| Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and
Miquelon 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 2016 est) 5,595
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 Emmanuel
Macron (since May 14, 2017); represented by Prefect
Jean-Regis Borius (since 2016)
Head of Government President of the
Territorial Council Stephane Artano (since February 21,
2017)
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
See Also
France
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