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.TipVisit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.Definitions and Notes
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
land: 242 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups
comparison ranking: total 214
Area – comparative
1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
120 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate
cold and wet, with considerable mist and fog; spring and autumn are often windy
Terrain
mostly barren rock
Elevation
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Natural resources
fish, deepwater ports
Land use
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.)
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
Population distribution
most of the population is found on Saint Pierre Island; a small settlement is located on the north end of Miquelon Island
Natural hazards
persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard
Geography – note
vegetation scanty; the islands are part of the northern Appalachians, along with Newfoundland
People and Society
Population
total: 5,132 (2024 est.)
male: 2,476
female: 2,656
comparison rankings: total 227; female 227; male 227
Nationality
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French
Ethnic groups
Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Languages
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.
French audio sample:
Religions
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Age structure
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)
2024 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
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.)
Median age
total: 51.2 years (2024 est.)
male: 50.5 years
female: 51.9 years
comparison ranking: total 2
Population growth rate
-1.21% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 234
Birth rate
6.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 227
Death rate
11.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 20
Net migration rate
-6.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 215
Population distribution
most of the population is found on Saint Pierre Island; a small settlement is located on the north end of Miquelon Island
Urbanization
urban population: 90.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas – population
6,000 SAINT-PIERRE (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
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.)
Infant mortality rate
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
comparison ranking: total 148
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 81.8 years (2024 est.)
male: 79.5 years
female: 84.3 years
comparison ranking: total population 41
Total fertility rate
1.6 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 183
Gross reproduction rate
0.78 (2024 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved:
total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved:
total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
64.1% (2023 est.)
Environment
Environmental issues
overfishing
Climate
cold and wet, with considerable mist and fog; spring and autumn are often windy
Land use
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.)
Urbanization
urban population: 90.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
57,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 57,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 211
Government
Country name
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
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France
Dependency status
overseas collectivity of France
Capital
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
Administrative divisions
none (territorial overseas collectivity of France); no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 2 communes are considered second-order: Saint Pierre, Miquelon
Legal system
French civil law
Constitution
history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
amendment process: amendment procedures of France’s constitution apply
Citizenship
see France
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
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
Legislative branch
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
Judicial branch
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
Political parties
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)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)
International organization participation
UPU, WFTU (NGOs)
Independence
none (overseas collectivity collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)
National holiday
Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)
note: often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, France’s national celebration commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789 and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are la Fête nationale (National Holiday) and le Quatorze Juillet (14th of July)
Flag description
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
National symbol(s)
16th-century sailing ship
National anthem(s)
title: “La Marseillaise” (The Song of Marseille)
lyrics/music: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle
history: official anthem, as a French collectivity
Economy
Economic overview
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$261.3 million (2015 est.)
note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million
comparison ranking: 216
GDP (official exchange rate)
$261.3 million (2015 est.)
Agricultural products
vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Industries
fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
Exports – partners
Canada 78%, Ireland 5%, France 5%, Djibouti 4%, UK 2% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports – commodities
processed crustaceans, shellfish (2023)
note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000
Imports – partners
France 57%, Canada 37%, Netherlands 3%, Belgium 2%, Spain 0% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports – commodities
refined petroleum, packaged medicine, cars, plastic products, other foods (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar –
Exchange rates:
0.924 (2024 est.)
0.925 (2023 est.)
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
Energy
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 26,000 kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 48.714 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 2 million kWh (2023 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 5; consumption 203; installed generating capacity 204
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 400 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Communications
Telephones – fixed lines
total subscriptions: 4,800 (2015 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 76 (2015 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 204
Broadcast media
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)
Internet country code
.pm
Internet users
percent of population: 88.7% (2022 est.)
Transportation
Airports
2 (2025)
comparison ranking: 202
Ports
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
Military and Security
Military – note
defense is the responsibility of France
