Saint Pierre and Miquelon Islanders

Saint Pierre and Miquelon Islanders

French: Saint Pierrais, Miquelonnais
From left to right: a traditional Basque festival in Saint-Pierre, young Saint Pierrais in football uniforms, Saint Pierrais and tourists in dories, fishermen in St. Pierre.
Total population
5,819
Regions with significant populations
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon-Langlade
Languages
Metropolitan French, Saint Pierre and Miquelon French
Religion
Mainly Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
French people

The Saint-Pierrais and the Miquelonnais are the inhabitants of the French semi-autonomous^[1] archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, located off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, of European ethnic origin. Predominantly French-speaking, they are mainly descended from Norman, Breton, and Basque settlers, with additional English and Irish ancestry resulting from historical migrations and intermarriage. As of 2022, the population of the territory is estimated at around 5,819, with the vast majority residing on the island of Saint-Pierre and a smaller community on Miquelon-Langlade.^[2]

Another European demographic group within the population of Saint Pierre and Miquelon are expatriates from Metropolitan France who have recently arrived or are living temporarily in Saint Pierre and Miquelon as civil servants and contract workers for the French government. The Saint Pierrais emphasise their distinct identity and position as permanent locals who have lived in Saint Pierre and Miquelon for several generations by referring to temporary French expatriates as Mailloux in local slang, or métros (short for métropolitains).^[3] According to the Quebec government's Centre de la francophonie des Amériques, Saint-Pierrais and Miquelonnais are a French-speaking society that is ‘culturally distinct from France’.^[4]