Paracel Islands (2003) | Saint Pierre and Miquelon (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territorial 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 |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 25.4% (male 904; female 864)
15-64 years: 64.4% (male 2,288; female 2,193) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 303; female 402) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish |
Airports | 1 (2002) | 2 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: NA sq km
land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km |
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 | NA | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. | 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 | - | 14.96 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million |
Capital | - | Saint-Pierre |
Climate | tropical | cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy |
Coastline | 518 km | 120 km |
Constitution | - | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands |
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 | - | euro (EUR); French franc (FRF) |
Death rate | - | 6.61 deaths/1,000 population (2002 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 | occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | approximately $60 million in annual grants from France |
Economy - overview | China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. | 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. Recent test drilling for oil may pave the way for development of the energy sector. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 38.13 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | - | 41 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment |
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) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Claude VALLEIX (since 9 October 2002)
head of government: President of the General Council Marc PLANTAGENEST (since NA) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held, first round - 21 April 2002, second round - 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); 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 | - | $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 (1996 est.) |
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 | 16 30 N, 112 00 E | 46 50 N, 56 20 W |
Geography - note | composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group | 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 | - | $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 | - | 8.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 2.1% (1991-96 average) |
International organization participation | - | FZ, WFTU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel |
Labor force | - | 3,000 (1997) (1997) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | fishing 18%, industry (mainly fish-processing) 41%, services 41% (1996 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 13.04%
permanent crops: 0% other: 86.96% (1998 est.) |
Languages | - | French (official) |
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 19 and 26 March 2000 (next to be held NA April 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PS 12, PRG 2, UDF-RPR 5 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, first round - 9 June 2002, second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UDF 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 77.93 years
male: 75.66 years female: 80.32 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1982 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines | Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada) |
Map references | Southeast Asia | North America |
Maritime claims | NA | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | occupied by China | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | - | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | - | noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French |
Natural hazards | typhoons | persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | none | fish, deepwater ports |
Net migration rate | - | -4.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | PRG [leader NA]; 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 | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.) |
6,954 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 0.35% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded | 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: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 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 low and flat | mostly barren rock |
Total fertility rate | - | 2.1 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 9.8% (1997) (1997) |
Waterways | none | none |