Page last updated on January 7, 2014
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.
Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)
total: 242 sq km
country comparison to the world: 214
land: 242 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups
one and half times the size of Washington, DC
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
cold and wet, with considerable mist and fog; spring and autumn are often windy
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m
arable land: 8.7%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 91.3% (2011)
persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard
recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French
Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
5,774 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 230
0-14 years: 16.5% (male 491/female 463)
15-24 years: 8.5% (male 254/female 239)
25-54 years: 44% (male 1,264/female 1,275)
55-64 years: 13.9% (male 421/female 380)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 405/female 582) (2013 est.)
total: 43.9 years
male: 43.5 years
female: 44.3 years (2013 est.)
-1.01% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 231
7.79 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 222
9.18 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
-8.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
urban population: 91% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
SAINT-PIERRE (capital) 5,000 (2009)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
total: 7.12 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 162
male: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 80.13 years
country comparison to the world: 32
male: 77.83 years
female: 82.56 years (2013 est.)
1.55 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1982 est.)
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
self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France
parliamentary representative democracy
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
none (territorial overseas 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
none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)
Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789)
4 October 1958 (French Constitution) (2013)
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by Prefect Patrice LATRON (since 16 November 2011)
head of government: President of the Territorial Council Stephane ARTANO (since 21 February 2007)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 6 May 2012 (next to be held in 2017); prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council elected by the members of the council
unicameral Territorial Council or Conseil Territorial (19 seats, 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2018)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect one member to the French Senate; elections last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last held on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRG 1
highest court(s): Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel (composition NA)
judge selection and term of office: judge selection and tenure NA
subordinate courts: NA
Archipelago Tomorrow or AD (affiliated with UDF/RPR list)
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
a yellow three-masted sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a blue background with scattered, white, wavy lines under the ship; a continuous black-over-white wavy line divides the ship from the white wavy lines; 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 blue on the main portion of the flag symbolizes the Atlantic Ocean and the stylized ship represents the Grande Hermine in which Jacques Cartier "discovered" the islands in 1536
note: the flag of France used for official occasions
16th-century sailing ship
note: as a collectivity of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)
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. France heavily subsidizes the islands to the great betterment of living standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost economic prospects. Fish farming, crab fishing, and agriculture are being developed to diversify the local economy. Recent test drilling for oil may pave the way for development of the energy sector.
$215.3 million (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 219
note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million
$215.3 million (2006 est.)
$34,900 (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
agriculture: 2%
industry: 15%
services: 83% (2006 est.)
vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
3,194 (2006)
country comparison to the world: 225
agriculture: 18%
industry: 41%
services: 41% (1996 est.)
9.9% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million (1996)
32.5% of GDP
country comparison to the world: 81
4.6% of GDP
country comparison to the world: 13
4.5% (2010)
country comparison to the world: 135
$6.641 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215
fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts
$95.35 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
53 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
49.29 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
26,600 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
97.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
2.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 179
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
974.1 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
584 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 187
91,430 Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
4,800 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 211
general assessment: adequate
international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 in French domestic satellite system
2 TV stations with a third repeater station, all part of the French Overseas Network; radio stations on St. Pierre and on Miquelon are part of the French Overseas Network (2007)
15 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 224
2 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 209
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
total: 117 km
country comparison to the world: 214
paved: 80 km
unpaved: 37 km (2009)
major seaport(s): Saint-Pierre
males age 16-49: 1,064
females age 16-49: 1,069 (2010 est.)
male: 34
female: 32 (2010 est.)
defense is the responsibility of France
