A favorite philatelic country is St Pierre and Miquelon. There is a philatelic tendency for remote areas of great charm to have a collecting importance far in excess of what any local population can create. The Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Pitcairns are examples, as is St Pierre. The Islands have a local population of only about 7000 people but the history of the islands have created philatelic demand. Originally part of the French Empire in America, all of which except for St Pierre was ceded after the French and Indian War in 1763, France fiercely maintained its hold on St Pierre as a residue of its pretensions to a world wide empire like Great Britain. Stamps were issued throughout the nineteenth century far in excess of any postal need. During WW II, St Pierre was one of the first overseas colonies to throw off Vichy administration and claim allegiance to DeGaulle’s Free French fighters, an event probably of more philatelic than political significance. Its stamps were actively promoted by the great Winnipeg stamp Dealer K. Bileski who helped craft the islands’ stamp image. Today, the stamps are colorful and well designed and enjoy a very vigorous following
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