Saint Pierre and Miquelon

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.

46 50 N, 56 20 W

persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard

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

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

120 km

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.)

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

fish, deepwater ports

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

mostly barren rock

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

North America

0 sq km (2022)

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

Highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

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)

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.)

Noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

Adjective: French

Urban population: 90.1% of total population (2023)

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

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

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.

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)

0.78 (2024 est.)

64.1% (2023 est.)

-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.)

Total: 5,132 (2024 est.)

Male: 2,476

Female: 2,656

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

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

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

Total population: 81.8 years (2024 est.)

Male: 79.5 years

Female: 84.3 years

-1.21% (2024 est.)

overfishing

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

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

(2019)

Embassy: None (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

none (territorial overseas collectivity of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 2 communes are considered second-order: Saint Pierre, Miquelon

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 

History: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Amendment process: Amendment procedures of France's constitution apply

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 Préfet

Election/appointment process: French president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); 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

Most recent election date: 13 October 2020

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 wavy white lines; a black-over-white wavy line divides the ship from the white wavy lines; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three heraldic arms: the top (called ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners and overlaid with a white cross, the middle is white with an ermine pattern, and the bottom is red with two yellow lions outlined in black; the arms represent settlers from the Basque Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy in France; blue symbolizes the Atlantic Ocean, and the ship represents explorer Jacques Cartier's ship when he visited 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)

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

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

UPU, WFTU (NGOs)

Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)

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

parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity 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

none (overseas territory of France)

16th-century sailing ship

see France

processed crustaceans, shellfish (2023)

Note: Top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

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

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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.)

fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism

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

$261.3 million (2015 est.)

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

$261.3 million (2015 est.)

Note: Supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million

1.5% (2015)

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

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

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

Consumption: 48.714 million kWh (2023 est.)

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

Percent of population: 88.7% (2022 est.)

.pm

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

Total subscriptions: 4,800 (2015 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 76 (2015 est.)

2 (2025)

defense is the responsibility of France

overseas collectivity of France

Note: As a collectivity of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)

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