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  French Southern and Antarctic Lands  
Flag of French Southern and Antarctic Lands
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  Geography
  People
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In general, information available as of 1 January 2003
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2003.


This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003


Map of French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Legend: Definition Definition Field Listing Field Listing Rank Order Rank Order
   Introduction    French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
43 00 S, 67 00 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Antarctic Region
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 7,829 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: 7,829 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
1,232 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM from Iles Kerguelen only
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
antarctic
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
volcanic
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
fish, crayfish
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean
   People    French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
no indigenous inhabitants (July 2002 est.)
note: in 2002, there were 145 researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January) (July 2003 est.)
   Government    French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
the flag of France is used
   Economy    French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
.tf
   Transportation    French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
none
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
total: 73 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,596,194 GRT/5,924,475 DWT
ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 4, chemical tanker 14, container 15, liquefied gas 5, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 17, roll on/roll off 11, vehicle carrier 2
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:
Definition Field Listing
none (2002)
   Military    French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of France
   Transnational Issues    French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
"Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US

This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003


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