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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

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: 81 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 209

Television broadcast stations

0 (2 repeaters rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)

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: 11

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 - | 0.7489 (2014 est.) | 0.7634 (2013 est.) | 0.78 (2012 est.) | 0.7185 (2011 est.) | 0.755 (2010 est.)

Exports

$6.641 million (2010 est.) | $5.5 million (2005 est.) | country comparison to the world: 216

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: 218

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: 51

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: 216

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: 163

Labor force

3,194 (2006) | country comparison to the world: 224

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: 76

Unemployment rate

9.9% (2008 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

151,100 Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 182

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 183

Electricity - consumption

39.99 million kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 209

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 190

Electricity - from fossil fuels

97.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 197

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Electricity - from other renewable sources

2.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Electricity - installed generating capacity

26,600 kW (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Electricity - production

43 million kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 209

Natural gas - consumption

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

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 172

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187

Refined petroleum products - consumption

600 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Refined petroleum products - exports

1.24 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Refined petroleum products - imports

604.4 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

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 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

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

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

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 Jean-Christophe BOUVIER (since September 2014) | 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 6 May 2012 (next to be held in 2017); 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 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

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 to serve 6-year terms) | note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect one 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 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 - Ensemble pour l'Avenir 1 (affiliated with PRG) | elections: elections last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2018) | election results: percent of vote by party - AD 52.5%, Ensemble pour l'Avenir 47.5%; seats by party - AD 14, Ensemble pour l'Avenir 5

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 [Stephane ARTANO] (affiliated with UMP) | Togerther for the Future (Ensemble pour l'Avenir) [Annick GIRARDIN] (affiliated with PRG)

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: 15.96% (male 465/female 438) | 15-24 years: 8.75% (male 256/female 239) | 25-54 years: 42.87% (male 1,199/female 1,226) | 55-64 years: 13.68% (male 404/female 370) | 65 years and over: 18.74% (male 443/female 617) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

7.42 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 223

Death rate

9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50

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: 6.78 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 7.87 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Languages

French (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 80.39 years | male: 78.06 years | female: 82.85 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Major urban areas - population

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

Median age

total: 45.2 years | male: 44.8 years | female: 45.6 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

-8.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 210

Population

5,657 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 228

Population growth rate

-1.08% (2015 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: 1.07 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female | total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.56 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Urbanization

urban population: 90.4% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 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 (2013)

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