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The World Factbook 2002

         
  Saint Pierre and Miquelon  
Flag of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
  Communications
  Transportation
  Military
  Transnational Issues

In general, information available as of 1 January 2002
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2002.


This page was last updated on 1 January 2002


Map of Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Legend: Definition Definition Field Listing Field Listing
   Introduction    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
46 50 N, 56 20 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
North America
Area:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
120 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly barren rock
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 87% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
vegetation scanty
   People    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Population:
Definition Field Listing
6,954 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
0.35% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing
14.96 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing
6.61 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-4.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
8.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing
total population: 77.93 years
female: 80.32 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.66 years
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing
2.1 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Roman Catholic 99%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
French
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1982 est.)
   Government    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
self-governing territorial collectivity of France
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Saint-Pierre
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as housing and taxation
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Francois TALLON (since NA)
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:
Definition Field Listing
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 Marach 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:
Definition Field Listing
Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
FZ, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territorial collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territorial collectivity of France)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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
   Economy    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $74 million (1996 est.); supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing
2.1% (1991-96 average)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing
3,000 (1997)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
fishing 18%, industry (mainly fish-processing) 41%, services 41% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing
9.8% (1997)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing
41 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing
38.13 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Exports:
Definition Field Listing
$12 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 43%, Egypt 14%, Japan 11%, Colombia 8% (1999)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing
$55 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
France 44%, Canada 40% (1999)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing
$NA
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
approximately $60 million in annual grants from France
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
EUR; FRF
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing
4,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing
0 (1994)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
Definition Field Listing
4,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
0 (there are, however, two repeaters which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)
Televisions:
Definition Field Listing
4,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.pm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Definition Field Listing
1 (2000)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing
NA
   Transportation    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Railways:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Highways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 114 km
paved: 69 km
unpaved: 45 km (1994 est.)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
none
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Saint Pierre
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
none (2002 est.)
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
2 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
   Military    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of France
   Transnational Issues    Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002


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