Saint Pierre & Miquelon

Saint Pierre and Miquelon, officially the Overseas Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, is situated in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean near Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It has a population of 6,080 (January 2011 census). The current population is descended from settlers from Normans, Basques, Bretons and Saintongeais, the historic area of Acadia and other Eastern provinces of Canada.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a parliamentary democratic French overseas collectivity. The president of France is the head of state and is represented by a Préfet (Prefect). The Prefect is the Governor of the territory. The President of the Territorial Council is the head of government and of a multi-party system. There are two levels of local government, Miquelon-Langlade and Saint-Pierre.

The first European encounter with Saint-Pierre and Miquelon was in 1520, by the Portuguese João Álvares Fagundes. In 1536, Jacques Cartier claimed them as a French possession on behalf of the King of France. The islands were not permanently settled until the end of the 17th century. From about 1670, through the 1700’s and until the 19th century, the islands exchanged hands frequently during hostilities between the United Kingdom and France. A referendum in 1958 offered the population the choice of becoming fully integrated with France, as a self-governing state within the French Community, or preserving the status of overseas territory. The population decided to remain a territory.

St. Pierre and Miquelon have a unique time zone that is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time. As a result, St. Pierre and Miquelon is the first place in North America to celebrate the New Year.

Saint-Pierre, the territory’s capital, offers a wide array of attractions worth visiting. These include the Saint-Pierre Cathedral, which features stained-glass windows that were a gift from General Charles de Gaulle; the territorial government complex; and the Pointe aux Canons Lighthouse, located at the entrance to the harbor of Saint-Pierre.