Geography of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox country
|conventional_long_name = Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
|image_map = Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon Map (en).png
|capital = Saint-Pierre
|coordinates = {{Coord|46|47|N|56|11|W|type:city}}
|largest_city = Saint-Pierre
|area_km2 = 242
|area_sq_mi = 93.4
|population_census = 7,036
|population_census_year = July 2007
|population_density_km2 = 25
|population_density_sq_mi = 66
|population_density_rank = 176th
}}
File:Saint-Pierre and Miquelon 3D.png
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a French overseas collectivity in the Western Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere. It consists of an island archipelago, off the coast of Newfoundland, near North America. The collectivity shares a maritime boundary with Canada.
Location
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is situated south of Newfoundland in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in the North Atlantic Ocean. Its distance north–south from Newfoundland is {{convert|60|km|nmi}}. The islands are even closer to the long Burin Peninsula, which is situated just {{convert|25|km|nmi}} to the east. In addition, Green Island, which belongs to Newfoundland, is located about halfway between the southern part of Miquelon-Langlade and Newfoundland at {{coord|46|52|44|N|56|05|21|W|}}, only {{Convert|10|km|mi|0}} from both Langlade and St. Pierre.{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/pierre_miquelon.html|title=St. Pierre et Miquelon|year=2001|first=Olaf Uwe|last=Janzen|publisher=Memorial University of Newfoundland|access-date=2007-08-29}}
Physical geography
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is an archipelago of eight islands, Saint-Pierre (25 km2) and Miquelon-Langlade (216 km2) being the major ones. Collectively the area of the islands is 242 km2, which is about the size of Brooklyn in New York City. The total coastline is 120 km. The territory also includes the surrounding fishing areas in the North Atlantic Ocean.
=Saint-Pierre=
The island of Saint-Pierre is surrounded to the south-east by smaller dependencies, Petit Colombier, Île aux Marins, Île aux Pigeons and Île aux Vainqueurs, and Grand Colombier to the north. These islands have all been inhabited at one time or another.{{cite web|url=http://www.st-pierre-et-miquelon.com/english/index.php|title=Saint-Pierre and Miquelon|access-date=2010-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725164243/http://www.st-pierre-et-miquelon.com/english/index.php|archive-date=2010-07-25|url-status=usurped}} The settlement of Saint Pierre on Saint Pierre Island is the largest settlement in Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
St. Pierre is separated from Miquelon-Langlade by a {{convert|6|km|nmi}} strait with very fierce currents. Fishermen call this section of ocean "The Mouth of Hell". The waters around these islands are very treacherous, and there have been over 600 shipwrecks along the coasts of the islands. The terrain is also described as mostly barren rock.
=Miquelon-Langlade=
The island(s) of Miquelon-Langlade consists of three formerly separate islands Miquelon (110 km2), Langlade (91 km2) and Le Cap.
In the 18th century, an isthmus of sand called La Dune was formed naturally between Miquelon and Langlade. The isthmus was reinforced by hand with sand and Quaternary deposits to what is now a {{convert|13|km|mi|adj=on}} sand dune. Along the isthmus, there are over 500 wrecked ships.
What was originally the island Miquelon is now also called Grande Miquelon while Petite Miquelon refers to Langlade. The settlement of Miquelon lies at the junction of the northwest corner of Miquelon Island and Le Cap.
Climate
File:Winter in saint-pierre, SPM, white house.JPG
The climate is very damp and windy and winters are harsh and long. The spring and early summer are foggy and cool. Late summer and early fall are sunny. Winds pick up during spring and autumn.
{{Meteo France
|Town=Saint Pierre and Miquelon
|Sunshine= 1,427
|Rain=1,323.5
|Snow=99.0
|Storm=6.6
}}
{{Weather box
|location = St Pierre and Miquelon (1981–2010 averages, extremes 1941–present)
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan record high C = 9.8
|Feb record high C = 9.4
|Mar record high C = 12.2
|Apr record high C = 13.8
|May record high C = 22.0
|Jun record high C = 25.1
|Jul record high C = 28.3
|Aug record high C = 26.2
|Sep record high C = 26.8
|Oct record high C = 20.1
|Nov record high C = 15.1
|Dec record high C = 12.8
|year record high C = 28.3
|Jan high C = -0.1
|Feb high C = -0.7
|Mar high C = 1.0
|Apr high C = 4.3
|May high C = 8.5
|Jun high C = 12.5
|Jul high C = 16.7
|Aug high C = 18.7
|Sep high C = 16.0
|Oct high C = 11.2
|Nov high C = 6.8
|Dec high C = 2.7
|year high C = 8.2
|Jan mean C = -2.6
|Feb mean C = -3.2
|Mar mean C = -1.4
|Apr mean C = 2.0
|May mean C = 5.6
|Jun mean C = 9.6
|Jul mean C = 14.1
|Aug mean C = 16.2
|Sep mean C = 13.5
|Oct mean C = 8.9
|Nov mean C = 4.5
|Dec mean C = 0.4
|year mean C = 5.7
|Jan low C = -5.2
|Feb low C = -5.7
|Mar low C = -3.7
|Apr low C = -0.4
|May low C = 2.8
|Jun low C = 6.7
|Jul low C = 11.5
|Aug low C = 13.8
|Sep low C = 11.0
|Oct low C = 6.6
|Nov low C = 2.3
|Dec low C = -1.9
|year low C = 3.2
|Jan record low C = -17.4
|Feb record low C = -18.7
|Mar record low C = -18.1
|Apr record low C = -9.8
|May record low C = -4.5
|Jun record low C = 0.8
|Jul record low C = 4.9
|Aug record low C = 5.8
|Sep record low C = 1.7
|Oct record low C = -2.6
|Nov record low C = -9.2
|Dec record low C = -14.6
|year record low C = -18.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 102.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 101.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 100.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 97.6
|May precipitation mm = 102.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 103.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 99.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 93.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 141.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 135.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 133.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 114.7
|year precipitation mm = 1326.7
|Jan rain days = 3.03
|Feb rain days = 4.07
|Mar rain days = 5.17
|Apr rain days = 8.83
|May rain days = 12.87
|Jun rain days = 14.60
|Jul rain days = 18.50
|Aug rain days = 11.27
|Sep rain days = 6.33
|Oct rain days = 4.13
|Nov rain days = 4.70
|Dec rain days = 3.53
|year rain days = 97.03
|Jan snow days = 22.63
|Feb snow days = 19.00
|Mar snow days = 15.25
|Apr snow days = 7.36
|May snow days = 0.89
|Jun snow days = 0.04
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 1.00
|Nov snow days = 4.40
|Dec snow days = 3.20
|year snow days =
|Jan sun= 49.6
|Feb sun= 70.2
|Mar sun= 115.5
|Apr sun= 131.9
|May sun= 165.8
|Jun sun= 172.6
|Jul sun= 164.8
|Aug sun= 173.5
|Sep sun= 156.1
|Oct sun= 119.0
|Nov sun= 63.0
|Dec sun= 45.4
|year sun= 1427.3
|source 1 = Météo France{{cite web
| url = http://www.meteospm.org/clim.php
| title = Statistiques: Saint Pierre, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon
| publisher = Météo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 10 October 2016
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161010141939/http://www.meteospm.org/clim.php
| archive-date = 10 October 2016
| url-status = live
| url = http://www.meteospm.org/records.php
| title = Records pour la station de Saint Pierre
| publisher = Météo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 10 October 2016
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161011060423/http://www.meteospm.org/records.php
| archive-date = 11 October 2016
| url-status = live
}} (Averages are for the period 1981–2010.){{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_97502001.pdf
| title=climate of St-Pierre 1981-2010
| language = fr
| publisher = Météo-France
| access-date = June 2, 2022}}
|date=August 2013
}}
Environment
Seals and other wildlife can be found in the Grand Barachois lagoon of Miquelon. Every spring, whales migrating to Greenland are visible off the coasts of Miquelon and St Pierre.
Trilobite fossils have been found on Langlade. There were a number of stone pillars off the island coasts called "L'anse aux Soldats" that have been eroded away and disappeared in the 1970s.{{cite web|url=http://grandcolombier.com/2003-geographie/geologie/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060111105117/http://www.grandcolombier.com/2003-geographie/geologie/index.html |archive-date=2006-01-11|title=La Géologie des îles Saint-Pierre et Miquelon|work=Encyclopédie des îles Saint-Pierre & Miquelon|publisher=Miquelon Conseil|language=fr}}
{{Location map
|Canada Newfoundland
|label=
|lat=46.783333
|long=-56.183333
|position=top
|width=250
|float=right
|background=
|caption=Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (off the coast of Newfoundland)
}}
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
{{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|lk=in}}
territorial sea:
{{convert|12|nmi|km mi|1}}
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m
Natural resources:
fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
arable land:
13%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
0%
forests and woodland:
4%
other:
83% (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues:
The fishing beds have been overfished, and may or may not recover.
Geography - note:
vegetation scanty
See also
Notes
{{CIA World Factbook}}{{Reflist}}