Saint Pierre and Miquelon

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

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

Telephones - main lines in use

4,800 (2010) country comparison to the world: 214

Agriculture - products

vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Budget

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

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. 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.

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.)

Electricity - production

53 million kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 201

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.755 (2010) 0.7198 (2009) 0.6734 (2008) 0.7345 (2007) 0.7964 (2006)

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

GDP (official exchange rate)

$NA

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 - composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$7,000 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 130

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$68.2 million (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 214

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)

8.1% (2005) country comparison to the world: 189

Labor force

3,450 (2005) country comparison to the world: 221

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 18% industry: 41% services: 41% (1996 est.)

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 - production

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 118

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 184

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 - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 132

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 183

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

10.3% (1999) country comparison to the world: 112

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

Climate

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

Coastline

120 km

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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 12.5% permanent crops: 0% other: 87.5% (2005)

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

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 two communes - Saint Pierre, Miquelon at the second order

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

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

Dependency status

self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

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 (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) 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

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

NA

Independence

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

International organization participation

UPU, WFTU

Judicial branch

Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel

Legal system

French civil law

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

National anthem

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

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

National symbol(s)

16th-century sailing ship

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

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.

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,064 females age 16-49: 1,069 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 34 female: 32 (2010 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

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.)

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

Education expenditures

NA

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: 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.)

Languages

French (official)

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.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1982 est.)

Major cities - population

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

Median age

total: 42.6 years male: 42.2 years female: 43 years (2011 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

-9.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 208

Population

5,888 (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 228

Population growth rate

-0.968% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 228

Religions

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

NA

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.)

Total fertility rate

1.55 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 179

Urbanization

urban population: 91% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

2 (2010) country comparison to the world: 204

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Saint-Pierre

Roadways

total: 117 km country comparison to the world: 213 paved: 80 km unpaved: 37 km (2000)