Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a French island territory found in the North Atlantic Ocean near Newfoundland’s Green Island. Saint Pierre and Miquelon, while seeming to suggest only two islands, is actually a small archipelago, of which the two largest islands are Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which is considered an overseas collectivity, is the last remnant of the once-vast French holdings in North America. Saint Pierre and Miquelon cover a total area of about ninety three and a half square miles, and have a total population of approximately seven thousand residents. Saint Pierre and Miquelon was originally inhabited by Native Americans, specifically the Beothuk people, although they were soon supplanted by British and French settlers. Eventually, France took sole possession of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which it has maintained to the present day. Saint Pierre and Miquelon was briefly under the control of Nazi-dominated Vichy France during the Second World War, although the archipelago was soon liberated by an Allied fleet led by Admiral Emile Muselier.

There are eight total islands in the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, although the two titular islands contain the vast majority of the archipelago’s population and land area. Saint Pierre and Miquelon have heavy winter months, although the views offered by the islands are fantastic, especially during the clear and warm summer months. Miquelon is a refuge for a number of seals, and many whales are visible from the islands during their annual migration. Saint Pierre and Miquelon’s economy is dependent on a number of sectors, including fishing, fish farming, agriculture, and, increasingly, tourism. Saint Pierre and Miquelon has an active local culture, offering an annual Basque Festival, several ice hockey teams, and a unique culinary style.