2012 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

242 sq km 242 sq km 0 sq km includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups

total

242 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

one and half 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

Atlantic Ocean 0 m Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

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

12.5% 0% 87.5% (2005)

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

12 nm 200 nm

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

16.8% (male 507/ female 474) 66.7% (male 1,969/ female 1,921) 16.5% (male 392/ female 568) (2012 est.)

0-14 years

16.8% (male 507/ female 474)

15-64 years

66.7% (male 1,969/ female 1,921)

65 years and over

16.5% (male 392/ female 568) (2012 est.)

Birth rate

8.06 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Death rate

8.92 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 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

7.29 deaths/1,000 live births 8.49 deaths/1,000 live births 6.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

female

6.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

total

7.29 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official)

Life expectancy at birth

80 years 77.72 years 82.41 years (2012 est.)

female

82.41 years (2012 est.)

total population

80 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 99% 99% 99% (1982 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99% (1982 est.)

male

99%

total population

99%

Major cities - population

SAINT-PIERRE (capital) 5,000 (2009)

Median age

43.2 years 42.8 years 43.7 years (2012 est.)

female

43.7 years (2012 est.)

male

42.8 years

total

43.2 years

Nationality

Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) French

adjective

French

noun

Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

Net migration rate

-8.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Population

5,831 (July 2012 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.978% (2012 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Sex ratio

1.04 male(s)/female 1.07 male(s)/female 1.02 male(s)/female 0.69 male(s)/female 0.97 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.69 male(s)/female

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

under 15 years

1.07 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.55 children born/woman (2012 est.)

Urbanization

91% of total population (2010) 0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

rate of urbanization

0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

91% of total population (2010)

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

Saint-Pierre 46 46 N, 56 11 W UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

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

Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Pierre and Miquelon Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

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

President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by Prefect Patrice LATRON (since 16 November 2011) President of the Territorial Council Stephane ARTANO (since 21 February 2007) NA 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

cabinet

NA

chief of state

President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by Prefect Patrice LATRON (since 16 November 2011)

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

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 the flag of France used for official occasions

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

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

Government type

parliamentary representative democracy

Independence

none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)

International organization participation

UPU, WFTU (NGOs)

Judicial branch

Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel

Legal system

French civil law

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) elections last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2018) percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA 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

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA

elections

elections last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2018)

National anthem

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

note

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

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

National symbol(s)

16th-century sailing ship

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

Budget

$70 million $60 million (1996 est.)

expenditures

$60 million (1996 est.)

revenues

$70 million

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.

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7838 (2012 est.) 0.7185 (2011 est.) 755 (2010 est.) 0.7198 (2009 est.) 0.6827 (2008 est.)

Exports

$5.5 million (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

NA% NA% NA%

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.) supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million

Household income or consumption by percentage share

NA% NA%

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$68.2 million (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.1% (2005)

Labor force

3,450 (2005)

Labor force - by occupation

18% 41% 41% (1996 est.)

agriculture

18%

industry

41%

services

41% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

10.3% (1999)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

152,600 Mt (2010 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

Electricity - consumption

49.29 million kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

27,000 kW (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

53 million kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

974 bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

584 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

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)

Telephone system

adequate NA country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 in French domestic satellite 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 (2010)

Airports

2 (2012)

Airports - with paved runways

1 (2012)

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2012)

total

2

Ports and terminals

Saint-Pierre

Roadways

117 km 80 km 37 km (2000)

total

117 km

unpaved

37 km (2000)

Manpower fit for military service

1,064 1,069 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

1,069 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,064

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

32 (2010 est.)

female

32 (2010 est.)

male

34

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Disputes - international

none