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.

Geographic coordinates: 46 50 N 56 20 W

Map reference: North America

Area
Total: 242 km²
Land: 242 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups
Comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 120 km

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

Climate: cold and wet with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are 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: 13%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 0%
Forests and woodland: 4%
Other: 83% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

Geography
Note: vegetation scanty

Population: 6,928 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 0.43% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
Adjective: French

Ethnic groups: Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)

Languages: French

Religions: Roman Catholic 99%

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.85% (male 917; female 874)
15-64 years: 64.22% (male 2,273; female 2,176)
65 years and over: 9.93% (male 291; female 397) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.43% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 15.88 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 6.64 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.91 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 8.39 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.77 years
Male: 75.51 years
Female: 80.13 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.12 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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

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: Saint-Pierre

Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France); note - there are no first-order administrative divisions approved by the US Government but there are two communes - Saint Pierre Miquelon

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

National holiday: Bastille Day 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French law with special adaptations for local conditions such as housing and taxation

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Remi THUAU (since NA)
Head of government: President of the General Council Bernard LE SOAVEC (since NA 1996)
Cabinet: NA
Elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 7 May 1995 (next to be held NA May 2002); prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the General Council is elected by the members of the council

Legislative branch
Elections: elections last held NA April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2006)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
Note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 seat to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDF 1

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

Political parties and leaders: Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR [leader NA]; Socialist Party or PS [leader NA]; Union pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF [leader NA]

International organization participation: FZ WFTU

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

Flag description: a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a dark blue background with a black wave line under the ship; on the hoist side a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the square 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 on top of the other; the flag of France is used for official occasions

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. The islands are heavily subsidized by France to the great betterment of living standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost economic prospects.

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1996 est.)

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: 3,000 (1997)
By occupation fishing: 18%
By occupation industry (mainly fish-processing): 41%
By occupation services: 41% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.8% (1997)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $70 million
Expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.1% (1991-96 average)

Exports: $12 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: fish and fish products soybeans animal feed mollusks and crustaceans fox and mink pelts
Partners: US 43% Egypt 14% Japan 11% Colombia 8% (1999)

Imports: $55 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: meat clothing fuel electrical equipment machinery building materials
Partners: France 44% Canada 40% (1999)

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.06594 (January 2001) 1.08540 (2000) 0.93863 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998) 5.8367 (1997) 5.1155 (1996)

Electricity
Production: 40 million kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 37.2 million kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 4,000 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 0 (1994)

Telephone system
General assessment: adequate
Domestic: NA
International: radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system

Internet
Country code: .pm
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: NA

Airports: 2 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2000 est.)