Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Encyclopedia
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France. It is the only remnant of the former colonial empire of New France
that remains under French control.
The islands are situated at the entrance of Fortune Bay
, which extends into the southern coast of Newfoundland, near the Grand Banks
. They are 6,470 kilometres from Brest
, the nearest point in Metropolitan France
, but just 20 kilometres off the Burin Peninsula
of Newfoundland.
, who is a patron saint of fishermen.
The present name of Miquelon was first noted in the form of "Micquelle" in the Basque
sailor Martin de Hoyarçabal
's navigational pilot for Newfoundland. It has been claimed that the name "Miquelon" is a Basque
form of Michael, but it appears that this is not a usual form in that language. Many Basques speak Spanish
as well as Basque
, and Miquelon may have been influenced by the Spanish name Miguelón, a form of Miguel
meaning "big Michael".
The adjoining island's name of "Langlade
" is a corruption of "l'île à l'Anglais" (Englishman's Island).
, who bestowed on them their original name of "Islands of the 11,000 Virgins", as the day marked the feast day of St. Ursula and her virgin companions. They were made a French possession in 1536 by Jacques Cartier
on behalf of the King of France. Though already frequented by Micmac Indians and Basque and Breton fishermen, the islands were not permanently settled until the end of the 17th century: four permanent inhabitants were counted in 1670, and 22 in 1691.
In 1670, during Jean Talon
’s tenure as Intendant of New France
, a French officer annexed the islands when he found a dozen French fishermen camped there. English ships soon began to harass the French, pillaging their camps and ships. By the early 1700s, the islands were again uninhabited, and were ceded to the English by the Treaty of Utrecht
which ended the War of the Spanish Succession
in 1713.
French fishermen occasionally still visited the region, although they preferred the French Shore
of Newfoundland, richer in fish and with greater possibilities for provisioning and repairs compared to these smaller islands. Under the terms of the 1763 Treaty of Paris
which put an end to the Seven Years' War
, France ceded all its north American possessions, keeping only Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, as well as fishing rights on the coasts of Newfoundland. After the long interlude of British occupation from 1714 to 1763, the islands knew little peace, but witnessed a significant rise in business and population, as they were now the last French territory in North America.
Britain invaded and razed the colony in 1778, during the American revolutionary war
, and the entire population of 2,000 was sent back to France. By the 1780s, about 1,000 or 1,500 people lived on the islands, their numbers doubling during the fishing season. The French Revolutionary Wars
affected the archipelago dramatically: in 1793, the British landed in Saint-Pierre and, the following year, expelled the French population, and tried to install British settlers. The British colony was in turn sacked by French troops in 1796. The Treaty of Amiens
of 1802 returned the islands to France, but Britain reoccupied them when hostilities recommenced the next year.
The 1814 Treaty of Paris
gave them back to France, though Britain occupied them yet again during the Hundred Days
War. France then reclaimed uninhabited islands in which all structures and buildings had been destroyed or fallen into disrepair. The islands were resettled in 1816. The settlers were mostly Basques, Bretons and Normans, who were joined by various other elements, particularly from the nearby island of Newfoundland. Only around the middle of the century did increased fishing bring a certain prosperity to the little colony.
and Quebec
. The draft imposed on all male inhabitants of conscript age after the beginning of World War I
crippled the fisheries, which could not be prosecuted by the older people and the women and children. About 400 men from the colony served in the French military during World War I
, 25% of whom died. The increase in the adoption of the steam trawlers in the fisheries also contributed to reduce the employment opportunities.
Smuggling had always been an important economic activity in the islands, but it became especially prominent in the 1920s with the institution of prohibition in the United States
. In 1931, the archipelago was reported to have imported 1815271 gal of whisky from Canada in 12 months, most of it to be smuggled into the United States. The end of prohibition in 1933 plunged the islands into economic depression.
After the fall of France, most of the war veterans and sailors in the colony supported de Gaulle. The administrator
of the colony, Gilbert de Bournat, sided with Vichy
. De Gaulle decided to seize the archipelago, over the opposition of the United States
. The general covertly gave Admiral Émile Muselier
the order to proceed, resulting in the successful Free French coup de main
on Christmas Day 1941. The State Department and Cordell Hull
in particular were infuriated by the result. The incident ultimately served to focus the American public opinion on the ambivalence of the Roosevelt administration
in its dealings with Vichy, and also led to a lasting distrust between De Gaulle and Roosevelt.
In a quick plebiscite the next day, the population endorsed the takeover, and the resounding vote in favour of Free France led Muselier to appoint Lieutenant Alain Savary
as governor. After the approval of the 1958 French constitutional referendum
, the islands were given the options of becoming fully integrated with France, becoming self-governing states within the French Community
or preserving the status of overseas territory; they decided to remain a territory.
, Saint Pierre and Miquelon-Langlade
. A third commune, Isle-aux-Marins, existed until 1945, when it was absorbed by the municipality of Saint-Pierre. The inhabitants possess French citizenship and suffrage. Saint Pierre and Miquelon send a senator and a deputy
to the National Assembly
in Paris, and enjoy an amount of autonomy concerning taxes, customs and excise.
The Prefect of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
is appointed by France and represents the Paris government in the territory. He is in charge of national interests, law enforcement, public order and, under the conditions set by the statute of 1985, administrative control. The current prefect is Jean-Régis Borius. The local legislative body, the Territorial Council , has 19 members: four councillors from Miquelon-Langlade and 15 from Saint-Pierre. The President of the Territorial Council is the head of a delegation of "France in the name of Saint Pierre and Miquelon" for international events like the annual meetings of NAFO
and ICCAT.
France is responsible for the defence of the islands. The Maritime Gendarmerie has maintained a patrol boat, the , on the islands since 1997. 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.
for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and in August 1983 the gunboat Le Henaff
and a seismic ship Lucien Beaufort were sent to explore for oil in the disputed zone. In addition to the potential oil reserves, cod fishing
rights in the Grand Banks
were at stake in the dispute. In the late 1980s, indications of declining fish stocks began to raise serious concern over the depletion of the fishery. In 1992, an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of 12,348 sq km to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although it represents only 25% of what France had sought.
The 1992 decision fixed the maritime boundaries between Canada and the islands, but did not demarcate the continental shelf
.
Located in the heart of the Grand Banks
in the North Atlantic, 25 km southwest of Newfoundland, the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon is composed of eight islands, totalling 242 km², 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.
Saint Pierre Island
, whose area is smaller (26 km²), is the most populous and the commercial and administrative center of the archipelago. A new airport has been in operation since 1999 and is capable of accommodating long-haul flights from metropolitan France
.
Miquelon-Langlade
, the largest island, is in fact composed of two islands, Miquelon
(110 km²) connected to Langlade
(91 km²) by the Dune de Langlade, a 10 km-long sandy isthmus. A storm would have severed it in the 18th century, separating the two islands for several decades, before the currents reconstructed the isthmus. The waters between Langlade and Saint-Pierre were called "the Mouth of Hell" until about 1900, as more than 600 shipwrecks have been recorded in that point since 1800. North of Miquelon Island
is the village (710 inhabitants), while Langlade Island
was almost deserted (only one inhabitant in the 1999 census).
A third, formerly inhabited island, Isle-aux-Marins, known as Île-aux-Chiens until 1931 and located a short distance from the port of Saint-Pierre, has been uninhabited since 1963.
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. There were a number of stone pillars off the island coasts called "L'anse aux Soldats" that have eroded away and disappeared in the 1970s. The rocky islands are barren, except for scrubby yews
and junipers and thin volcanic soil. The forest cover of the hills, except in parts of Langlade
, had been removed for fuel long ago.
, under the influence of polar air masses and the cold Labrador Current
. The winters are less severe than in Canada: the average temperature is +5.3°C, with a temperature range of 19°C between the warmest (15.7°C in August) and coldest months (- 3.6°C in February). Precipitation
is abundant (1,312 mm per year) and regular (146 days per year), falling as snow and rain. Because of its location at the confluence of the cold waters of the Labrador Current and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream
, the archipelago is also crossed a hundred days a year by fog banks, mainly in June and July. Two other climatic elements are crucial: the extremely variable winds and haze during the spring to early summer.
to a few weeks. Since 1992, the economy has been in steep decline, following the depletion of fish stocks
, the limitation of fishing areas and the ban imposed on all cod fishing by the Canadian Government.
The rise in unemployment has been curtailed by the state financial aid for the retraining of businesses and individuals. The construction of the second airport runway has also helped sustain the activity in the construction industry and public works. Fish farming, crab fishing, and agriculture are being developed to diversify the local economy. The future of Saint Pierre and Miquelon rests on tourism, fisheries and aquaculture. Explorations are underway to exploit deposits of oil and gas. Tourism relies on the proximity to Canada, while commerce and crafts make up the bulk of the business sector.
The labour market is characterized by high seasonality
, due to climatic hazards. Traditionally, all outdoor activities (construction, agriculture, etc.) were suspended
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%. The unemployment for 2010 shows a decrease from 2009, from 7.7% to 7.1%. Exports are very low (5.1% of GDP) while imports are significant (49.1% of GDP). About 70% of the islands’ supplies are imported from Canada or from France via Nova Scotia.
The local currency is the euro
, but Canadian dollars are also widely accepted and also used as a local currency. The "Institut d'émission des départements d'outre-mer" (IEDOM), the French public institution responsible for issuing currency in the overseas territories that use the euro on behalf of the Bank of France, has had an agency in Saint Pierre since 1978. 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 were used.
, a remarkable increase from the 10.2% in 1990. In the same census, less than 1% of the population reported being a foreign national. The archipelago has a high emigration rate, especially among young adults, who often leave for their studies without returning afterwards. Even at the time of the great prosperity of the cod fishery, the population growth had always been constrained by the geographic remoteness, harsh climate and infertile soils.
ais, and also from Acadia and Newfoundland.
, formerly spoken in private settings by people of Basque ancestry, disappeared from the island by the late 1950s.
The majority of the population is Roman Catholic, and the islands are home to the Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Iles Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
.
such as lobster
, snow crab, cod
, mussels and many cod-based dishes.
Ice 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 ice 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 19th century. Joseph Néel was convicted of killing Mr. Coupard on Île aux Chiens on 30 December 1888, and executed by guillotine on 24 August 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.
’s ATR 42
aircraft flies from the Canadian airports of St John's
, Sydney, Halifax and Montreal
all year round.
The islands are connected with the town of Fortune, Newfoundland, by two ferries which provide regular service all year. The ferries do not carry vehicles.
, along with one RFO station on Miquelon. At night, these stations broadcast France-Inter. The other station (Radio Atlantique) is an affiliate of Radio France Internationale
. The nation is linked to North America and Europe by satellite
communications for telephone and television service.
The department of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is served by three television stations: Télé Saint-Pierre et Miquelon (call letters FQN) on Channel 8, with a repeater on Channel 31, and Tempo on Channel 6. While Saint-Pierre and Miquelon use the French SECAM
-K1 standard for television broadcasts, the local telecommunications provider (SPM Telecom) carries many North American television stations and cable channels, converted from North America's NTSC
standard. In addition, Télé Saint-Pierre et Miquelon is carried on Shaw Direct satellite and most digital cable services in Canada, converted to NTSC.
SPM Telecom also is the department's main Internet Service Provider
, with its internet service being named "Cheznoo" (a play on Chez-Nous, French for "Our Place"). SPM Telecom also offers cellular phone and mobile phone
service (for phones that adhere to the GSM standard). SPM Telecom uses the GSM 900 MHz band, which is different from the GSM 850 MHz and 1900 MHz bands used in the rest of North America.
The islands are a separate country among radio amateurs. They also have a separate ITU prefix, FP. Therefore Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are visited by radio amateurs every year, mainly from the US, who activate the islands on amateur radio frequencies. These activities have made the islands well known among radio amateurs all over the world as the geographic location of Saint Pierre and Miquelon gives a very good takeoff for shortwave communication all over the world.
.
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon's health care system is almost entirely public and free. In 1994, France and Canada signed an agreement allowing the residents of the archipelago to be treated in St. John's, Newfoundland. Hôpital François Dunan provides basic care and emergency care for residents of both islands.
timezone is used in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Also, daylight saving time
is observed according to the North American
schedule, instead of the European schedule used in metropolitan France
.
The following tables compare the time of day for various locales with Saint-Pierre and Miquelon:
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
that remains under French control.
The islands are situated at the entrance of Fortune Bay
Fortune Bay
Fortune Bay is a fairly large natural bay located on the south coast of the island of Newfoundland, Canada. The Bay is bounded by Point Crewe on the Burin Peninsula and Pass Island at the entrance to Hermitage Bay to the northwest for a distance of 56 kilometers...
, which extends into the southern coast of Newfoundland, near the Grand Banks
Grand Banks
The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a group of underwater plateaus southeast of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. These areas are relatively shallow, ranging from in depth. The cold Labrador Current mixes with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream here.The mixing of these waters...
. They are 6,470 kilometres from Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, the nearest point in Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica...
, but just 20 kilometres off the Burin Peninsula
Burin Peninsula
The Burin Peninsula is a Canadian peninsula located on the south coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
of Newfoundland.
Etymology
Saint-Pierre is French for Saint PeterSaint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, who is a patron saint of fishermen.
The present name of Miquelon was first noted in the form of "Micquelle" in the Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
sailor Martin de Hoyarçabal
Martin de Hoyarçabal
Martin de Hoyarçabal was a French Basque mariner. Little is generally known about his life. He was born in Ciboure, in the Iparralde, the French Basque Country. He is recognized for publishing one of the first Newfoundland pilots, a book which describes places and distances to aid sailors in...
's navigational pilot for Newfoundland. It has been claimed that the name "Miquelon" is a Basque
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
form of Michael, but it appears that this is not a usual form in that language. Many Basques speak Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as well as Basque
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
, and Miquelon may have been influenced by the Spanish name Miguelón, a form of Miguel
Michael
Michael is a given name that comes from the , derived from the Hebrew question מי כמו אלוהים? meaning "Who is like God?" In English, it is sometimes shortened to Mike, Mikey, or, especially in Ireland, Mick...
meaning "big Michael".
The adjoining island's name of "Langlade
Langlade Island
Langlade Island, also referred to by foreigners as "Little Miquelon", is part of the commune of Miquelon-Langlade, in the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon...
" is a corruption of "l'île à l'Anglais" (Englishman's Island).
History
The islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon were discovered by Europeans on October 21, 1520, by the Portuguese João Álvares FagundesJoão Álvares Fagundes
João Álvares Fagundes , an explorer and ship owner from Viana do Castelo in Northern Portugal, organized several expeditions to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia around 1520-1521....
, who bestowed on them their original name of "Islands of the 11,000 Virgins", as the day marked the feast day of St. Ursula and her virgin companions. They were made a French possession in 1536 by Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
on behalf of the King of France. Though already frequented by Micmac Indians and Basque and Breton fishermen, the islands were not permanently settled until the end of the 17th century: four permanent inhabitants were counted in 1670, and 22 in 1691.
In 1670, during Jean Talon
Jean Talon
Jean Talon, Comte d'Orsainville was a French colonial administrator who was the first and most highly regarded Intendant of New France under King Louis XIV...
’s tenure as Intendant of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
, a French officer annexed the islands when he found a dozen French fishermen camped there. English ships soon began to harass the French, pillaging their camps and ships. By the early 1700s, the islands were again uninhabited, and were ceded to the English by the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
which ended the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
in 1713.
French fishermen occasionally still visited the region, although they preferred the French Shore
French Shore
The French Treaty Shore resulted from the 1713 ratification of the Treaty of Utrecht. The provisions of the treaty allowed the French to fish in season along the north coast of Newfoundland between Cape Bonavista and Point Riche. This area had been frequented by fishermen from Brittany since the...
of Newfoundland, richer in fish and with greater possibilities for provisioning and repairs compared to these smaller islands. Under the terms of the 1763 Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
which put an end to the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, France ceded all its north American possessions, keeping only Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, as well as fishing rights on the coasts of Newfoundland. After the long interlude of British occupation from 1714 to 1763, the islands knew little peace, but witnessed a significant rise in business and population, as they were now the last French territory in North America.
Britain invaded and razed the colony in 1778, during the American revolutionary war
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, and the entire population of 2,000 was sent back to France. By the 1780s, about 1,000 or 1,500 people lived on the islands, their numbers doubling during the fishing season. The French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
affected the archipelago dramatically: in 1793, the British landed in Saint-Pierre and, the following year, expelled the French population, and tried to install British settlers. The British colony was in turn sacked by French troops in 1796. The Treaty of Amiens
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended hostilities between the French Republic and the United Kingdom during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was signed in the city of Amiens on 25 March 1802 , by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquess Cornwallis as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace"...
of 1802 returned the islands to France, but Britain reoccupied them when hostilities recommenced the next year.
The 1814 Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1814)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on 30 May 1814, ended the war between France and the Sixth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars, following an armistice signed on 23 May between Charles, Count of Artois, and the allies...
gave them back to France, though Britain occupied them yet again during the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
War. France then reclaimed uninhabited islands in which all structures and buildings had been destroyed or fallen into disrepair. The islands were resettled in 1816. The settlers were mostly Basques, Bretons and Normans, who were joined by various other elements, particularly from the nearby island of Newfoundland. Only around the middle of the century did increased fishing bring a certain prosperity to the little colony.
Modern history
During the early 1910s the colony suffered severely as a result of unprofitable fisheries, and large numbers of its people emigrated to Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The draft imposed on all male inhabitants of conscript age after the beginning of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
crippled the fisheries, which could not be prosecuted by the older people and the women and children. About 400 men from the colony served in the French military during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, 25% of whom died. The increase in the adoption of the steam trawlers in the fisheries also contributed to reduce the employment opportunities.
Smuggling had always been an important economic activity in the islands, but it became especially prominent in the 1920s with the institution of prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
. In 1931, the archipelago was reported to have imported 1815271 gal of whisky from Canada in 12 months, most of it to be smuggled into the United States. The end of prohibition in 1933 plunged the islands into economic depression.
After the fall of France, most of the war veterans and sailors in the colony supported de Gaulle. The administrator
Prefect of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
The prefect of Saint Pierre and Miquelon is the local representative of the President of France and in effect the Governor or Executive officer of the territory.- Overview :...
of the colony, Gilbert de Bournat, sided with Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
. De Gaulle decided to seize the archipelago, over the opposition of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The general covertly gave Admiral Émile Muselier
Émile Muselier
Emile Henry Muselier was a French admiral who led the Free French Naval Forces during World War II. He was responsible for the idea of distinguishing his fleet from that of Vichy France by adopting the Cross of Lorraine, which later became the emblem of all of the Free French...
the order to proceed, resulting in the successful Free French coup de main
Coup de main
A coup de main is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow. The United States Department of Defense defines it as:The literal translation from French means a stroke or blow of the hand...
on Christmas Day 1941. The State Department and Cordell Hull
Cordell Hull
Cordell Hull was an American politician from the U.S. state of Tennessee. He is best known as the longest-serving Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during much of World War II...
in particular were infuriated by the result. The incident ultimately served to focus the American public opinion on the ambivalence of the Roosevelt administration
Roosevelt Administration
There have been two Presidents of the United States with the surname "Roosevelt":*Theodore Roosevelt Administration, the 26th President of the United States, 1901 - 1909*Franklin D. Roosevelt Administration, the 32nd President of the United States, 1933 - 1945...
in its dealings with Vichy, and also led to a lasting distrust between De Gaulle and Roosevelt.
In a quick plebiscite the next day, the population endorsed the takeover, and the resounding vote in favour of Free France led Muselier to appoint Lieutenant Alain Savary
Alain Savary
Alain Savary was a French Socialist politician, deputy to the National Assembly of France during the Fourth and Fifth Republic, chairman of the Socialist Party and a government minister in the 1950s and in 1981, when he was nominated by President François Mitterrand as Minister of National...
as governor. After the approval of the 1958 French constitutional referendum
French constitutional referendum, 1958
A constitutional referendum was held in France on 28 September 1958. Voters were asked whether they approved of the adoption of a constitution for the French Fifth Republic written by Charles de Gaulle. It was overwhelmingly approved, with 82.6% in favour...
, the islands were given the options of becoming fully integrated with France, becoming self-governing states within the French Community
French Community
The French Community was an association of states known in French simply as La Communauté. In 1958 it replaced the French Union, which had itself succeeded the French colonial empire in 1946....
or preserving the status of overseas territory; they decided to remain a territory.
Politics
Since March 2003, Saint Pierre and Miquelon has been an overseas collectivity with a special statute. The archipelago became an overseas territory in 1946, then an overseas department in 1976, before acquiring the status of territorial collectivity in 1985. The archipelago has two communesCommunes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
, Saint Pierre and Miquelon-Langlade
Miquelon-Langlade
Miquelon-Langlade is the less populated of the two communes making up the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, in North America. They are located to the south of Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean...
. A third commune, Isle-aux-Marins, existed until 1945, when it was absorbed by the municipality of Saint-Pierre. The inhabitants possess French citizenship and suffrage. Saint Pierre and Miquelon send a senator and a deputy
Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon's 1st constituency
The 1st constituency of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon is a French legislative constituency on the islands of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. It is the islands' only constituency and also the least populated constituency in France with only 6,316 inhabitants in 1999....
to the National Assembly
National Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
in Paris, and enjoy an amount of autonomy concerning taxes, customs and excise.
The Prefect of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Prefect of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
The prefect of Saint Pierre and Miquelon is the local representative of the President of France and in effect the Governor or Executive officer of the territory.- Overview :...
is appointed by France and represents the Paris government in the territory. He is in charge of national interests, law enforcement, public order and, under the conditions set by the statute of 1985, administrative control. The current prefect is Jean-Régis Borius. The local legislative body, the Territorial Council , has 19 members: four councillors from Miquelon-Langlade and 15 from Saint-Pierre. The President of the Territorial Council is the head of a delegation of "France in the name of Saint Pierre and Miquelon" for international events like the annual meetings of NAFO
Nafo
Nafo is a village in the Bourzanga Department of Bam Province in northern Burkina Faso. It has a population of 1,650.-External links:*...
and ICCAT.
France is responsible for the defence of the islands. The Maritime Gendarmerie has maintained a patrol boat, the , on the islands since 1997. Law enforcement in Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Law enforcement in Saint Pierre and Miquelon
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 archipegalo.-History:...
is the responsibility of a branch of the French Gendarmerie Nationale. There are two police stations in the archipelago.
Maritime boundary case
France claimed a 200-mile exclusive economic zoneExclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and in August 1983 the gunboat Le Henaff
D'Estienne d'Orves class
The A69 type Avisos are small warships mainly designed for coastal anti-submarine defence, but are also available for high sea escort missions . Built on a simple and robust design, they have an economical and reliable propulsion system which allows them to be used for overseas presence missions...
and a seismic ship Lucien Beaufort were sent to explore for oil in the disputed zone. In addition to the potential oil reserves, cod fishing
Cod fishing in Newfoundland
Cod fishing in Newfoundland was carried out at a subsistence level for centuries, but large scale fishing began shortly after the European discovery of the North American continent in 1492, with the waters being found to be preternaturally plentiful, and ended after intense overfishing with the...
rights in the Grand Banks
Grand Banks
The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a group of underwater plateaus southeast of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. These areas are relatively shallow, ranging from in depth. The cold Labrador Current mixes with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream here.The mixing of these waters...
were at stake in the dispute. In the late 1980s, indications of declining fish stocks began to raise serious concern over the depletion of the fishery. In 1992, an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of 12,348 sq km to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although it represents only 25% of what France had sought.
The 1992 decision fixed the maritime boundaries between Canada and the islands, but did not demarcate the continental shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
.
Geography
Grand Banks
The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a group of underwater plateaus southeast of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. These areas are relatively shallow, ranging from in depth. The cold Labrador Current mixes with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream here.The mixing of these waters...
in the North Atlantic, 25 km southwest of Newfoundland, the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon is composed of eight islands, totalling 242 km², 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.
Saint Pierre Island
Saint Pierre Island
Saint Pierre Island is one of the three main islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. It contains the town of Saint-Pierre, which lies on the island's east coast and is the main population centre of the island group....
, whose area is smaller (26 km²), is the most populous and the commercial and administrative center of the archipelago. A new airport has been in operation since 1999 and is capable of accommodating long-haul flights from metropolitan France
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica...
.
Miquelon-Langlade
Miquelon-Langlade
Miquelon-Langlade is the less populated of the two communes making up the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, in North America. They are located to the south of Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean...
, the largest island, is in fact composed of two islands, Miquelon
Miquelon
Miquelon may refer to*Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a territorial collectivity of France**Miquelon-Langlade, the less populous of two communes which are part of Saint Pierre and Miquelon***Miquelon, Miquelon-Langlade, the capital thereof...
(110 km²) connected to Langlade
Langlade Island
Langlade Island, also referred to by foreigners as "Little Miquelon", is part of the commune of Miquelon-Langlade, in the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon...
(91 km²) by the Dune de Langlade, a 10 km-long sandy isthmus. A storm would have severed it in the 18th century, separating the two islands for several decades, before the currents reconstructed the isthmus. The waters between Langlade and Saint-Pierre were called "the Mouth of Hell" until about 1900, as more than 600 shipwrecks have been recorded in that point since 1800. North of Miquelon Island
Miquelon Island
Miquelon Island is one of the three main islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. It is connected to the similarly-sized Langlade Island by a thin tombolo sandspit known as La Dune, which in turn forms a part of the boundary of the Grand Barachois.Miquelon and Langlade form the commune of...
is the village (710 inhabitants), while Langlade Island
Langlade Island
Langlade Island, also referred to by foreigners as "Little Miquelon", is part of the commune of Miquelon-Langlade, in the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon...
was almost deserted (only one inhabitant in the 1999 census).
A third, formerly inhabited island, Isle-aux-Marins, known as Île-aux-Chiens until 1931 and located a short distance from the port of Saint-Pierre, has been uninhabited since 1963.
Environment
Seabirds are the most common fauna. Seals and other wildlife can be found in the Grand Barachois LagoonLagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
of Miquelon. Every spring, whales migrating to Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
are visible off the coasts of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. 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 eroded away and disappeared in the 1970s. The rocky islands are barren, except for scrubby yews
Taxus canadensis
Taxus canadensis is a conifer native to central and eastern North America, thriving in swampy woods, ravines, riverbanks and on lake shores. Locally called simply "Yew", this species is also referred to as American Yew or Ground-hemlock.Most of its range is well north of the Ohio River...
and junipers and thin volcanic soil. The forest cover of the hills, except in parts of Langlade
Langlade Island
Langlade Island, also referred to by foreigners as "Little Miquelon", is part of the commune of Miquelon-Langlade, in the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon...
, had been removed for fuel long ago.
Climate
The archipelago is characterized by a cold oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
, under the influence of polar air masses and the cold Labrador Current
Labrador Current
The Labrador Current is a cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean which flows from the Arctic Ocean south along the coast of Labrador and passes around Newfoundland, continuing south along the east coast of Nova Scotia...
. The winters are less severe than in Canada: the average temperature is +5.3°C, with a temperature range of 19°C between the warmest (15.7°C in August) and coldest months (- 3.6°C in February). Precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
is abundant (1,312 mm per year) and regular (146 days per year), falling as snow and rain. Because of its location at the confluence of the cold waters of the Labrador Current and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
, the archipelago is also crossed a hundred days a year by fog banks, mainly in June and July. Two other climatic elements are crucial: the extremely variable winds and haze during the spring to early summer.
Economy
The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The climate and the small amount of available land hardly favour activity such as farming and livestock (weather conditions are severe, the soil is peaty, clayey and largely infertile), which confines the growing seasonGrowing season
In botany, horticulture, and agriculture the growing season is the period of each year when native plants and ornamental plants grow; and when crops can be grown....
to a few weeks. Since 1992, the economy has been in steep decline, following the depletion of fish stocks
Overfishing
Overfishing occurs when fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level. This can occur in any body of water from a pond to the oceans....
, the limitation of fishing areas and the ban imposed on all cod fishing by the Canadian Government.
The rise in unemployment has been curtailed by the state financial aid for the retraining of businesses and individuals. The construction of the second airport runway has also helped sustain the activity in the construction industry and public works. Fish farming, crab fishing, and agriculture are being developed to diversify the local economy. The future of Saint Pierre and Miquelon rests on tourism, fisheries and aquaculture. Explorations are underway to exploit deposits of oil and gas. Tourism relies on the proximity to Canada, while commerce and crafts make up the bulk of the business sector.
The labour market is characterized by high seasonality
Seasonality
In statistics, many time series exhibit cyclic variation known as seasonality, periodic variation, or periodic fluctuations. This variation can be either regular or semi regular....
, due to climatic hazards. Traditionally, all outdoor activities (construction, agriculture, etc.) were suspended
between December and April. In 1999, the unemployment rate was 12.8%, and a third of the employed worked in the public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
. 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%. The unemployment for 2010 shows a decrease from 2009, from 7.7% to 7.1%. Exports are very low (5.1% of GDP) while imports are significant (49.1% of GDP). About 70% of the islands’ supplies are imported from Canada or from France via Nova Scotia.
The local currency is the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
, but Canadian dollars are also widely accepted and also used as a local currency. The "Institut d'émission des départements d'outre-mer" (IEDOM), the French public institution responsible for issuing currency in the overseas territories that use the euro on behalf of the Bank of France, has had an agency in Saint Pierre since 1978. The islands have issued their own stamps
Postage stamps and postal history of St. Pierre and Miquelon
A survey of the postage stamps and postal history of St. Pierre and Miquelon concerns Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a group of French islands off the coast of Newfoundland that have issued stamps since 1885.-19th century:...
from 1885 to the present, except for a period between 1 April 1978 and 3 February 1986 when French stamps were used.
Demographics
The total population of the islands in January 2009 was 6,345, of which 5,707 lived in Saint-Pierre and 638 in Miquelon. As of the 1999 census, 76% of the population was born on the archipelago, while 16.1% were born in metropolitan FranceMetropolitan France
Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica...
, a remarkable increase from the 10.2% in 1990. In the same census, less than 1% of the population reported being a foreign national. The archipelago has a high emigration rate, especially among young adults, who often leave for their studies without returning afterwards. Even at the time of the great prosperity of the cod fishery, the population growth had always been constrained by the geographic remoteness, harsh climate and infertile soils.
Ethnography
While some ruins show a presence of Amerindians on the archipelago, it is unlikely that there were real settlements beyond occasional fishing and hunting expeditions. The current population is the result of inflows of settlers from the French ports, mostly Normans, Basques, Breton and SaintongeSaintonge
Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime, west and south of Charente in the administrative region of Poitou-Charentes....
ais, and also from Acadia and Newfoundland.
Languages and religion
The inhabitants speak French, their customs and traditions are similar to the ones found in metropolitan France. The French spoken on the archipelago is closer to metropolitan French than to Quebecois French, while maintaining a number of unique features. BasqueBasque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
, formerly spoken in private settings by people of Basque ancestry, disappeared from the island by the late 1950s.
The majority of the population is Roman Catholic, and the islands are home to the Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Iles Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Iles Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
The Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Iles Saint-Pierre et Miquelon is an apostolic vicariate of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in North America. The Vicariate comprises the entirety of the French dependency of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. As an...
.
Culture
Every year in the summer there is a Basque Festival, with demonstrations of harrijasotzaile (stone heaving), haitzkolari (lumberjack skills), and pelota. The local cuisine is mostly based on seafoodSeafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
such as lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
, snow crab, cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
, mussels and many cod-based dishes.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
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 ice 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
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
was ever used in North America was in Saint-Pierre in the late 19th century. Joseph Néel was convicted of killing Mr. Coupard on Île aux Chiens on 30 December 1888, and executed by guillotine on 24 August 1889. The guillotine had to be shipped from Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
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.
Transportation
For many years, no direct air link has connected the islands and mainland France. The new airport of Saint-Pierre, opened in 1999, was intended to overcome this lack, but the situation remained unchanged as of 2007. Flights from and to Saint-Pierre all pass through Canada. Air Saint-PierreAir Saint-Pierre
Air Saint-Pierre is an airline based in Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, a French overseas collectivity. The airline operates scheduled services between the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon-Langlade and to Canada. Its main base is Saint-Pierre Airport.- History :Air Saint-Pierre was...
’s ATR 42
ATR 42
-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
aircraft flies from the Canadian airports of St John's
St. John's International Airport
St. John's International Airport is an international airport located northwest of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada that serves the St. John's Metro Area and the Avalon Peninsula. The airport is part of the National Airports System, and is operated by St...
, Sydney, Halifax and Montreal
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport or Montréal-Trudeau, formerly known as Montréal-Dorval International Airport, is located on the Island of Montreal, from Montreal's downtown core. The airport terminals are located entirely in Dorval, while the Air Canada headquarters complex...
all year round.
The islands are connected with the town of Fortune, Newfoundland, by two ferries which provide regular service all year. The ferries do not carry vehicles.
Communications
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon has four radio stations, all of them on the FM band (the last stations converted from AM band in 2004). Three of the stations are on Saint-Pierre, two of which are owned by Réseau France Outre-merRéseau France Outre-mer
Réseau Outre-Mer 1ère or Outre-Mer 1ère , is a network of radio and television stations operating in France's overseas departments and territories around the world.The Outre-Mer 1ère network includes:...
, along with one RFO station on Miquelon. At night, these stations broadcast France-Inter. The other station (Radio Atlantique) is an affiliate of Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France, and replaced the Poste Colonial , Paris Mondial , Radio Paris , RTF Radio Paris and ORTF Radio Paris...
. The nation is linked to North America and Europe by satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
communications for telephone and television service.
The department of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is served by three television stations: Télé Saint-Pierre et Miquelon (call letters FQN) on Channel 8, with a repeater on Channel 31, and Tempo on Channel 6. While Saint-Pierre and Miquelon use the French SECAM
SECAM
SECAM, also written SÉCAM , is an analog color television system first used in France....
-K1 standard for television broadcasts, the local telecommunications provider (SPM Telecom) carries many North American television stations and cable channels, converted from North America's NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
standard. In addition, Télé Saint-Pierre et Miquelon is carried on Shaw Direct satellite and most digital cable services in Canada, converted to NTSC.
SPM Telecom also is the department's main Internet Service Provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
, with its internet service being named "Cheznoo" (a play on Chez-Nous, French for "Our Place"). SPM Telecom also offers cellular phone and mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
service (for phones that adhere to the GSM standard). SPM Telecom uses the GSM 900 MHz band, which is different from the GSM 850 MHz and 1900 MHz bands used in the rest of North America.
The islands are a separate country among radio amateurs. They also have a separate ITU prefix, FP. Therefore Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are visited by radio amateurs every year, mainly from the US, who activate the islands on amateur radio frequencies. These activities have made the islands well known among radio amateurs all over the world as the geographic location of Saint Pierre and Miquelon gives a very good takeoff for shortwave communication all over the world.
Education and healthcare
The archipelago has no institutions of higher education (beyond the undergraduate level), therefore students who wish to further their studies are granted access to scholarships to study overseas. Most students go to France, but others study in Canada, mainly in New BrunswickNew Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon's health care system is almost entirely public and free. In 1994, France and Canada signed an agreement allowing the residents of the archipelago to be treated in St. John's, Newfoundland. Hôpital François Dunan provides basic care and emergency care for residents of both islands.
Time zone
The UTC-3UTC-3
UTC−03:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −03:00.-As standard time :*Suriname*Falkland Islands*French Guiana*Brazil - East Northern and Northeastern States...
timezone is used in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Also, daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
is observed according to the North American
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
schedule, instead of the European schedule used in metropolitan France
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica...
.
The following tables compare the time of day for various locales with Saint-Pierre and Miquelon:
| Locale | Time of Day | Common Time Zone Name | Coordinated Universal Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris, France Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
Central European Time (CET) | UTC+1 UTC+1 UTC+01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .This time is used in:*Central European Time*West Africa Time*Western European Summer Time**British Summer Time**Irish Standard Time... |
|
| London, UK London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) | UTC | |
| Nuuk, Greenland Nuuk Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in... |
Western Greenland Time (WGT) | UTC-3 UTC-3 UTC−03:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −03:00.-As standard time :*Suriname*Falkland Islands*French Guiana*Brazil - East Northern and Northeastern States... |
|
| Saint-Pierre and Miquelon | Saint-Pierre & Miquelon Standard Time (PMST) | UTC-3 UTC-3 UTC−03:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −03:00.-As standard time :*Suriname*Falkland Islands*French Guiana*Brazil - East Northern and Northeastern States... |
|
| St. John's, NL, Canada St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St... |
Newfoundland Standard Time (NST) | UTC-3:30 UTC-3:30 UTC−03:30 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −03:30.UTC−03:30 is only used in Canada, and not during daylight saving time.-As standard time :*Canada **Newfoundland and Labrador... |
|
| Halifax, NS, Canada | Atlantic Standard Time (AST) | UTC-4 UTC-4 UTC−04-00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −04.This offset is used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada and the North American Eastern Time Zone during daylight saving time , in the Caribbean region this is considered as the Eastern Caribbean timezone... |
|
| New York, NY, USA New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
Eastern Standard Time (EST) | UTC-5 UTC-5 UTC−05:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −05.This offset is used in the Eastern Time Zone during standard time and in the Central Time Zone during Daylight Saving Time .... |
See also
- Overseas departments and territories of FranceOverseas departments and territories of FranceThe French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...