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 Sanit-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. |
