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  Saint Pierre and Miquelon  
Flag of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
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  Geography
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This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005


Map of Saint Pierre and Miquelon



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
46 50 N, 56 20 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
North America
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
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:
Definition Field Listing
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
120 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly barren rock
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 13.04%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 86.96% (2001)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
vegetation scanty
   People    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7,012 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
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.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 33.7 years
male: 33.39 years
female: 33.96 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.21% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
13.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-4.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
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.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
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.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 78.46 years
male: 76.13 years
female: 80.9 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.03 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Roman Catholic 99%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
French (official)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1982 est.)
   Government    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
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
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
self-governing territorial collectivity of France
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Saint-Pierre
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
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
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as housing and taxation
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
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
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
UPU, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territorial collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territorial collectivity of France)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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
   Economy    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $48.3 million - supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.1% (1991-96 average)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,261 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
fishing 18%, industry (mainly fish-processing) 41%, services 41% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9.8% (1997)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
43.08 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
40.06 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$10 million f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 38.1%, Ecuador 30.8%, France 11.4%, Canada 8.7%, Belgium 4% (2003)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$106 million f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
France 50.6%, Canada 30.6%, Italy 12% (2003)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA (2003 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
approximately $60 million in annual grants from France
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
euro (EUR)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
EUR
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
euros per US dollar - 0.8089 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4,800 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 (1994)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
0 (there are, however, two repeaters which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.pm
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transportation    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 114 km
paved: 69 km
unpaved: 45 km
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Saint-Pierre
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
   Military    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of France
   Transnational Issues    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005


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