Saint Pierre and Miquelon (2005) | Spratly Islands (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: 24% (male 861/female 825)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 2,330/female 2,251) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 335/female 410) (2005 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish | - |
Airports | 2 (2004 est.) | 4 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
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 |
total: less than 5 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | NA |
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. | This archipelago - surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits - is claimed in its entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. All five parties occupy certain islands or reefs. |
Birth rate | 13.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.) |
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Capital | Saint-Pierre | - |
Climate | cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy | tropical |
Coastline | 120 km | 926 km |
Constitution | 4 October 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 |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands |
Death rate | 6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2005 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 | all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island; in 2000, China joined ASEAN discussions towards creating a South China Sea "code of conduct" - a non-legally binding confidence building measure |
Economic aid - recipient | approximately $60 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. Recent test drilling for oil may pave the way for development of the energy sector. | Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed. |
Electricity - consumption | 40.06 million kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - production | 43.08 million kWh (2002) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m |
Environment - current issues | recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment | NA |
Ethnic groups | Basques and Bretons (French fishermen) | - |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Albert DUPUY (since 10 January 2005)
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 |
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Exports | NA | - |
Exports - commodities | fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts | - |
Exports - partners | Belgium 41.3%, US 19.9%, Spain 14.9%, France 10%, Germany 4.1% (2004) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
Flag description | a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a dark blue background with yellow wavy lines under the ship; 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 flag of France is used for official occasions | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
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GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 46 50 N, 56 20 W | 8 38 N, 111 55 E |
Geography - note | vegetation scanty | strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs |
Highways | total: 114 km
paved: 69 km unpaved: 45 km |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | NA | - |
Imports - commodities | meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials | - |
Imports - partners | France 37.6%, Canada 25.3%, Ireland 25.2%, Italy 5.1% (2004) | - |
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 | total: 7.54 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.66 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.1% (1991-96 average) | - |
International organization participation | UPU, WFTU | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel | - |
Labor force | 3,261 (1999) | - |
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: 13.04%
permanent crops: 0% other: 86.96% (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.46 years
male: 76.13 years female: 80.9 years (2005 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1982 est.) |
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Location | Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada) | Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines |
Map references | North America | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
NA |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | - |
Nationality | noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French |
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Natural hazards | persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard | typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals |
Natural resources | fish, deepwater ports | fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential |
Net migration rate | -4.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Left Radical Party or PRG [leader NA]; Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR (now UMP) [leader NA]; Socialist Party or PS [leader NA]; Union pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF [leader NA] | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 7,012 (July 2005 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 0.21% (2005 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Saint-Pierre | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
Religions | Roman Catholic 99% | - |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 4,800 (2002) | - |
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 | flat |
Total fertility rate | 2.03 children born/woman (2005 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 9.8% (1997) | - |
Waterways | - | none |