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| Juan de Nova Island |

Introduction | Juan de Nova Island

Background: | Named after a famous 15th century Spanish navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate. Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological station.

Geography | Juan de Nova Island

Location: | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: | 17 03 S, 42 45 E
Map references: | Africa
Area: | total: 4.4 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 4.4 sq km
Area - comparative: | about seven times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 24.1 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: | tropical
Terrain: | low and flat
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 10 m
Natural resources: | guano deposits and other fertilizers
Land use: | arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (90% forest) (2001)
Irrigated land: | 0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: | periodic cyclones
Environment - current issues: | NA
Geography - note: | wildlife sanctuary

People | Juan de Nova Island

Population: | no indigenous inhabitants note: there is a small French military garrison along with a few meteorologists; occasionally visited by scientists (July 2004 est.)

Government | Juan de Nova Island

Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Juan de Nova Island local short form: Ile Juan de Nova local long form: none
Dependency status: | possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
Legal system: | the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (possession of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (possession of France)
Flag description: | the flag of France is used

Economy | Juan de Nova Island

Economy - overview: | Up to 12,000 tons of guano are mined per year.

Communications | Juan de Nova Island

Communications - note: | 1 meteorological station

Transportation | Juan de Nova Island

Ports and harbors: | none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: | 1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military | Juan de Nova Island

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues | Juan de Nova Island

Disputes - international: | claimed by Madagascar

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005