The Britons occupy Gibraltar a part of Spain.

The Spaniards occupy Ceuta a part of Morocco.

The Americans occupy Guantanamo a part of Cuba.

The French occupy St Pierre and Miquelon a part of Canada.


This is forever.

well QM, I had no idea about st pierre and Miquelon....

thanks for the history lesson.....

Unless I'm mistaking, they hardly occupy Saint Pierre et Miquelon : it's a leftover from Nouvelle-France they kept after the British conquest (like they kept Guadeloupe and Martinique). It gave them access to the fish ressources of the Great banks.

No nation likes to give up any territory that it finds useful (Gitmo and Gibralter), profitable (St Pierre and Miquelon fisheries), or where it can score political points (Falklands).

In this respect at least, nations are just like people!

Canada threatened St Pierre and Miquelon with invasion??? Wow! That's like saying "my Frenchmen can beat your Frenchmen"

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Originally posted by O Man:
Canada threatened St Pierre and Miquelon with invasion???

Nah... In short, there was a big war -- in Europe and their respective colonies -- between France and England during which the British took Quebec city (then capital of New-France). Eventually, the English won the war and negociated a peace treaty with the French who said, to paraphrase : "Keep Canada, except for St. Pierre and Miquelon. Keep the Antilles, except for Guadeloupe and Martinique." And they shook hands on that, sealing the faith of French-Canadians.

quote:

Wow! That's like saying "my Frenchmen can beat your Frenchmen"

Of course they could.