Background: First settled by the French in the early 17th century, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North American possessions. They attained the status of an overseas collectivity in 2003.

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, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 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
Highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 8.7% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 8.7% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Forest: 5% (2023 est.)
Other: 86.3% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

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

Geography
Note: vegetation scanty; the islands are part of the northern Appalachians, along with Newfoundland

Population
Total: 5,132 (2024 est.)
Male: 2,476
Female: 2,656
Distribution: most of the population is found on Saint Pierre Island; a small settlement is located on the north end of Miquelon Island
Growth rate: -1.21% (2024 est.)

Languages: French (official)
Major-language sample(s): ; The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Age structure
0-14 years: 13.1% (male 346/female 328)
15-64 years: 61.6% (male 1,559/female 1,600)
65 years and over: 25.3% (2024 est.) (male 571/female 728)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 62.5 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 21.3 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 41.1 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 2.4 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 51.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 50.5 years
Female: 51.9 years

Population growth rate: -1.21% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 6.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 11.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: most of the population is found on Saint Pierre Island; a small settlement is located on the north end of Miquelon Island

Urbanization
Urban population: 90.1% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 6,000 SAINT-PIERRE (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 79.5 years
Female: 84.3 years

Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

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
Etymology: may be named after Saint Peter, the patron saint of fisherman; alternatively, the name may come from one of the two navigators for whom the island as a whole is named

Administrative divisions: no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 2 communes are considered second-order: Saint Pierre, Miquelon

Legal system: French civil law

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Prefect Bruno ANDRE (since September 2023)
Head of government: President of Territorial Council Bernard BRIAND (since 13 October 2020)
Cabinet: Le Cabinet du Préfet
Election/appointment process: French president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prefect appointed by French president on the advice of French Ministry of Interior; Territorial Council president elected by Territorial Council councilors by absolute majority vote; term NA
Most recent election date: 13 October 2020
2020: Bernard BRIAND elected President of Territorial Council; Territorial Council vote - 17 for, 2 abstentions
2017: Stephane LENORMAND elected President of Territorial Council vote - NA

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Territorial Council (Conseil Territorial)
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 19 (directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 6 years
Most recent election date: 3/27/2022
Parties elected and seats per party: AD (15); Focus on the Future (4)
Expected date of next election: March 2,028
Note: 1 senator is indirectly elected to the French Senate by an electoral college for a 6-year term, and 1 deputy is directly elected to the French National Assembly for a 5-year term

Flag description: a yellow three-masted sailing ship facing the left side rides on a blue background with wavy white lines; a black-over-white wavy line divides the ship from the white wavy lines; on the left side, a vertical band is divided into three heraldic arms: the top (called ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners and overlaid with a white cross, the middle is white with an ermine pattern, and the bottom is red with two yellow lions outlined in black

National anthem
Title: 'La Marseillaise' (The Song of Marseille)
Lyrics/music: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle
History: official anthem, as a French collectivity

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

Exports
Commodities: processed crustaceans, shellfish (2023)
Commodities note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

Imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, packaged medicine, cars, plastic products, other foods (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 26,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 48.714 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 2 million kWh (2023 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 400 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 57,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 57,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 4,800 (2015 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 76 (2015 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 88.7% (2022 est.)

Airports: 2 (2025)