Saint Pierre and Miquelon - PM - SPM - North America

overseas collectivity of France

embassy: none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

0-14 years: 13.1% (male 346/female 328)

15-64 years: 61.6% (male 1,559/female 1,600)

65 years and over: 25.3% (2024 est.) (male 571/female 728)

46 50 N, 56 20 W

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard

one and half times the size of Washington, D.C.

First settled by the French in the early 17th century, Saint Pierre and Miquelon are the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North American possessions. They attained the status of an overseas collectivity in 2003.

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

processed crustaceans, shellfish (2023)

note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

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

vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

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

etymology: may be named after Saint Peter, the patron saint of fisherman; alternatively, the name may come from one of the two navigators for whom the island as a whole is named 

refined petroleum, packaged medicine, cars, plastic products, other foods (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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

120 km

history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

amendment process: amendment procedures of France's constitution apply

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
0.925 (2023 est.)
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)

chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Prefect Bruno ANDRE (since September 2023)

head of government: President of Territorial Council Bernard BRIAND (since 13 October 2020)

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 10 April and 24 April 2022 (next to be held in 2027); prefect appointed by French president on the advice of French Ministry of Interior; Territorial Council president elected by Territorial Council councilors by absolute majority vote; term NA; election last held on 13 October 2020 (next to be held NA)

election results:
2020: Bernard BRIAND elected President of Territorial Council; Territorial Council vote - 17 for, 2 abstentions

2017: Stephane LENORMAND elected President of Territorial Council vote - NA

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

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

fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism

highest court(s): Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Supérieur d'Appel (composition NA)

judge selection and term of office: judge selection and tenure NA

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 8.7% (2022 est.)

arable land: 8.7% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

forest: 5.1% (2022 est.)

other: 86.2% (2022 est.)

French civil law

legislature name: Territorial Council (Conseil Territorial)

legislative structure: unicameral

number of seats: 19 (directly elected)

electoral system: plurality/majority

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 6 years

most recent election date: 3/27/2022

parties elected and seats per party: AD (15); Focus on the Future (4)

expected date of next election: March 2028

note: 1 senator is indirectly elected to the French Senate by an electoral college for a 6-year term, and 1 deputy is directly elected to the French National Assembly for a 5-year term

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

UPU, WFTU (NGOs)

Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)

noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

adjective: French

fish, deepwater ports

vegetation scanty; the islands are part of the northern Appalachians, along with Newfoundland

high-income, French North American territorial economy; primarily fishing exports; substantial French Government support; highly seasonal labor force; euro user; increasing tourism and aquaculture investments

Archipelago Tomorrow (Archipel Domain) or AD (affiliated with The Republicans)
Focus on the Future (Cap sur l'Avenir) (affiliated with Left Radical Party)
Together to Build (Ensemble pour Construire)

18 years of age; universal

general assessment: adequate (2019)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity 76 per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 508; landing point for the St Pierre and Miquelon Cable connecting Saint Pierre & Miquelon and Canada; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 in French domestic satellite system (2019)

mostly barren rock

parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France

defense is the responsibility of France

conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon

conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon

local long form: Département de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

etymology: Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is reputed to be named after two navigators, one called Peter and one called Michael (in a nickname form) or Mikelon, a Basque name

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

North America

0 sq km (2022)

none (overseas territory of France)

percent of population: 88.7% (2022 est.)

.pm

$261.3 million (2015 est.)

urban population: 90.1% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

8 TV stations, all part of the French Overseas Network, and local cable provided by SPM Telecom; 3 of 4 radio stations on St. Pierre and on Miquelon are part of the French Overseas Network (2021)

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

6,000 SAINT-PIERRE (capital) (2018)

16th-century sailing ship

see France

most of the population is found on Saint Pierre Island; a small settlement is located on the north end of Miquelon Island

Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

French (official)

major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

NA

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

total dependency ratio: 62.5 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 21.3 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 41.1 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 2.4 (2024 est.)

improved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 91.4% of population

unimproved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 8.6% of population (2017 est.)

improved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 0% of population (2020)

France 57%, Canada 37%, Netherlands 3%, Belgium 2%, Spain 0% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Canada 78%, Ireland 5%, France 5%, Djibouti 4%, UK 2% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 400 bbl/day (2023 est.)

0.78 (2024 est.)

64.1% (2023 est.)

total ports: 2 (2024)

large: 0

medium: 0

small: 1

very small: 0

size unknown: 1

ports with oil terminals: 1

key ports: Miquelon, St. Pierre

4,429 (2015)

-6.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 51.2 years (2024 est.)

male: 50.5 years

female: 51.9 years

1.6 children born/woman (2024 est.)

8.7% (2015 est.)

total: 5,132 (2024 est.)

male: 2,476

female: 2,656

57,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 57,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

$261.3 million (2015 est.)

note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million

2 (2025)

total: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births

1.5% (2015)

(2019)

11.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

6.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

installed generating capacity: 26,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 48.714 million kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 2 million kWh (2023 est.)

NA

total subscriptions: 4,800 (2015 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 76 (2015 est.)

total population: 81.8 years (2024 est.)

male: 79.5 years

female: 84.3 years

-1.21% (2024 est.)