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CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(5 fields)
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 hosts
15 (2012) country comparison to the world: 224
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 - main lines in use
4,800 (2010) country comparison to the world: 211
◆ ECONOMY(25 fields)
Agriculture - products
vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Budget
revenues: $70 million expenditures: $60 million (1996)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
4.6% of GDP country comparison to the world: 13
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.
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.78 (2012 est.) 0.72 (2011 est.) 0.76 (2010 est.) 0.72 (2009 est.) 0.68 (2008 est.)
Exports
$6.641 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 215 $5.5 million (2005 est.)
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.) country comparison to the world: 219 note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million
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: 39
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$95.35 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 213 $68.2 million (2005 est.)
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) country comparison to the world: 135 8.1% (2005)
Labor force
3,194 (2006) country comparison to the world: 225
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 18% industry: 41% services: 41% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Taxes and other revenues
32.5% of GDP country comparison to the world: 81
Unemployment rate
9.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
◆ ENERGY(23 fields)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
91,430 Mt (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Crude oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Crude oil - imports
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Crude oil - production
0 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Crude oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 179
Electricity - consumption
49.29 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Electricity - from fossil fuels
97.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 193
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Electricity - from other renewable sources
2.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Electricity - installed generating capacity
26,600 kW (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
Electricity - production
53 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 187
Refined petroleum products - consumption
974.1 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Refined petroleum products - exports
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
Refined petroleum products - imports
584 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 201
Refined petroleum products - production
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
◆ GEOGRAPHY(17 fields)
Area
total: 242 sq km country comparison to the world: 214 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: 8.7% permanent crops: 0% other: 91.3% (2011)
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
◆ GOVERNMENT(21 fields)
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) (2013)
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 Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); 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 2012 (next to be held in 2017); 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
parliamentary representative democracy
Independence
none (territorial 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
unicameral Territorial Council or Conseil Territorial (19 seats, 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: elections last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2018) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA 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 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); 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
Fete de la Federation, 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
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
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.
◆ MILITARY(3 fields)
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
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(22 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 16.5% (male 491/female 463) 15-24 years: 8.5% (male 254/female 239) 25-54 years: 44% (male 1,264/female 1,275) 55-64 years: 13.9% (male 421/female 380) 65 years and over: 17.1% (male 405/female 582) (2013 est.)
Birth rate
7.79 births/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 222
Death rate
9.18 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
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: 7.12 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 162 male: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
Languages
French (official)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 80.13 years country comparison to the world: 32 male: 77.83 years female: 82.56 years (2013 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1982 est.)
Major urban areas - population
SAINT-PIERRE (capital) 5,000 (2009)
Median age
total: 43.9 years male: 43.5 years female: 44.3 years (2013 est.)
Nationality
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
Net migration rate
-8.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Population
5,774 (July 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 230
Population growth rate
-1.01% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 231
Religions
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.55 children born/woman (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Urbanization
urban population: 91% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
Disputes - international
none
◆ TRANSPORTATION(4 fields)
Airports
2 (2013) country comparison to the world: 209
Airports - with paved runways
total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
Ports and terminals
Saint-Pierre
Roadways
total: 117 km country comparison to the world: 214 paved: 80 km unpaved: 37 km (2009)