Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Broadcast media

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)

Internet country code

.pm

Internet users

total: 4,500 | percent of population: 79.5% (July 2016 est.)

Telephone system

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

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 4,800 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 209

Agriculture - products

vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Budget

revenues: $70 million | expenditures: $60 million (1996 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

4.6% of GDP (1996 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Debt - external

$NA

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. | 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.

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - | 0.9214 (2016 est.) | 0.885 (2015 est.) | 0.885 (2014 est.) | 0.7634 (2013 est.) | 0.7752 (2012 est.)

Exports

$6.641 million (2010 est.) | $5.5 million (2005 est.) | country comparison to the world: 217

Exports - commodities

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$215.3 million (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$215.3 million (2006 est.) | note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million | country comparison to the world: 219

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2% | industry: 15% | services: 83% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$34,900 (2006 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$95.35 million (2010 est.) | $68.2 million (2005 est.) | country comparison to the world: 217

Imports - commodities

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

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (2010) | 8.1% (2005) | country comparison to the world: 169

Labor force

3,194 (2006) | country comparison to the world: 225

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 18% | industry: 41% | services: 41% (1996)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Taxes and other revenues

32.5% of GDP (1996 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Unemployment rate

9.9% (2008 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

200,000 Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 198

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 183

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 186

Electricity - consumption

43.71 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191

Electricity - from fossil fuels

97.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Electricity - from other renewable sources

2.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195

Electricity - installed generating capacity

27,600 kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Electricity - production

47 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 182

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 189

Refined petroleum products - consumption

630 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 193

Refined petroleum products - imports

624.9 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 204

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192

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 | country comparison to the world: 214

Area - comparative

one and half times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

120 km

Elevation

mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 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

Geographic coordinates

46 50 N, 56 20 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 8.7% | arable land 8.7%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0% | forest: 12.5% | other: 78.8% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard

Natural resources

fish, deepwater ports

Population - distribution

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

Terrain

mostly barren rock

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

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

Citizenship

see France

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 | 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

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas collectivity of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Prefect Jean-Regis BORIUS (since 2016) | head of government: President of Territorial Council Stephane ARTANO (since 21 February 2007) | 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

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France

Independence

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

International organization participation

UPU, WFTU (NGOs)

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

French civil law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Territorial Council or Conseil Territorial (19 seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 6-year terms) | note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 member to the French Senate; elections last held on 28 September 2014 (next to be held not later than September 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AD 1 (affiliated with UMP); Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 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 - Ensemble pour l'Avenir 1 (affiliated with PRG) | elections: elections last held on 19 March 2017 (next to be held in March 2023) | election results: percent of vote by party - AD 70.2%, Cap sur l'Avenir 29.8%; seats by party - AD 17, Cap sur l'Avenir 2

National anthem

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

National holiday

Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790)

National symbol(s)

16th-century sailing ship

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Age structure

0-14 years: 15.29% (male 437/female 409) | 15-24 years: 9.05% (male 258/female 243) | 25-54 years: 41.79% (male 1,137/female 1,175) | 55-64 years: 13.54% (male 388/female 361) | 65 years and over: 20.33% (male 477/female 648) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

7.1 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 225

Death rate

9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 42

Ethnic groups

Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 7.5 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165

Languages

French (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 80.6 years | male: 78.3 years | female: 83.1 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Major urban areas - population

SAINT-PIERRE (capital) 5,000 (2014)

Median age

total: 46.5 years | male: 46 years | female: 47 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 4

Nationality

noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) | adjective: French

Net migration rate

-8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Population

5,533 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 227

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

-1.08% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 232

Religions

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female | total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.57 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Urbanization

urban population: 90.6% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 0.09% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

2 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 205

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Saint-Pierre

Roadways

total: 117 km | paved: 80 km | unpaved: 37 km (2009) | country comparison to the world: 215