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 |
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.) |
Agriculture - products | vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish |
Airports | 2 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Area | total:
242 sq km land: 242 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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. |
Birth rate | 15.88 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$70 million expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.) |
Capital | Saint-Pierre |
Climate | cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy |
Coastline | 120 km |
Constitution | 28 September 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 |
Currency | French franc (FRF); euro (EUR) |
Death rate | 6.64 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA |
Dependency status | self-governing territorial collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | none |
Economic aid - recipient | approximately $65 million in annual grants from France |
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. 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. |
Electricity - consumption | 37.2 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 40 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m |
Environment - current issues | NA |
Ethnic groups | Basques and Bretons (French fishermen) |
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) |
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 |
Exports | 0 kWh (1999) |
Exports | $12 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
Exports - commodities | fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts |
Exports - partners | US 43%, Egypt 14%, Japan 11%, Colombia 8% (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year |
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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $74 million (1996 est.); supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1996 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 46 50 N, 56 20 W |
Geography - note | vegetation scanty |
Highways | total:
114 km paved: 69 km unpaved: 45 km (1994 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | 0 kWh (1999) |
Imports | $55 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
Imports - commodities | meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials |
Imports - partners | France 44%, Canada 40% (1999) |
Independence | none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% |
Industries | fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 8.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.1% (1991-96 average) |
International organization participation | FZ, WFTU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel |
Labor force | 3,000 (1997) |
Labor force - by occupation | fishing 18%, industry (mainly fish-processing) 41%, services 41% (1996 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 4% other: 83% (1993 est.) |
Languages | French |
Legal system | French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as housing and taxation |
Legislative branch | unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
77.77 years male: 75.51 years female: 80.13 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1982 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 |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun:
Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French |
Natural hazards | persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | fish, deepwater ports |
Net migration rate | -4.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA |
Population | 6,928 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.43% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Saint Pierre |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 4,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 99% |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
adequate domestic: NA international: radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system |
Telephones - main lines in use | 4,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (there are, however, two repeaters which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly barren rock |
Total fertility rate | 2.12 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 9.8% (1997) |
Waterways | none |