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.

Land

242 sq km

Note

<strong>note:</strong> includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups

Total

242 sq km

Water

0 sq km

1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

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

120 km

Highest point

Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

Lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

46 50 N, 56 20 W

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

0 sq km (2022)

Total

0 km

Agricultural land

8.7% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.7% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

Forest

5% (2023 est.)

Other

86.3% (2023 est.)

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

North America

Exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Territorial sea

12 nm

persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard

fish, deepwater ports

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

mostly barren rock

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)

6.31 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

65.2% (2020 est.)

11.83 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Elderly dependency ratio

42.3 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

2.4 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

63.3 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

21 (2025 est.)

Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)

0.79 (2025 est.)

Female

5.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

9.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

7.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

French (official)

Major-language sample(s)

<br>The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Female

84.3 years

Male

79.5 years

Total population

81.8 years (2024 est.)

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

Female

51.9 years

Male

50.5 years

Total

51.8 years (2025 est.)

Adjective

French

Noun

Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

-6.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Female

2,628

Male

2,442

Total

5,070 (2025 est.)

-1.24% (2025 est.)

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Improved: total

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

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

At birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

1.6 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

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

Urban population

90.1% of total population (2023)

no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 2 communes are considered second-order: Saint Pierre, Miquelon

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&nbsp;

Geographic coordinates

46 46 N, 56 11 W

Name

Saint-Pierre

Time difference

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

see France

Amendment process

amendment procedures of France's constitution apply

History

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Conventional long form

Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Conventional short form

Saint Pierre and 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

Local long form

D&eacute;partement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

Local short form

Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

overseas collectivity of France

Embassy

none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

none (overseas territory of France)

Cabinet

Le Cabinet du Pr&eacute;fet

Chief of state

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

Election results

<br><em>2020: </em>Bernard BRIAND elected President of Territorial Council; Territorial Council vote - 17 for, 2 abstentions<br><br><em>2017:</em> Stephane LENORMAND elected President of Territorial Council vote - NA

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

Head of government

President of Territorial Council Marc DIDIO (since 12 January 2026)

Most recent election date

13 October 2020

<strong>description:</strong> a yellow three-masted sailing ship facing the left 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 left side, a vertical band is divided into three heraldic arms: the top (called <em>ikkurina</em>) 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<br><br><strong>meaning: </strong>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

<strong>note:</strong> the flag of France used for official occasions

parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France

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

UPU, WFTU (NGOs)

Highest court(s)

Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Sup&eacute;rieur d'Appel (composition NA)

Judge selection and term of office

judge selection and tenure NA

French civil law

Electoral system

plurality/majority

Expected date of next election

March 2028

Legislative structure

unicameral

Legislature name

Territorial Council (Conseil Territorial)

Most recent election date

3/27/2022

Note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

Number of seats

19 (directly elected)

Parties elected and seats per party

AD (15); Focus on the Future (4)

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

6 years

Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)

note

<strong>note:</strong> 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 <em>la Fête nationale</em> (National Holiday) and <em>le Quatorze Juillet</em> (14th of July)

16th-century sailing ship

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

18 years of age; universal

vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

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

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

processed crustaceans, shellfish (2023)

note

<strong>note:</strong> top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$261.3 million (2015 est.)

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism

Note

<strong>note:</strong> supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$261.3 million (2015 est.)

Consumption

48.714 million kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

26,000 kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

2 million kWh (2023 est.)

Fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

400 bbl/day (2023 est.)

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)

.pm

Percent of population

88.7% (2022 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

76 (2015 est.)

Total subscriptions

4,800 (2015 est.)

2 (2025)

Key ports

Miquelon, St. Pierre

Large

0

Medium

0

Ports with oil terminals

1

Size unknown

1

Small

1

Total ports

2 (2024)

Very small

0

defense is the responsibility of France

From petroleum and other liquids

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

Total emissions

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

overfishing