French Southern and Antarctic Lands (overseas territory of France) Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

§1. French Southern and Antarctic Introduction 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.

§2. French Southern and Antarctic Geography Lands

Location:
  south of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant
  between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and
  Antarctic Lands includes 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 kmē
  land: 7,781 kmē
  water: 0 kmē
  note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet and Iles
    Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 kmē 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:
  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%
  permanent pastures: 0%
  forests and woodland: 0%
  other: 100%

Irrigated land:
  0 kmē (1993)

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

§3. French Southern and Antarctic People Lands

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants (July 2001 est.)
  note: in 1997, there were about 100 researchers whose numbers vary from
    winter (July) to summer (January)

§4. French Southern and Antarctic Government 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 High
  Commissioner of the Republic Brigitte GIRARDIN (since 25 March 1998),
  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

§5. French Southern and Antarctic Economy 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.

§6. French Southern and Antarctic Communications Lands

Internet country code:
  .tf

§7. French Southern and Antarctic Transportation Lands

Waterways:
  none

Ports and harbors:
  none; offshore anchorage only

Merchant marine:
  total: 74 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,024,194 GRT/5,255,703 DWT
  ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 5, chemical tanker 9, container 11, liquefied
    gas 7, petroleum tanker 23, roll on/roll off 12
  note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
    convenience: France 1 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  none

§8. French Southern and Antarctic Military Lands

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of France

§9. French Southern and Antarctic Transnational Issues Lands

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