A French island group and overseas department in the northern Atlantic Ocean south of Newfoundland, Canada. The group consists of nine small islands, including Saint Pierre Island, site of the capital, and Miquelon, the largest of the islands. Probably first visited by Breton and Basque fishermen, the islands were colonized by France in 1604, taken by the British three times, and finally awarded to France in 1814. They are the sole remnants of the once vast French territory in North America. St. Pierre is the capital. Population: 7,040.
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