Country name:
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre
and Miquelon
conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon
local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
Dependency status:
self-governing territorial collectivity of France
Government type:
NA
Capital:
Saint-Pierre
Administrative divisions:
none (territorial collectivity of France); note - there are no
first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are two communes - Saint Pierre, Miquelon at
the second order
Independence:
none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French
control since 1763)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as
housing and taxation
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Claude VALLEIX (since 9 October 2002)
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; election last held, first round - 21 April 2002, second round
- 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prefect appointed by the
French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior;
president of the General Council is elected by the members of the
council
head of government: President of the General Council Marc
PLANTAGENEST (since NA)
cabinet: NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats - 15 from
Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members are elected by popular
vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held 19 and 26 March 2000 (next to be held
NA April 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
PS 12, PRG 2, UDF-RPR 5
note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 seat to the French Senate;
elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September
2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
RPR 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 seat to the French
National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002,
second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UDF 1
Judicial branch:
Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel
Political parties and leaders:
PRG [leader NA]; Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR (now UMP)
[leader NA]; Socialist Party or PS [leader NA]; Union pour la
Democratie Francaise or UDF [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
FZ, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territorial collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territorial collectivity of France)
Flag description:
a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a dark blue
background with a black wave line under the ship; on the hoist side,
a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part (called
ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the
corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the rectangle into four
sections; the middle part has a white background with an ermine
pattern; the third part has a red background with two stylized
yellow lions outlined in black, one above the other; these three
heraldic arms represent settlement by colonists from the Basque
Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy; the flag of France is used
for official occasions