St-Pierre and Miquelon

Territorial collectivity of France, comprising eight small islands off the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada; area St-Pierre group 26 sq km/10 sq mi; Miquelon-Langlade group 216 sq km/83 sq mi; population (1998 est) 6,900. The capital is St-Pierre. Industries include fishing and tourism. Cattle are raised and there is some light farming.

Geography and settlement Miquelon is connected to Langlade, the middle of the three main islands, by a narrow isthmus of sand, the Dune of Langlade, which first appeared two hundred years ago. The islands of Miquelon and St-Pierre are separated by a channel, 24 km/15 mi wide. 90% of the islands' population live on St-Pierre, the remainder inhabit the village of Miquelon; Langlade has no permanent inhabitants, but has holiday cottages. Ile aux Marins, off St-Pierre, was abandoned in 1963 but many of its buildings have been restored as a heritage project.

Communications There is a ferry service to Newfoundland. St-Pierre has an airport with flights to Halifax and Montréal as well as Miquelon.

History The islands were settled in the 17th century by Breton and Basque fishing people. They were ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), returned to France in 1763, taken by Britain (1794), and returned to France by the Treaty of Paris (1814). They were a French territory 1816-1976, and an overseas département until 1985 when it became a territorial collectivity. There were violent protests in 1989 when France tried to impose its claim to a 320-km/200-mi fishing zone around the islands; Canada maintains that there is only a 19-km/12-mi zone. The islands were used as an alcohol-smugglers' base during American Prohibition 1920-33. They were occupied by Free French troops of Gen Charles de Gaulle during World War II.