Saint Pierre and Miquelon

thumb|right|Map of Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Saint Pierre and Miquelon (, ), officially the Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (; ), is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, located near the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. St. Pierre and Miquelon is an archipelago of eight islands, covering of land. and its residents are French citizens; they elect their own deputy to the National Assembly and participate in senatorial and presidential elections.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is an overseas country and territory (OCT) of the European Union, although not an integral part of it. It is neither part of the Schengen area, nor of the European customs territory. On the other hand, the euro is the official currency in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, St. Pierre is from Point May on the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland and from Brest, the nearest city in Metropolitan France. The tiny Canadian Green Island lies east of Saint Pierre, roughly halfway to Point May.

Etymology

is French for Saint Peter, the patron saint of fishermen.

The present name of was first noted in the form of Micquetô, Miqueton, or Micquellon in the French Basque sailor Martin de Hoyarçabal's 1579 navigational pilot for Newfoundland, Les voyages aventureux du Capitaine Martin de Hoyarsabal, habitant du çubiburu:

It has been claimed that the name Miquelon is a Basque form of Michael; Mikel and Mikels are usually named Mikelon in the Basque Country. Therefore, from Mikelon, it may have been written in the French way with a qu instead of a k.

The Basque Country is divided between Spain and France, and most Basques live south of the border. As such, Miquelon may have been influenced by the Spanish name , an augmentative form of Miguel meaning "big Michael". The adjoined island's name of "Langlade" is said to be an adaptation of (Englishman's Island). In 1536, the French explorer Jacques Cartier claimed the islands as a possession of France.

The 1763 Treaty of Paris, which ended the Seven Years' War, resulted in the French ceding all of New France to Britain and Spain, though the British granted fishing rights to French fishermen along the Newfoundland coast and returned Saint Pierre and Miquelon to France. In 1778, after France joined the American Revolutionary War against Britain, British forces under Vice-admiral John Montagu occupied Saint Pierre and Miquelon, burning all French settlements on the islands and deporting their inhabitants back to France. During the early 1910s, the colony suffered economic hardship as a result of unprofitable fisheries, and large numbers of its inhabitants emigrated to Nova Scotia and Quebec. The draft imposed by French authorities on all male inhabitants of conscription age after the outbreak of World War I in 1914 crippled the fisheries, as their catch could not be processed by the older men or the women and children. In 1931, the archipelago was reported by The New York Times to have imported of whisky from Canada in 12 months, most of which was smuggled into the United States. The end of prohibition in 1933 plunged the islands once more into economic depression. During World War II, despite opposition from Canada, Britain, and the United States, the Free French Forces seized the islands from Vichy France, to which the colony's administrator Gilbert de Bournat had pledged its allegiance, on 24 December 1941. In referendums on both islands, the population endorsed Free France's takeover by over 98%.

After 1945

thumb|Rue Albert Briand, a pedestrianized street in Saint Pierre lined with bars and restaurants

The colony became a French overseas territory in 1946. After the 1958 French constitutional referendum, the territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon was asked to choose one of three options: becoming fully integrated with France, becoming a self-governing state within the French Community, or preserving the status of an overseas territory; it decided to remain a territory. The archipelago became an overseas department on 19 July 1976, before acquiring the status of territorial collectivity on 11 June 1985, thus withdrawing from the European Communities.

Politics

Since March 2003, Saint Pierre and Miquelon has been an overseas collectivity with a special status. A third commune, Isle-aux-Marins, existed until 1945, when it was absorbed by the municipality of Saint-Pierre. Since 21 August 2023, the prefect has been Bruno André.

The local legislative body, the Territorial Council (), has 19 members: four councillors from Miquelon-Langlade and 15 from Saint-Pierre. Law enforcement in Saint Pierre and Miquelon is the responsibility of a branch of the French Gendarmerie Nationale; there are two police stations in the archipelago.

Maritime boundary case

thumb|Map of the [[exclusive economic zone of Saint Pierre and Miquelon]]

France claimed a exclusive economic zone for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Further, in August 1983, the naval ship Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff and the seismic ship Lucien Beaufort were sent to explore for oil in the disputed zone. In 1992, an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although it represents only 25% of what France had sought.

Geography

Located off the western end of the Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula, the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon comprises eight islands, totalling , of which only two are inhabited. The islands are bare and rocky, with steep coasts, and only a thin layer of peat to soften the hard landscape. The islands, like Newfoundland, are geologically part of the northeastern end of the Appalachian Mountains. In the north of Miquelon Island is the village of Miquelon-Langlade (710 inhabitants), while Langlade Island is almost deserted (only one inhabitant in the 1999 census). Seals and other wildlife can be found in the Grand Barachois Lagoon of Miquelon. Every spring, whales migrating to Greenland are visible off the coasts of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Trilobite fossils have been found on Langlade. The stone pillars off the island coasts called "L'anse aux Soldats" eroded away and disappeared in the 1970s. The rocky islands are barren, except for scrubby yews and junipers and thin volcanic soil. Due to just three months being above 10 °C (50 °F) in mean temperatures and winter lows being so mild, Saint Pierre and Miquelon has a Köppen Climate Classification of Dfc, if bordering on Cfc due to the mildness of the winter and either Dfb or Cfb due to the closeness of the fourth-and fifth-warmest months to having mean temperatures at or above 10 °C (50 °F).

Typical maritime seasonal lag is also strong with September being warmer than June and March being colder than December. The average temperature is , with a temperature range of 19 °C (35 °F) between the warmest ( in August) and coldest months ( in February).

Economy

thumb|Fishing boats in Saint-Pierre harbour

The economy of the islands, due to their location, has been dependent on fishing and servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, due to disputes with Canada over fishing quotas and a decline in the number of ships stopping at the islands. In 1992 an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although it represents only 25 percent of what France had sought. The islands are heavily subsidized by France, which benefits the standard of living. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost economic prospects, and test drilling for oil may pave the way for development of the energy sector.

Agriculture

The climate and the small amount of available land militate against activities such as farming and livestock raising (weather conditions are severe, confining the growing season to a few weeks, and the soil contains significant peat and clay and is largely infertile). Since 1992 the economy has been in steep decline, following the depletion of fish stocks due to overfishing, the limitation of fishing areas and the ban imposed on all cod fishing by the Canadian Government.

Unemployment

The labour market is characterized by high seasonality, due to climatic hazards. Traditionally, the inhabitants suspended all outdoor activities (construction, agriculture, etc.)

between December and April. In 1999, the unemployment rate was 12.8%, and a third of the employed worked in the public sector. The employment situation was worsened by the complete cessation of deep-sea fishing, the traditional occupation of the islanders, as the unemployment rate in 1990 was lower at 9.5%. In 2023, the unemployment rate in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon was 2.9%. About 70% of the islands' supplies are imported from Canada or from other parts of France via Nova Scotia.

There are, as of mid-2024, six hotels on Saint-Pierre as well as B&Bs and Airbnb rentals on both main islands.

As of mid-2024, there are 13 restaurants and bistros on Saint-Pierre and one on Île aux Marins; further, the islands' tourism bureau promotes their authentic French cuisine as well as other cuisines.

Currency

Saint Pierre and Miquelon 20 Francs banknote.jpg|20-CFA-franc banknote

SPM001.JPG|A 1948 Aluminum Franc coin

Stamp-St Pierre 1891 25Fr overprint.jpg|1891 postage stamp

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thumb|Price list for a ferry, July 2024. A 3-euro ticket may be paid with 5 CAD, 11–13% higher than at the [[interbank foreign exchange market|interbank rate during that month, where 1 euro equaled between 1.47 and 1.50 CAD.]]

The euro has been the official currency in Saint Pierre and Miquelon since 1 January 1999, while the euro coins and banknotes were introduced on 1 January 2002, in tandem with Metropolitan France.

Before 1890, Mexican dubloons and Canadian dollars both circulated on the islands. Starting in 1889, these were supplemented with local franc banknotes from the Banque des Îles Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon until the end of World War One.  The Institut d'Émission des Départements d'Outre-Mer (IEDOM), the French public institution responsible for issuing currency in the overseas territories that used the French franc and later the euro on behalf of the Bank of France, has had an agency in Saint Pierre since 1978.

Stamps

The islands have issued their own stamps from 1885 to the present, except for a period between 1 April 1978 and 3 February 1986 when French stamps not specific to Saint Pierre and Miquelon were used.