Flag of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
The flag of Saint Pierre and Miquelon shows a golden sailing ship on a blue sea next to the flags of Brittany, Normandy and the Basque Country. It is an unofficial local flag, widely used on the islands off Newfoundland, while the French tricolor is the official flag.
Which flag does Saint Pierre and Miquelon use?
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a French overseas collectivity of about 6,000 people, lying a few kilometers off the south coast of Newfoundland in Canada. As part of France, its official flag is the French tricolor (see the flag of France), and that flag is flown at government buildings.
The flag shown on this page is the local flag, which has no official legal status but is flown at festivals, sporting events and on boats, and has been displayed alongside the French flag by local authorities. It is the flag most associated with the islands.
St. Pierre & Miquelon flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#0092C8RGB
0, 146, 200CMYK
100, 27, 0, 22 HEX
#FFCF00RGB
255, 207, 0CMYK
0, 19, 100, 0 HEX
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0 HEX
#CC0000RGB
204, 0, 0CMYK
0, 100, 100, 20 HEX
#08672FRGB
8, 103, 47CMYK
92, 0, 54, 60 HEX
#010101RGB
1, 1, 1CMYK
0, 0, 0, 100 HEX
#AB8B00RGB
171, 139, 0CMYK
0, 19, 100, 33 HEX
#221D02RGB
34, 29, 2CMYK
0, 15, 94, 87 What the flag looks like
The flag is divided into two parts. The hoist side has a blue field with a golden sailing ship, the Grande Hermine, riding on white and blue waves. The fly side contains the flags of three regions of France and Spain: the black ermine spots of Brittany on white, the two golden lions of Normandy on red, and the red, green and white of the Basque flag.
The mix of eight measured colors is unusual for a territorial flag, and the pattern of regional flags makes it easy to recognize. Compare it with the plain tricolor shown in the Saint Pierre and Miquelon flag emoji.
Meaning and symbolism
The ship stands for Jacques Cartier's flagship, the Grande Hermine, and for the long French presence in the area. Cartier explored the region in the 1530s, and the islands were visited from then by fishermen from France. The three regional flags represent the places the settlers came from: Brittany, Normandy and the Basque Country. Basque and Breton fishermen in particular sailed to the Grand Banks cod fisheries for centuries, and many of the islands' residents descend from them. The sea in the design is the Atlantic, which the islands' economy depended on for fishing.
History of the flag and the islands
France first claimed the islands in the 1500s, and they changed hands between France and Britain several times in the 17th and 18th centuries. France recovered them for good in 1816 after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and they are the last remaining part of the former colony of New France. They became an overseas department in 1976, a special territorial collectivity in 1985, and an overseas collectivity after the French constitutional reform of 2003.
The local flag was created in the early 1980s as a symbol of the islands' identity, and it has been used since. It has never replaced the tricolor in official use.
St. Pierre & Miquelon flag facts
| Country | St. Pierre & Miquelon |
|---|---|
| Proportions | 2:3 |
| Colors | #0092C8, #FFCF00, #FFFFFF, #CC0000, #08672F, #010101, #AB8B00, #221D02 |
| Flag emoji | 🇵🇲 |
| Country code | PM, SPM (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Saint-Pierre |
| Continent | North America |
| Population | 5,974 |
| Area | 242 km² |
| National anthem | La Marseillaise |
St. Pierre & Miquelon flag: frequently asked questions
Why do Saint Pierre and Miquelon have a Basque flag?
The Basque flag is one of three regional flags on the local flag, along with those of Brittany and Normandy. They honor the regions the islands' settlers and fishermen came from, and many residents have Basque ancestry.
What country does Saint-Pierre belong to?
Saint Pierre and Miquelon belongs to France. It is an overseas collectivity, and its residents are French citizens who vote in French elections.
Why does France still own Saint Pierre and Miquelon?
France has held the islands since the early colonial era, and recovered them for good in 1816 after changes of control. The residents are French citizens, and the islands' status as a French territory has remained in place.
Is Saint Pierre and Miquelon a country?
No. It is an overseas collectivity of France and part of the French Republic. Its official flag is the French tricolor.
Do Americans need a passport to go to Saint Pierre and Miquelon?
Yes. Visitors from the United States need a valid passport, because the islands are outside both the United States and Canada. Most visitors arrive from Newfoundland by ferry or by air.
