Saint Pierre and Miquelon




                                  Header


Affiliation:
     (territorial collectivity of France)


                                 Geography


Location:
     Northern North America, in the North Atlantic Ocean, 25 km south of
     Newfoundland (Canada)
Map references:
     North America
Area:
total area:
     242 sq km
land area:
     242 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
note:
     includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon
     groups
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     120 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France
Climate:
     cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy
Terrain:
     mostly barren rock
Natural resources:
     fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
arable land:
     13%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     0%
forest and woodland:
     4%
other:
     83%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km




Environment:
current issues:
     NA
natural hazards:
     NA
international agreements:
     NA
Note:
     vegetation scanty


                                  People


Population:
     6,704 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     0.78% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     13.23 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     5.98 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     11.72 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     75.6 years
male:
     73.99 years
female:
     77.55 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     1.7 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective:
     French
Ethnic divisions:
     Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Religions:
     Roman Catholic 98%
Languages:
     French
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
total population:
     99%
male:
     99%
female:
     99%
Labor force:
     2,850 (1988)




by occupation:
     NA


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
local short form:
     Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
Digraph:
     SB
Type:
     territorial collectivity of France
Capital:
     Saint-Pierre
Administrative divisions:
     none (territorial collectivity of France)
Independence:
     none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French
     control since 1763)
National holiday:
     National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July
Constitution:
     28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
     French law
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
head of government:
     Commissioner of the Republic Yves HENRY (since NA December 1993);
     President of the General Council Marc PLANTE-GENEST (since NA)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
General Council:
     elections last held September-October 1988 (next to be held NA
     September 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (19
     total) Socialist and other left-wing parties 13, UDF and right-wing
     parties 6
French Senate:
     elections last held NA September 1986 (next to be held NA September
     1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) PS 1




French National Assembly:
     elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA June
     1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) UDF 1;
     note - Saint Pierre and Miquelon elects 1 member each to the French
     Senate and the French National Assembly who are voting members
Judicial branch:
     Superior Tribunal of Appeals (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
Political parties and leaders:
     Socialist Party (PS), Albert PEN; Union for French Democracy
     (UDF/CDS), Gerard GRIGNON
Member of:
     FZ, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in US:
     none (territorial collectivity of France)
US diplomatic representation:
     none (territorial collectivity of France)
Flag:
     the flag of France is used


                                  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 the
     number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre has dropped steadily over the
     years. In March 1989, an agreement between France and Canada set fish
     quotas for Saint Pierre's trawlers fishing in Canadian and
     Canadian-claimed waters for three years. The agreement settles a
     longstanding dispute that had virtually brought fish exports to a
     halt. The islands are heavily subsidized by France. Imports come
     primarily from Canada and France.
National product:
     GDP - exchange rate conversion - $65 million (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     NA%
National product per capita:
     $10,000 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     NA%
Unemployment rate:
     9.6% (1990)
Budget:
revenues:
     $18.3 million
expenditures:
     $18.3 million, including capital expenditures of $5.5 million (1989
     est.)
Exports:
     $30 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
     fish and fish products, fox and mink pelts
partners:
     US 58%, France 17%, UK 11%, Canada, Portugal (1990)




Imports:
     $82 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
commodities:
     meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building
     materials
partners:
     Canada, France, US, Netherlands, UK
External debt:
     $NA
Industrial production:
     growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
     10,000 kW
production:
     25 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     3,840 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
Agriculture:
     vegetables, cattle, sheep, pigs for local consumption; fish catch of
     20,500 metric tons (1989)
Economic aid:
recipient:
     Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
     (1970-89), $500 million
Currency:
     1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
     French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.9205 (January 1994), 5.6632 (1993),
     5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     120 km
paved:
     60 km
unpaved:
     earth 60 km (1985)
Ports:
     Saint Pierre
Airports:
total:
     2
usable:
     2
with permanent-surface runways:
     2
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0




with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     1
Telecommunications:
     3,601 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 3 FM, no TV; radio
     communication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in
     French domestic satellite system


                              Defense Forces


Note:
     defense is the responsibility of France