Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon

The commune of Saint-Pierre is made up of the island of Saint-Pierre proper and several nearby smaller islands, such as L'Île-aux-Marins. Although containing nearly 90% of the inhabitants of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the commune of Saint-Pierre is considerably smaller than the commune of Miquelon-Langlade, which lies to its northwest on Miquelon Island.

The main settlement and communal seat is situated on the north side of a harbour called Barachois, which faces the Atlantic Ocean, on the Saint-Pierre Island's east coast. The mouth of the harbour is guarded by a small chain of islands.

Jacques Cartier claimed the islands for France in 1536, after they were discovered by the Portuguese in 1520. At the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, the islands were turned over to Britain, only to be given back to France in 1816.

St. Pierre was an outpost used by Al Capone to transport alcohol from Canada to the United States during Prohibition.

Until 1945, there existed a third commune in Saint Pierre and Miquelon: L'Île-aux-Marins. The commune of L'Île-aux-Marins was annexed by the commune of Saint-Pierre in 1945.

The population of Saint-Pierre at the 2006 local census was 5,888,[1] many of whom are of Basque, Breton, Norman or Acadian descent. All inhabitants in the commune (municipality) live on the island of Saint-Pierre proper.

The commune is led by a mayor and a council.

Saint-Pierre under snow.

Saint-Pierre on a cloudy day.

Close to the centre of the harbour's edge lie the Post office and Custom House (staffed by Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes), behind which is General Charles de Gaulle Square, the town's centre.

Other prominent landmarks in Saint-Pierre include the cathedral, to the north of the square, rebuilt in the early twentieth century after a major fire, and the Pointe aux Canons Lighthouse, at the mouth of the harbour. Further north, close to the town's former hospital, is the Fronton Zazpiak Bat - an arena for the traditional Basque sport of pelota.

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  General Charles de Gaulle Square
• 
  The Cathedral in Saint-Pierre
• 
  Pointe aux Canons Lighthouse in Saint Pierre
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  Fronton Zazpiak Bat arena in Saint-Pierre

Hospitalier François Dunan (opened 2011[2]) is the only hospital (84 bed facility) in St. Pierre et Miquelon with additional health care needs at the seniors residence at Maison de Retraite Eglantine.

Saint-Pierre Airport, the international airport of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, is located south of the settlement of Saint-Pierre and is served by Air Saint-Pierre with flights both to Miquelon Airport, five Canadian airports and seasonal service to Paris, France.

• Radio France Outremer
• Radio Atlantique

Public primary schools in the commune:

• Ecole maternelle Ile aux Enfants (preschool/nursery) - As of 2014 it had 62 students.[3]
• Ecole primaire Henriette Bonin - As of 2014 it had 62 students[4]
• Ecole élémentaire du Feu Rouge - As of 2014 it had 163 students[5] As of 2016 it had 172 students.[6] It is in the downtown and is one nautical cable from the Ile aux Enfants nursery.[7]

Lycée-Collège d'État Émile Letournel is the public secondary school in the commune, with junior high, vocational high, and general senior high/sixth-form programmes.

Private schools:

• Ecole maternelle Saint-Louis de Gonzague (preschool/nursery)[8]
• Ecole élémentaire Sainte-Croisine - It opened on November 4, 1925[9]
• Ecole élémentaire Sainte-Odile[10]
• Collège Saint Christophe (junior high school)[11]

Saint-Pierre is twinned with:

• Port-en-Bessin-Huppain (France), since 1976.[12]

• Miquelon-Langlade

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint-Pierre.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Saint-Pierre.

• Official website (in French)
• Tourism and Travel Resources for St Pierre & Miquelon