Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: A Mare Labor  (Latin) "From the Sea, Work"
Anthem: La Marseillaise
Capital (and largest city)	Saint-Pierre 46°47′N 56°10′W
Official languages	French
Government	Dependent territory
- President of France	Nicolas Sarkozy
- President of the Territorial Council	Stéphane Artano
- Prefect	Yves Fauqueur
Overseas collectivity of France
- Ceded by the UK†	30 May 1814
- Overseas territory	27 October 1946
- Overseas department	17 July 1976
- Territorial collectivity	11 June 1985
- Overseas collectivity	28 March 2003
Area
- Total	242 km² (208th) 93.4 sq mi
- Water (%)	negligible
Population
- January 2006 census	6,125
- Density	25/km² 66/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2003 estimate
- Total	$48.3 million
- Per capita	$6,874
Currency	Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone	PMST (UTC-3)
- Summer (DST)	PMDT (UTC-2)
Internet TLD	.pm
Calling code	+508
† Treaty of Paris (1814).

The territorial collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French: Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon) are a group of small islands — the main ones being Saint Pierre and Miquelon — off the eastern coast of Canada near Newfoundland.

The islands are part of France and the European Union but due to special immigration procedures, EU nationals who are not French citizens are not allowed to exercise free movement and business establishment in the archipelago [1].

The archipelago is the only remnant of the former colonial territory of New France.

History

The early settlement of St. Pierre and Miquelon, which were prized by Europeans for their rich fishing grounds, was characterized by periods of conflict between the French and English.

There is evidence of prehistoric inhabitation on the islands (most likely Beothuk). The European settlements on the islands are some of the oldest in the Americas, dating from at least the early 16th century. At first the Basque fishermen only visited the islands seasonally during the fishing season, and by the mid 17th century there were permanent French residents on the islands.

At the end of the 17th and into the early 18th century, British attacks on the islands caused the French settlers to abandon the islands, and the British took possession for 50 years (from 1713 to 1763). The French took the islands back in 1763 under the Treaty of Paris (which ceded all of New France to Britain except for Saint Pierre and Miquelon) and settlers returned to live peacefully for 15 years.

French support of the American Revolution led to a British attack on the islands, and the deportation of the French settlers. Possession of Miquelon and St. Pierre passed back and forth between France and Great Britain for the next 38 years, as the islands suffered attacks by both countries, voluntary or forced removal of the island's residents, and upheaval associated with the French Revolution.

France finally took the islands back after Napoleon's second abdication in 1815, and there followed 70 years of prosperity for the French fishing industry and residents on Miquelon and St. Pierre. However, political and economic changes led to a slow decline of the fishing industry after the late 19th century.

There was a short 13-year economic boom on the island associated with the period of Prohibition in the United States, when Miquelon and St. Pierre were prominent bases for alcohol smuggling. This boom ended with the end of prohibition in 1933, and the economy sank into depression.

During the Second World War, the governor, Gilbert de Bournat, was loyal to the Vichy regime; he had to negotiate financial arrangements with U.S. authorities to obtain loans guaranteed by the French treasury. At the same time, Canada was considering an invasion of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Several pretexts were put forward, notably radio broadcasts of Vichy propaganda. It was alleged that the radio was helping German U-Boats on the Grand Banks, though this was never proven. Canadian prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King never authorised the implementation of the plans.

Under orders from De Gaulle, Admiral Émile Muselier organised the liberation of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, without the consent and knowledge of the Canadian and U.S. authorities. On 24 December 1941, a Free French flotilla led by the submarine cruiser Surcouf took control of the islands without resistance. De Gaulle had a referendum organised, which was favourable to him, and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon thus became one of the first French territories to join Free France. The affair led to a durable distrust between De Gaulle and Roosevelt.

Politics

The politics of Saint Pierre and Miquelon take place within a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic French overseas collectivity, whereby the President of the Territorial Council is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon also sends one deputy to the French National Assembly and one senator to the French Senate.

In 1992, a maritime boundary dispute with Canada over the delineation of the Exclusive Economic Zone belonging to France was settled by the International Court of Arbitration. In the decision, France kept the 12 nautical mile (NM) (22.2 km) territorial sea surrounding the islands and was given an additional 12 NM (22.2 km) contiguous zone as well as a 10.5 NM (19.4 km) wide corridor stretching 200 NM (370 km) south. The total area in the award was 18% of what France had requested.

The boundary dispute had been a flash point for Franco-Canadian relations. New claims made under UNCLOS by France over the continental shelf might cause new tensions between France and Canada.

Administrative divisions

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is administratively divided into two communes (municipalities). They are: Miquelon-Langlade and Saint-Pierre.

Geography and environment

The island of Saint-Pierre is surrounded by smaller dependencies which include the island of Grand Colombier, Petit Colombier, Île aux Marins (formally known as Île aux Chiens), Île aux Pigeons and Île aux Vainqueurs. The total area of the islands is 242 km² (93.4 sq mi). They have a coastline which is 120 km (75 miles) long.

The island of Miquelon is roughly 25 km (16 mi) from the coast of Newfoundland at their closest points. However, there is a small island with a lighthouse belonging to Newfoundland called Green Island that is between Langlade and St. Pierre and Newfoundland at 46°53′N 56°05′W, about 10 km (6 mi) from Langlade and St. Pierre.

The island of Miquelon is separated from St. Pierre by a 6 km (4 mi) strait with very fierce currents. Fishermen call this section of ocean "The Mouth of Hell". The waters around these islands are very treacherous, and there have been over 600 shipwrecks along the coasts of the islands.

File:Saint-Pierre and Miquelon 3D.png

Simulated view of the islands by NASA

The island of Miquelon was formed by the joining of three islands by sand dunes and Quaternary deposits. These islands are Le Cap, Miquelon (Grande Miquelon), and Langlade (Petite Miquelon). Miquelon and Langlade were separate until a large sandbar joined them in the 18th century. Miquelon has a lagoon called Grand Barachois, where seals and other wildlife can be found.

The term 'Miquelon' is Basque for "Michael". The island name 'Langlade' is a corruption of 'l'île à l'Anglais' (which is translated as Englishman's Island). Saint-Pierre is the Patron Saint of Fishermen (along with St. Andrew, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Benno, St. Nicholas of Myra, St. Zeno of Verona.)

The climate is very damp and windy, the winters are harsh and long. The spring and early summer are foggy and cool. Late summer and early fall are sunny.

Every spring, whales migrating to Greenland are visible off the coasts of Miquelon and St. Pierre.

Trilobite fossils have been found on Langlade. There were a number of stone pillars off the island coasts called "L'anse aux Soldats" that have been eroded away and disappeared in the 1970s.

Economy

The islands were dependent upon the cod fishery for the best part of the last four centuries. However, overfishing on the Grand Banks has led Canada to impose a long-term closure of this industry. Since fishing quotas are governed by Canada, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and the French fishing fleet (whether based out of the islands or out of mainland France) have been seriously affected.

In Saint-Pierre and Miquelon many efforts are being made, with the help of the French government, to diversify the local economy. Tourism, fish farming, crab fishing and agriculture are being developed.

Between 1890 and 1965, the islanders used the Saint Pierre and Miquelon franc, which was equal to the French franc until 1945, then to the CFA franc between 1945 and 1960, and then to the French new franc until 1965, when the French currency was established as the sole circulating currency. Since 2002, the islanders have used the euro. Until the 1990s, the islanders used French postage stamps, but now the islands issue their own. Domestic French postal rates apply to mail between mainland France and the islands. The French postal code is 97500.

Demography

The population of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon at the 2006 local census was 6,125 inhabitants. 5,509 of these lived in the commune (municipality) of Saint-Pierre and the other 616 in the commune of Miquelon-Langlade (all on Miquelon proper, and none on Langlade Island).

Langlade currently has no year-round residents, since its sole inhabitant, Charles Lafitte, died in July 2006. Langlade is a summer retreat for many inhabitants of Saint-Pierre, when its population can swell up to 1000.

Culture

French is the official language of the islands. The local accent and many of the words used are similar to the Norman language.

French patriotism is strong on the islands, and the islanders are proud that some of the soil on the island is French, having been brought over in the ballasts of ships.

Basque pride might be just as strong, given the strong historical ties of the islands to the Basque region of France. Every year in the summer there is a Basque Festival, with demonstrations of harrijasotzaile (stone heaving), haitzkolari (lumberjack skills), and paleta (a game somewhat like Jaï-Alaï).

Hockey is very popular in Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Several players from the islands have played on French teams and even participated on the French National hockey team in the Olympics.

Street names are not commonly used on the islands. Directions and locations are commonly given using nicknames and the names of nearby residents.

The only time the guillotine was ever used in North America was in Saint-Pierre in the late 1800s. Joseph Néel was convicted of killing a Mr. Coupard on Île aux chiens on December 30, 1888, and executed by guillotine on August 24, 1889. The guillotine had to be shipped from Martinique and it did not arrive in working order. It was very difficult to get anyone to perform the execution; finally a recent immigrant was coaxed into doing the job. This event was the inspiration for the film The Widow of Saint-Pierre (La Veuve de Saint-Pierre) released in 2000. The guillotine is now in a museum in Saint-Pierre.

Military

France is responsible for the defence of the islands.

Transportation

Saint Pierre and Miquelon has no railway and 114 km (70.8 miles) of highways (plus 45 km (28 miles) of unpaved roads). Its only major harbour is Saint-Pierre. The dependency has no merchant marine and two airports; the runway at Saint-Pierre Airport is 1800m long, and at Miquelon Airport, 1000m.

A regular ferry service is available between Saint-Pierre and the town of Fortune, Newfoundland.

Air transport is provided by Air Saint-Pierre which connects Saint-Pierre with Miquelon and several Canadian cities.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is the only jurisdiction in North America not to have adopted for its vehicle registration plates the standard of six inches in height by twelve inches in width and instead uses French-style plates.

Time zone

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is in its own time zone with respect to the rest of North America, UTC-3, which means three hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. This also translates to two hours ahead of New York (Eastern Time Zone), one hour ahead of Halifax (Atlantic Time Zone), and thirty minutes ahead of St. John's (Newfoundland Standard Time Zone). This is the same time zone as the bulk of Brazil, and Greenland.

However, most road atlases (those from North America in particular) erroneously place Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Time Zone (UTC-4).

Notables

• Denis Kang, martial arts fighter.
• Henry Hughes Hough, Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and Governor of the United States Virgin Islands.
• Léon Charles Albert Calmette collaborated with veterinarian Camille Guérin to produce the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis. As a member of the French Naval Medical Corps, he was assigned to the islands after being stationed in Hong Kong and arrived in 1887.

See also

• Communications in Saint Pierre and Miquelon
• Franco-Canadian relations
• French overseas departments and territories
• Administrative divisions of France

External links

Community, culture and history

• Municipal Government of St-Pierre (French)
• History of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
• St Pierre & Miquelon Online Community
• The liberation of St Pierre & Miquelon December 24th 1941 by the Free French Naval Forces
• CIA World Factbook entry for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
• History of French submarine telegraph cables
• Miquelon and St. Pierre history site produced by Newfoundland's Memorial University

Tourism

• Tourist Office Official web site st-pierre-et-miquelon.info
• Tourism and Travel Resources for St Pierre & Miquelon
• Frequently Asked Questions Tourism and Travel
• Maps of Towns in Saint-Pierre & Miquelon
• Travel guide to Saint-Pierre and Miquelon from Wikitravel

Territorial issues

• Saint-Pierre & Miquelon Continental Plate - "Defend Saint-Pierre & Miquelon"

Coordinates: .

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