Saint Pierre and Miquelon (2006) | Indian Ocean (2001) | |
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: 23.5% (male 843/female 807)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,342/female 2,272) 65 years and over: 10.8% (male 348/female 414) (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish | - |
Airports | 2 (2006) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) |
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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:
68.556 million sq km note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Malacca, and other tributary water bodies |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | about 5.5 times the size of the US |
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. | The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean south of 60 degrees south. |
Birth rate | 13.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million; including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.) |
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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; note - these new dates become effective in 2007 |
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Climate | cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy | northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February in the southern Indian Ocean |
Coastline | 120 km | 66,526 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 |
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Death rate | 6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2006 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 | some maritime disputes (see littoral states) |
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. | The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. |
Electricity - consumption | 41.06 million kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - production | 44.15 million kWh (2003) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m |
lowest point:
Java Trench -7,258 m highest point: sea level 0 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 | endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea |
Ethnic groups | Basques and Bretons (French fishermen) | - |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Yves FAUQUEUR (since 28 August 2006)
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, 21 April 2002 (first round) and 5 May 2002 (second round) (next to be held in 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 bbl/day | - |
Exports - commodities | fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts | - |
Exports - partners | Spain 33.6%, Belgium 21.8%, India 18.3%, France 9.4%, US 7.5% (2005) | - |
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 - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 46 50 N, 56 20 W | 20 00 S, 80 00 E |
Geography - note | vegetation scanty | major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | NA bbl/day | - |
Imports - commodities | meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials | - |
Imports - partners | France 51.3%, Canada 31.8%, Belgium 4.1% (2005) | - |
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: 7.38 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.46 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.1% (1991-96 average) | - |
International organization participation | UPU, WFTU | - |
Irrigated land | NA | - |
Judicial branch | Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel | - |
Labor force | 3,261 (1999) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 18%
industry: 41% services: 41% (1996 est.) |
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Land boundaries | 0 km | - |
Land use | arable land: 12.5%
permanent crops: 0% other: 87.5% (2005) |
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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 in 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 26 September 2004 (next to be held in September 2013); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 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: 78.61 years
male: 76.27 years female: 81.06 years (2006 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) | body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia |
Map references | North America | World |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
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 | occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches |
Natural resources | fish, deepwater ports | oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules |
Net migration rate | -4.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Left Radical Party or PRG; Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR (now UMP); Socialist Party or PS; Union pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 7,026 (July 2006 est.) | - |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 0.17% (2006 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | - | Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India) Melbourne (Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South Africa) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
Religions | Roman Catholic 99% | - |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 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 | NA | - |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (there are, however, two repeaters which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997) | - |
Terrain | mostly barren rock | surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge |
Total fertility rate | 2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 10.3% (1999) | - |