Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

French overseas territorial collectivity (pop., 1993 est.: 6,000). It consists of an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off the southern coast of Newfoundland, Can. The largest island, Miquelon, has an area of 83 sq mi (215 sq km). St.-Pierre, with an area of 10 sq mi (26 sq km), is the administrative and commercial centre; almost 90% of the population live there. First settled by seafarers from western France early in the 17th century, the islands changed hands several times between France and Britain until an 1814 treaty made French possession final. They were classified as a French territory in 1946, a department in 1976, and a territorial collectivity in 1985. The economy is based on fishing.