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The World Factbook 2002
| 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: | south 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: 7,781 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 water: 0 sq km land: 7,781 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 1,232 km
Maritime claims: | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 NM
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% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: | 0 sq km (1998 est.)
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 (July 2002 est.) note: in 1997, there were about 100 researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January)
Population growth rate: | NA

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
Dependency status: | overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by Administrateur Superieur Francois GARDE (since 24 May 2000), 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 3 districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, and 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
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

Transportation | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Waterways: | none
Ports and harbors: | none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine: | total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,815,472 GRT/4,806,161 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 5, chemical tanker 13, container 11, liquefied gas 7, petroleum tanker 19, roll on/roll off 11 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 2, France 62, Japan 3, Monaco 1, Norway 5, Sweden 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: | none (2001)

Military | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues | French Southern and Antarctic Lands

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

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002