Located on an archipelago about 15 miles (25 km) off the southern coast of the island of Newfoundland, Canada, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North American possessions.

The first explorer to visit the archipelago was a Portuguese, José Alvarez Faguendez, who landed here in 1520. However, it was the French who first established a permanent fishing settlement in 1604. The islands became a French overseas territory in 1946 and in May 1985 the islands were given a new status with a new name, Collectivité.

French pride is extremely strong here. The inhabitants speak French and adhere to French customs and traditions. The majority of the population (6,500) is Roman Catholic and the only proper national flag accepted is that of France.

The total area of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is 93 square miles (242 square km), of which 83 square miles (215 square km) belong to the Miquelons (Miquelon and Langlade, sometimes known as Great and Little Miquelon, connected by the slim, sandy Isthmus of Langlade). However, the 10 square miles (26 square km) of Saint-Pierre has almost 90 percent of the total population and is the administrative and commercial center.

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