Map of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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

Geographic coordinates: 46 50 N 56 20 W

Map reference: North America

Area
Total: 242 km²
Rank: 213
Land: 242 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups
Comparative: one and half times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 120 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: cold and wet with considerable mist and fog; spring and autumn are often windy

Terrain: mostly barren rock

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

Natural resources: fish deepwater ports

Land use
Arable land: 12.5%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 87.5% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard

Geography
Note: vegetation scanty


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Population: 5,888 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 228
Growth rate: -0.968% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 228
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Frenchman Frenchwoman(women)
Adjective: French

Ethnic groups: Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)

Languages: French (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 99% other 1%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.1%
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 2004/female 1949)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male 379/female 551) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 42.6 years
Male: 42.2 years
Female: 43 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.968% (2011 est.)
Rank: 228

Birth rate: 8.32 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 217

Death rate: 8.83 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 76

Net migration rate: -9.17 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 208

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 91% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.042 male/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 (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.47 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 162
Male: 8.71 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.15 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.87 years
Rank: 31
Male: 77.61 years
Female: 82.26 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.55 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 179

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (1982 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education: NA

Youth unemployment


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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

Government type: NA

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

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

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Bastille Day 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French civil law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY ; represented by Prefect Patrice LATRON (since 16 November 2011)
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 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

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: elections last held on 19 and 26 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 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 - PRG 1

Judicial branch: Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel

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

International organization participation: UPU WFTU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
From the us: none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

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

National symbols: 16th-century sailing ship

National anthem
Note: as a collectivity of France 'La Marseillaise' is official

National heritage


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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 km² 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $48.3 million (2003 est.)
Rank: 222
Note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $7,000 (2001 est.)
Rank: 130

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: vegetables; poultry cattle sheep pigs; fish

Industries: fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 3,450 (2005)
Rank: 221
By occupation agriculture: 18%
By occupation industry: 41%
By occupation services: 41% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10.3% (1999)
Rank: 112

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $70 million
Expenditures: $60 million (1996 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.1% (2005)
Rank: 189

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $5.5 million (2005 est.)
Rank: 215
Commodities: fish and fish products soybeans animal feed mollusks and crustaceans fox and mink pelts

Imports: $68.2 million (2005 est.)
Rank: 214
Commodities: meat clothing fuel electrical equipment machinery building materials

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 53 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 201
Consumption: 49.29 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 201
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 118
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 123
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 170
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 178
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 184

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 4,800 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 214

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

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
Hosts: 0 (2010)
Hosts rank: 231

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2010)
Rank: 204
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 117 km
Rank: 213
Paved: 80 km
Unpaved: 37 km (2000)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Saint-Pierre


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs