2015 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

note

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

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 8.7%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0%

agricultural land

8.7%

forest

12.5%

other

78.8% (2011 est.)

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

15.96% (male 465/female 438)

15-24 years

8.75% (male 256/female 239)

25-54 years

42.87% (male 1,199/female 1,226)

55-64 years

13.68% (male 404/female 370)

65 years and over

18.74% (male 443/female 617) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

7.42 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

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

5.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

7.87 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.78 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.85 years (2015 est.)

male

78.06 years

total population

80.39 years

Major urban areas - population

SAINT-PIERRE (capital) 5,000 (2014)

Median age

female

45.6 years (2015 est.)

male

44.8 years

total

45.2 years

Nationality

adjective

French

noun

Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

Net migration rate

-8.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Population

5,657 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

-1.08% (2015 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.07 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.09 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.72 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.56 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

90.4% of total population (2015)

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 2 communes at the second order - Saint Pierre, Miquelon

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)

Citizenship

see France

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

Le Cabinet du Prefet

chief of state

President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by Prefect Jean-Christophe BOUVIER (since September 2014)

elections/appointments

French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 May 2012 (next to be held in 2017); prefect appointed by French president on the advice of French Ministry of Interior

head of government

President of 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

parliamentary representative democracy

Independence

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

International organization participation

UPU, WFTU (NGOs)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel (composition NA)

judge selection and term of office

judge selection and tenure NA

subordinate courts

NA

Legal system

French civil law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Territorial Council or Conseil Territorial (19 seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote to serve 6-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - AD 52.5%, Ensemble pour l'Avenir 47.5%; seats by party - AD 14, Ensemble pour l'Avenir 5

elections

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

note

Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect one member to the French Senate; elections last held on 28 September 2014 (next to be held not later than September 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AD 1 (affiliated with UMP); 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 - Ensemble pour l'Avenir 1 (affiliated with PRG)

National anthem

note

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

National holiday

Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789)

National symbol(s)

16th-century sailing ship

Political parties and leaders

Archipelago Tomorrow or AD [Stephane ARTANO] (affiliated with UMP)

Togerther for the Future (Ensemble pour l'Avenir) [Annick GIRARDIN] (affiliated with PRG)

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Budget

expenditures

$60 million (1996 est.)

revenues

$70 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

4.6% of GDP (1996 est.)

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 -

0.7489 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

0.78 (2012 est.)

0.7185 (2011 est.)

0.755 (2010 est.)

Exports

$6.641 million (2010 est.)

$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 of origin

agriculture

2%

industry

15%

services

83% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$34,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

GDP (official exchange rate)

$215.3 million (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$215.3 million (2006 est.)

note

supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$95.35 million (2010 est.)

$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)

4.5% (2010)

8.1% (2005)

Labor force

3,194 (2006)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

18%

industry

41%

services

41% (1996)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Taxes and other revenues

32.5% of GDP (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate

9.9% (2008 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

151,100 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

39.99 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

97.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

2.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

26,600 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

43 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

600 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

1.24 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

604.4 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telephone system

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 - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

81 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

4,800

Television broadcast stations

0 (2 repeaters rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)

Airports

2 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2013)

total

2

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Saint-Pierre

Roadways

paved

80 km

total

117 km

unpaved

37 km (2009)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

1,069 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,064

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

32 (2010 est.)

male

34

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Disputes - international

none