas Network (2007)

Internet country code

.pm

Internet hosts

0 (2010)

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

adequate

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 (2009)

Airports

2 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Saint-Pierre

Roadways

paved

80 km

total

117 km

unpaved

37 km (2000)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,097 females age 16-49: 1,096 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

34 (2010 est.)

male

36

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Disputes - international

none page last updated on January 12, 2011 ======================================================================