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Appendices

North America :: Saint Pierre and Miquelon

(territorial overseas collectivity of France)

page last updated on December 5, 2011

(CONTAINS DESCRIPTION)

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Introduction ::Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Background:

Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.

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:

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

Geographic coordinates:

46 50 N, 56 20 W

Map references:

North America

Area:

total: 242 sq km

country comparison to the world: 213

land: 242 sq km

water: 0 sq km

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:

0 km

Coastline:

120 km

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:

mostly barren rock

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

Natural resources:

fish, deepwater ports

Land use:

arable land: 12.5%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 87.5% (2005)

Irrigated land:

Natural hazards:

persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard

Environment - current issues:

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

People and Society ::Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Nationality:

noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

adjective: French

Ethnic groups:

Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)

Languages:

French (official)

Religions:

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Population:

5,888 (July 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 228

Age structure:

0-14 years: 17.1% (male 518/female 487)

15-64 years: 67.1% (male 2,004/female 1,949)

65 years and over: 15.8% (male 379/female 551) (2011 est.)

Median age:

total: 42.6 years

male: 42.2 years

female: 43 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.968% (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 228

Birth rate:

8.32 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 217

Death rate:

8.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 76

Net migration rate:

-9.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 208

Urbanization:

urban population: 91% of total population (2010)

rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities - population:

SAINT-PIERRE (capital) 5,000 (2009)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.042 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 7.47 deaths/1,000 live births

country comparison to the world: 162

male: 8.71 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 6.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 79.87 years

country comparison to the world: 31

male: 77.61 years

female: 82.26 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.55 children born/woman (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 179

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

Education expenditures:

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99%

male: 99%

female: 99% (1982 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

Government ::Saint Pierre and Miquelon

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

Dependency status:

self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France

Government type:

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

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 two communes - Saint Pierre, Miquelon at the second order

Independence:

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

National holiday:

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:

French civil law

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); 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

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elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 6 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012); 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

Legislative branch:

unicameral Territorial Council or Conseil Territorial (19 seats, 15 from Saint Pierre and four from Miquelon; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)

elections: elections last held on 19 and 26 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2012)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AD 16, Cap sur l'Avenir 2, SPM 2000/AM 1

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, first round - 10 June 2007, second round - 17 June 2007 (next to be held in 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRG 1

Judicial branch:

Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel

Political parties and leaders:

Archipelago Tomorrow or AD (affiliated with UDF/RPR list); Cap sur l'Avenir (affiliated with PRG); Left Radical Party or PRG; Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR (now UMP); Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2000/Avenir Miquelon or SPM 2000/AM; Socialist Party or PS; Union pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF

Political pressure groups and leaders:

International organization participation:

UPU, WFTU

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 ::Saint Pierre and Miquelon

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. 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$48.3 million (2003 est.)

country comparison to the world: 222

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

GDP (official exchange rate):

$NA

GDP - real growth rate:

NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$7,000 (2001 est.)

country comparison to the world: 130

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: NA%

industry: NA%

services: NA%

Labor force:

3,450 (2005)

country comparison to the world: 221

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 18%

industry: 41%

services: 41% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate:

10.3% (1999)

country comparison to the world: 112

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $70 million

expenditures: $60 million (1996 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

8.1% (2005)

country comparison to the world: 189

Agriculture - products:

vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Industries:

fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

53 million kWh (2008 est.)

country comparison to the world: 201

Electricity - consumption:

49.29 million kWh (2008 est.)

country comparison to the world: 201

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

country comparison to the world: 132

Oil - consumption:

1,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)

country comparison to the world: 195

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 194

Oil - imports:

584 bbl/day (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 198

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 183

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 118

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 123

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 170

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 178

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 184

Exports:

$5.5 million (2005 est.)

country comparison to the world: 215

Exports - commodities:

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

Imports:

$68.2 million (2005 est.)

country comparison to the world: 214

Imports - commodities:

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

Debt - external:

$NA

Exchange rates:

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.755 (2010)

0.7198 (2009)

0.6734 (2008)

0.7345 (2007)

0.7964 (2006)

Communications ::Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Telephones - main lines in use:

4,800 (2010)

country comparison to the world: 214

Telephone system:

general assessment: adequate

domestic: NA

international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 in French domestic satellite system

Broadcast media:

2 television stations with a third repeater station, all part of the French Overseas Network; has radio stations on St. Pierre and on Miquelon that are part of the French Overseas Network (2007)

Internet country code:

.pm

Internet hosts:

0 (2010)

country comparison to the world: 231