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| French Southern and Antarctic Lands |

Introduction | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Background: | The Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.

Geography | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Location: | southeast of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land"
Geographic coordinates: | 43 00 S, 67 00 E
Map references: | Antarctic Region
Area: | total: 7,829 sq km land: 7,829 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Area - comparative: | slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 1,232 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen (does not include the rest of French Southern and Antarctic Lands)
Climate: | antarctic
Terrain: | volcanic
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m
Natural resources: | fish, crayfish
Land use: | arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 0 sq km
Natural hazards: | Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
Environment - current issues: | NA
Geography - note: | islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean

People | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Population: | no indigenous inhabitants note: in 2002, there were 145 researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January) (July 2006 est.)

Government | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Country name: | conventional long form: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises abbreviation: TAAF
Dependency status: | overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by Administrateur Superieur Michel CHAMPON (since 20 December 2004), assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA)
Administrative divisions: | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Legal system: | the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Executive branch: | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Senior Administrator Michel CHAMPON
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description: | the flag of France is used

Economy | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Economy - overview: | Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion.

Communications | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Internet country code: | .tf
Internet hosts: | 38 (2006)

Transportation | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Merchant marine: | total: 77 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,432,833 GRT/5,345,291 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, chemical tanker 27, container 18, liquefied gas 5, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 4 foreign-owned: 76 (Belgium 6, Denmark 2, France 36, Germany 2, Hong Kong 2, Japan 4, Norway 12, Saudi Arabia 1, Sweden 9, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals: | none; offshore anchorage only

Military | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Disputes - international: | French claim to "Adelie Land" in Antarctica is not recognized by the US

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006