Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

Location archipelago of eight islands just off the southern coast of Newfoundland, Canada

Total Area 93 sq mi (242 sq km)
Highest Point Morne de la Grande Montagne; 787 ft (240 m)
Lowest Point sea level

Nationality French
Population (July 2015 est) 5,657
Largest Cities Saint-Pierre
Ethnic Groups Basques, Bretons
Religions Roman Catholic
Languages French (official)

Capital Saint-Pierre
Dependency Status self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France
Form of Government parliamentary representative democracy
Present Constitution Adopted October 4, 1958
Chief of State French President Francois Hollande (since May 15, 2012); represented by Prefect Jean-Christophe Bouvier (since September 2014)
Head of Government President of the Territorial Council Stephane Artano (since March 31, 2006)
Legislature unicameral Territorial Council (Conseil Territorial)
Judiciary Superior Tribunal of Appeals (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
Local Administration none

Currency Euro
Per Capita Income $34,900
Principal Industries fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
Agricultural Products vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs
Export Commodities fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts
Import Commodities meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials

National Holiday Fete de la Federation; July 14 (1789)
Origin of Name "Saint-Pierre" is French for Saint Peter, the patron saint of fishermen. "Miquelon" is believed to be a Basque form of the name Michael.
Flag a yellow three-masted sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a blue background with scattered, white, wavy lines under the ship; a continuous black-over-white wavy line divides the ship from the white wavy lines; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part (called ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the rectangle 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 above the other; these three heraldic arms represent settlement by colonists from the Basque Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy; the blue on the main portion of the flag symbolizes the Atlantic Ocean and the stylized ship represents the Grande Hermine in which Jacques Cartier "discovered" the islands in 1536

France

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