sb - Saint Pierre and Miquelon :: The World Factbook

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. They attained the status of an overseas collectivity in 2003.

Geography

Location:

Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)

Geographic coordinates:

Map references:

Area:

note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups

Area - comparative:

one and half times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

Coastline:

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

cold and wet, with considerable mist and fog; spring and autumn are often windy

Terrain:

Elevation:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

Natural resources:

fish, deepwater ports

Land use:

agricultural land: 8.7% (2011 est.)

arable land: 8.7% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.)

forest: 12.5% (2011 est.)

other: 78.8% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land:

Population distribution:

most of the population is found on Saint Pierre Island; a small settlement is located on the north end of Miquelon Island

Natural hazards:

persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard

Environment - current issues:

overfishing; recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment

Geography - note:

vegetation scanty; the islands are actually part of the northern Appalachians along with Newfoundland

People and Society

Population:

5,347 (July 2020 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

Ethnic groups:

Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)

Languages:

Religions:

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.31% (male 395/female 370)

15-24 years: 8.83% (male 245/female 227)

25-54 years: 40% (male 1,039/female 1,100)

55-64 years: 14.49% (male 400/female 375)

65 years and over: 22.37% (male 513/female 683) (2020 est.)

Median age:

female: 49 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

6.7 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Death rate:

10.9 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Net migration rate:

-7.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Population distribution:

most of the population is found on Saint Pierre Island; a small settlement is located on the north end of Miquelon Island

Urbanization:

urban population: 90% of total population (2020)

rate of urbanization: 0.36% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population:

6,000 SAINT-PIERRE (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.94 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 81 years

female: 83.5 years (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.58 children born/woman (2020 est.)

Drinking water source:

improved: total: 91.4% of population

unimproved: total: 8.6% of population (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

Education expenditures:

Government

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

etymology: Saint-Pierre is named after Saint PETER, the patron saint of fishermen; Miquelon may be a corruption of the Basque name Mikelon

Dependency status:

overseas collectivity of France

Government type:

parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France

Capital:

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

etymology: named after Saint Peter, the patron saint of fisherman

Administrative divisions:

none (territorial overseas collectivity of France); note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 2 communes at the second order - Saint Pierre, Miquelon

Independence:

none (overseas collectivity collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)

National holiday:

Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790)

Constitution:

history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

amendments: amendment procedures of France's constitution apply

Legal system:

Citizenship:

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Prefect Thierry DEVIMEUX (since 17 January 2018)

head of government: President of Territorial Council Stephane LENORMAND (since 24 October 2017)

cabinet: Le Cabinet du Prefet

elections/appointments: French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 April and 6 May 2017 (next to be held in 2022); prefect appointed by French president on the advice of French Ministry of Interior

Legislative branch:

description: unicameral Territorial Council or Conseil Territorial (19 seats - Saint Pierre 15, Miquelon 4; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 6-year terms); ++ Saint Pierre and Miquelon indirectly elects 1 senator to the French Senate by an electoral college to serve a 6-year term and directly elects 1 deputy to the French National Assembly by absolute majority vote to serve a 5-year term

elections: Territorial Council - last held on 19 March 2017 (next to be held in March 2023) ++ French Senate - last held on 24 September 2017 (next to be held no later than September 2020) ++ French National Assembly - last held on 11 and 18 June 2017 (next to be held by June 2022)

election results: Territorial Council - percent of vote by party - AD 70.2%, Cap sur l'Avenir 29.8%; seats by party - AD 17, Cap sur l'Avenir 2; composition - men 10, women 9, percent of women 47.4% ++ French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PS 1 (affiliated with UMP) ++ French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Ensemble pour l'Avenir 1 (affiliated with PRG); the Republicans (LR) 1

Judicial branch:

highest courts: 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

Political parties and leaders:

Archipelago Tomorrow or AD (affiliated with UMP) ++ Cap sur l'Avenir [Annick GIRARDIN] (affiliated with Left Radical Party) ++ Togerther for the Future (Ensemble pour l'Avenir) (affiliated with PRG) SPM ensemble

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

Flag description:

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

National symbol(s):

16th-century sailing ship

National anthem:

note: as a collectivity of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)

Economy

Economic 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. The services sector accounted for 86% of GDP in 2010, the last year data is available for. Government employment accounts for than 46% of the GDP, and 78% of the population is working age. ++ 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. Trade is the second largest sector in terms of value added created, where it contributes significantly to economic activity. The extractive industries and energy sector is the third largest sector of activity in the archipelago, attributable in part to the construction of a new thermal power plant in 2015.

GDP real growth rate:

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

GDP (purchasing power parity) - real:

$261.3 million (2015 est.)

$215.3 million (2006 est.)

note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million

GDP (official exchange rate):

$261.3 million (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:

agriculture: 2% (2006 est.)

industry: 15% (2006 est.)

services: 83% (2006 est.)

Ease of Doing Business Index scores:

Agriculture - products:

vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Industries:

fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

Labor force:

Labor force - by occupation:

services: 41% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Population below poverty line:

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

Budget:

revenues: 70 million (1996 est.)

expenditures: 60 million (1996 est.)

Taxes and other revenues:

26.8% (of GDP) (1996 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):

3.8% (of GDP) (1996 est.)

Fiscal year:

Exports:

$6.641 million (2010 est.)

$5.5 million (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:

fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts

Imports:

$95.35 million (2010 est.)

$68.2 million (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:

meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials

Debt - external:

Exchange rates:

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Energy

Electricity - production:

46 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

42.78 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports:

Electricity - imports:

Electricity - installed generating capacity:

27,600 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels:

96% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels:

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources:

4% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Crude oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports:

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production:

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption:

660 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports:

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports:

650 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas - production:

Natural gas - consumption:

Natural gas - exports:

Natural gas - imports:

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:

100,200 Mt (2017 est.)

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines:

total subscriptions: 4,086

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 75.55 (2019 est.)

Telecommunication systems:

general assessment: adequate (2018)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity 76 per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 508; landing point for the St Pierre and Miquelon Cable connecting Saint Pierre & Miquelon and Canada; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 in French domestic satellite system (2019)

note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

Saint Pierre and Miquelon :: North America

Introduction

Background:

Geography

Location:

Geographic coordinates:

Map references:

Area:

Area - comparative:

Land boundaries:

Coastline:

Maritime claims:

Climate:

Terrain:

Elevation:

Natural resources:

Land use:

Irrigated land:

Population distribution:

Natural hazards:

Environment - current issues:

Geography - note:

People and Society

Population:

Nationality:

Ethnic groups:

Languages:

Religions:

Age structure:

Median age:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution:

Urbanization:

Major urban areas - population:

Sex ratio:

Infant mortality rate:

Life expectancy at birth:

Total fertility rate:

Drinking water source:

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

Education expenditures:

Government

Country name:

Dependency status:

Government type:

Capital:

Administrative divisions:

Independence:

National holiday:

Constitution:

Legal system:

Citizenship:

Suffrage:

Executive branch:

Legislative branch:

Judicial branch:

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation in the US:

Diplomatic representation from the US:

Flag description:

National symbol(s):

National anthem:

Economy

Economic overview:

GDP real growth rate:

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

GDP (purchasing power parity) - real:

GDP (official exchange rate):

GDP - per capita (PPP):

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:

Ease of Doing Business Index scores:

Agriculture - products:

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: