General Information: First settled by the French in the early 17th century, according to Itypejob, the islands are the only territory left to France from its once vast possessions in North America.
Geography
Location: northern part of North America, islands in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada).
Geographical coordinates: 46° 50′ N. latitude, 56° 20′ W
Reference map: North America.
Area: total: 242 sq. km.; land surface area: 242 km2; water surface area: 0 km2; note: including eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and Miquelon group.
Comparative area: 1.5 times the area of Washington, DC.
Land borders: 0 km.
Coastline: 120 km.
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles; territorial waters: 12 nautical miles.
Climate: cold and damp, frequent fogs; windy in spring and autumn.
Terrain: mostly bare rocks.
Maximum and minimum heights: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Grand Montagne 240 m.
Natural resources: fish, deep harbours.
Land use: arable land: 13%; cultivated land: 0%; pasture: 0%; forests and plantations: 4%; others: 83% (1993 est.).
Irrigated land: no data.
Natural Hazards: Persistent fog throughout the year can pose a threat to navigation.
Current environmental issues: no data available.
International agreements on environmental protection:
Note to the section “Geography”: sparse vegetation.
Population
Population: 6 928 people (July 2001 est.).
Age structure: under 14: 25.85% (male 917; female 874); 15 to 64 years old: 64.22% (male 2,273; female 2,176); over 65: 9.93% (male 291; female 397) (2001 est.).
Population growth: 0.43% (2001 est.).
Birth rate: 15.88 newborns / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Mortality: 6.64 deaths / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Migration: -4.91 people / 1000 people (2001 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male/female; under 15: 1.05 male/female; 15 to 64 years old: 1.04 male/female; over 65: 0.73 male/female; for the general population: 1.01 male/female (2001 est.);
Child mortality: 8.39 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.).
Life expectancy: for the general population: 77.77 years; men: 75.51 years; women: 80.13 years (2001 est.).
General birth rate: 2.12 children/wives. (2001 est.).
Proportion of the adult population infected with HIV: no data available.
Number of people infected with HIV: no data.
Mortality due to AIDS: no data available.
Nationality: noun: French; adjective: French.
Ethnic groups: Basques and Bretons (French fishermen).
Believers: Catholics 99%.
Language(s): French.
Literacy: definition: persons aged 15 and over who can read and write; for the general population: 99%; men: 99%; women: 99% (1982 est.).
Politics
Common long form: Territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon’;
Common short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon; local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon; local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon. Dependency state: French self-governing territorial possession.
State structure: no data.
Capital: Saint-Pierre.
Administrative division: none (territorial possession of France); note: there are no first-order administrative divisions according to the classification adopted by the US government, but there are two communities: St. Pierre, Miquelon.
Independence: none (territorial possession of France since 1763).
National holiday: Bastille Day, July 14 (1789).
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French constitution)
Legal system: French legislation adapted to local conditions, in particular with regard to housing and taxation.
Suffrage: from 18 years old; universal.
head of state: President of France Jacques Chirac (since May 17, 1995), represented by Prefect Remi THUAU (from when – no data);
head of government: President of the General Council Bernard LE SOAVEC (since 1996);
government: no data; elections: French president is elected by popular vote for a 7-year term; the prefect is appointed by the President of France on the proposal of the French Ministry of the Interior; the president of the General Council is elected by the members of the council.
Legislature: unicameral General Council (19 seats, 15 for Saint-Pierre and 4 for Miquelon; members elected by popular vote for 6-year terms); elections: last held in April 2000 (next to be held in April 2006); election results: distribution of votes between parties: no data; distribution of seats among parties: no data; note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elects one representative to the French Senate; elections last held in September 1995 (next to be held in September 2004); distribution of votes between parties: no data; distribution of seats among parties: RPR 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects one representative to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held in 2002); distribution of votes between parties: no data; distribution of seats among parties: UDF 1.
Judiciary: Supreme Court of Appeal.
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR) (leader – NA); Socialist Party (PS) (leader – no data); Union for French Democracy (UDF) (leader – no data).
Political influence groups and their leaders:
Participation in international organizations: FZ, WFTU.
Diplomatic representation in the United States: none (territorial possession of France).
US Diplomatic Representation: none (territorial possession of France).
Flag Description: a yellow sailing ship, bowed to the left side of the flag, on a dark blue background with a black wavy line below the ship; on the left side a vertical strip divided into three parts: the upper part is red, with a green diagonal cross reaching the corners, on which is superimposed a white cross dividing the area into four parts; the middle part has a white background, on which an ermine is depicted; the third part, with a red background, with two stylized yellow lions outlined in black, one above the other; in official ceremonies, the flag of France is used.
Economics
Economic Overview: Residents traditionally make a living from fishing and serving the fishing fleets that operate off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy, however, is in decline as a result of disputes with Canada over fishing quotas and a steady decline in the number of ships stopping at St. Pierre. In 1992, arbitration awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of 12,348 square kilometers to settle a long-standing territorial dispute with Canada, although this is only 25% of what France was counting on. The islands receive large subsidies from France to raise living standards. The government hopes that the expansion of tourism will improve the outlook for the economy.
GDP: at purchasing power parity, $74 million (1996 est.); the territory is supported by subsidies from France in the amount of approximately $60 million a year.
Real GDP growth rate: no data available.
GDP per capita: Purchasing Power Parity $11,000 (1996 est.)
Composition of GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture: no data; industry: no data; service sector: no data.
Proportion of the population below the poverty line: no data available.
Percentage distribution of household income or consumption: 10% of the poorest households account for: n/a; 10% of the wealthiest families account for: no data.
Inflation rate at consumer prices: 2.1% (average for 1991-96).
Labor force: 3,000 people (1997).
Employment structure: fishing 18%, industry (mainly fish processing) 41%, services 41% (1996 est.).
Unemployment rate: 9.8% (1997)
Budget: revenues: $70 million; expenses: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.).
Spheres of economy: fish processing and maintenance of fishing fleets; tourism.
Growth in industrial production: no data available.
Electricity generation: 40 million kWh (1999).
Sources of electricity generation: fossil fuels: 100%; hydropower: 0%; nuclear fuel: 0%; others: 0% (1999).
Electricity consumption: 37.2 million kWh (1999)
Electricity export: 0 kWh (1999).
Electricity import: 0 kWh (1999).
Agricultural products: vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish.
Export: $12 million (free on board, 1999)
Exports: fish and fish products, soybeans, shellfish and crustaceans, fox and mink skins.
Export partners: USA 43%, Egypt 14%, Japan 11%, Colombia 8% (1999).
Imports: $55 million (free on board, 1999)
Imports: meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials.
Import partners: Canada 40%, France 44% (1999).
External debt: no data. Economic aid recipient: Approximately $60 million in annual grants from France.
Economic aid donor:
Currency: French franc, euro.
Currency code: FRF; EUR.
Exchange rate: EUR/USD – 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); FRF/USD – 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996).
Fiscal year: calendar year.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications Telephone lines: 4,000 (1994).
Mobile cell phones: 0 (1994).
Telephone system: satisfactory; internal: no data; international: radiotelephone communication with all countries of the world; 1 ground station of the national satellite system of France.
Broadcast stations: AM – 1, FM -4, shortwave – 0 (1998).
Radio receivers: 4,000 (1997).
Television broadcast stations: 0 (there are, however, two repeaters that receive programs from France, Canada and the USA) (1997).
Televisions: 4,000 (1997).
Internet country code: pm
Internet service providers: 1 (2000).
Number of users: no data.
Transport
Transport Railways: 0 km.
Roads: total: 114 km; coated: 69 km; unpaved: 45 km (1994 est.).
Ports and harbours: Saint-Pierre.
Merchant fleet: none (2000 est.).
Airports: 2 (2000 est.).
Airports with paved runways: total: 2; from 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1; from 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2000 est.).
Airports with unpaved runways:
