Miquelon-Langlade is the larger but less populated of the two communes (municipalities) making up the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, located to the south of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

in the

Gulf of St. Lawrence The Gulf of St. Lawrence () is the outlet of the North American Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. The gulf is a semi-enclosed sea, covering an area of about and containing about of water, at an average depth of . ...

. It consists of three geological islands: Miquelon, Langlade and Le Cap, connected with tombolos. The communal seat is the settlement of Miquelon, on the northern tip, where the entire island's permanent population of 580 (as of 2019) is located. Miquelon Airport provides flights to Montreal and to nearby Saint-Pierre.

Geography

Located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, west of

's Burin Peninsula, Miquelon-Langlade covers a total land area of . It comprises three islands connected by tombolos: Le Cap in the north,

Miquelon Miquelon-Langlade is the larger but less populated of the two communes (municipalities) making up the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, located to the south of Newfoundland in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It consists of t ...

(''Grand Miquelon'') in the center, and Langlade (''Petite Miquelon'') in the south. On the south of the Miquelon Island is a large lagoon known as the

Grand Barachois Grand Barachois is a large natural lagoon in Saint Pierre and Miquelon. It lies immediately south of Miquelon Island, and is formed largely by the 12 kilometre-long tombolo of La Dune. See also *Barachois A barachois is a term used in Atlantic ...

which is host to a large population of seals and other wildlife. Miquelon is also a well known destination for bird watching. An long tombolo sandspit called ''La Dune'' connects Miquelon and Langlade. In the eighteenth century it was still possible to sail a boat between Miquelon and Langlade, but by the end of that century La Dune had closed in to form an isthmus between the islands. Located at west of Saint Pierre Island, Langlade is an ancient peneplain drained by numerous short rivers, including the Belle, the largest, which flows to the northwest. The coast of Langlade is lined with steep cliffs, except to the northwest.

Climate

Köppen–Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as sub-Arctic (Dfc). Summers are mild while winters are cold. It receives precipitation all year.

Etymology

The name Miquelon is of Basque origin and means "Michael", as several fishermen with this name were established in the island. In 1579, the names ''Micquetõ'', ''Micquelle'' appeared for the first time in

Martin de Hoyarçabal Martin de Hoyarçabal (Martin Oihartzabal in modern spelling) was a French Basque people, Basque mariner. Little is generally known about his life. He was born in Ciboure, in the Iparralde, the French Basque Country. He is recognized for publis ...

's navigational pilot. The name evolved over time into ''Miclon'', ''Micklon'', and finally ''Miquelon''.

Demographics

The capital of the commune, Miquelon, is located on the north, along a tombolo that connects the formerly separate island of Le Cap with the northwestern part of Miquelon Island. It lies north of a shallow lagoon ( barachois) and has a small harbour protected with constructed

breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island Breakwater Island () is a small island in the Palme ...

s along the eastern side of the isthmus. On the northern coast of Langlade, there are settlements in coves of Anse du Gouvernement, Anse aux Soldats and Le Ruisseau Debons, consisting mainly of holiday cottages. The population of Miquelon-Langlade is mainly of Basque and

Acadian The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...

ancestry.

Transportation

Miquelon can be reached by boat or by plane from Saint Pierre and is served by Miquelon Airport which is located adjacent to the settlement of Miquelon. The airport is served by Air Saint-Pierre with flights both to Saint-Pierre Airport and Canada. The main asphalt road runs from the capital along the eastern coast of Miquelon, across the Langlade tombolo and ending in Le Ruisseau Debons on Langlade. A ferry service connects the capital town with Anse du Gouvernement on Langlade in summer months.

Facilities

There is a school facility on the island, Ecole du socle de Miquelon. It houses the private contracted nursery school / preschool Soeur Hilarion, the public elementary school Les Quatre Temps, and the public junior high school Collège de Miquelon. As of the 2014–2015 school year the junior high school had 25 students.Ecole du socle de Miquelon >Présentation
" National Education Service of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Retrieved on September 14, 2016. The government high school / sixth-form programmes serving Miquelon are at

Lycée-Collège d'État Émile Letournel Lycée-Collège d'État Émile Letournel is a combined junior high school and senior high school/sixth-form college on the island of Saint-Pierre, in Saint Pierre and Miquelon. It was named after a famous French orthopaedic surgeon, (1927-1994 ...

on Saint-Pierre island. The Centre Médical de Miquelon has basic medical care facilities for residents, while more advanced services are available on Saint Pierre as well as in

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...

References

External links

Le Phare: Association of Tourism Professionals

Local Airline Air Saint-Pierre

{{Authority control Communes of Saint Pierre and Miquelon