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This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real Wikitravel country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit the Saint Pierre and Miquelon article.

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.

[edit] Geography

Location 

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

Geographic coordinates 

46 50 N, 56 20 W

Map references 

North America

Area 

total: 242 sq km
note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups
water: 0 sq km
land: 242 sq km

Area - comparative 

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 

0 km

Coastline 

120 km

Maritime claims 

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate 

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

Terrain 

mostly barren rock

Elevation extremes 

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

Natural resources 

fish, deepwater ports

Land use 

arable land: 13.04%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 86.96% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

NA sq km

Natural hazards 

persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard

Environment - current issues 

recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment

Geography - note 

vegetation scanty

[edit] People

Population 

6,954 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 25.4% (male 904; female 864)
15-64 years: 64.4% (male 2,288; female 2,193)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 303; female 402) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

0.35% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

14.96 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

6.61 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

-4.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

8.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 77.93 years
female: 80.32 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.66 years

Total fertility rate 

2.1 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 

NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths 

NA

Nationality 

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

Ethnic groups 

Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)

Religions 

Roman Catholic 99%

Languages 

French (official)

Literacy 

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

[edit] Government

Country name 

conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon
local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

Dependency status 

self-governing territorial collectivity of France

Government type 

NA

Capital 

Saint-Pierre

Administrative divisions 

none (territorial 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

Independence 

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

National holiday 

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution 

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system 

French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as housing and taxation

Suffrage 

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch 

chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Claude VALLEIX (since 9 October 2002)
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held, first round - 21 April 2002, second round - 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the General Council is elected by the members of the council
head of government: President of the General Council Marc PLANTAGENEST (since NA)
cabinet: NA

Legislative branch 

unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held 19 and 26 March 2000 (next to be held NA April 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PS 12, PRG 2, UDF-RPR 5
note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 seat to the French National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002, second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UDF 1

Judicial branch 

Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel

Political parties and leaders 

PRG [leader NA]; Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR [leader NA]; Socialist Party or PS [leader NA]; Union pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders 

NA

International organization participation 

FZ, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US 

none (territorial collectivity of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US 

none (territorial collectivity of France)

Flag description 

a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a dark blue background with a black wave line under the ship; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the square 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 on top of the other; the flag of France is used for official occasions

[edit] Economy

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. The islands are heavily subsidized by France to the great betterment of living standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost economic prospects. Recent test drilling for oil may pave the way for development of the energy sector.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $74 million (1996 est.); supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

NA%

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

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

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

2.1% (1991-96 average)

Labor force 

3,000 (1997) (1997)

Labor force - by occupation 

fishing 18%, industry (mainly fish-processing) 41%, services 41% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate 

9.8% (1997) (1997)

Budget 

revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million

Industries 

fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism

Industrial production growth rate 

NA%

Electricity - production 

41 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

38.13 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Exports 

$12 million f.o.b. (1999)

Exports - commodities 

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

Exports - partners 

US 43%, Egypt 14%, Japan 11%, Colombia 8% (1999)

Imports 

$55 million f.o.b. (1999)

Imports - commodities 

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

Imports - partners 

France 44%, Canada 40% (1999)

Debt - external 

$NA

Economic aid - recipient 

approximately $60 million in annual grants from France

Currency 

euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)

Currency code 

EUR; FRF

Exchange rates 

euros per US dollar - 1.06594 (January 2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.93863 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)

Fiscal year 

calendar year

[edit] Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

4,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

0 (1994)

Telephone system 

general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios 

4,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations 

0 (there are, however, two repeaters which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)

Televisions 

4,000 (1997)

Internet country code 

.pm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

1 (2000)

Internet users 

NA

[edit] Transportation

Railways 

0 km

Highways 

total: 114 km
paved: 69 km
unpaved: 45 km (1994 est.)

Waterways 

none

Ports and harbors 

Saint Pierre

Merchant marine 

none (2002 est.)

Airports 

2 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

[edit] Military

Military - note 

defense is the responsibility of France

[edit] Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none