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Legend:
Definition
Field Listing
Rank Order
Background:
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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.
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Geography |
French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
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Location:
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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"
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Geographic coordinates:
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43 00 S, 67 00 E
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Map references:
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Antarctic Region
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Area:
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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
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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1,232 km
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone: 200 NM from Iles Kerguelen only
territorial sea: 12 NM
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Climate:
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antarctic
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Terrain:
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volcanic
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m
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Natural resources:
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fish, crayfish
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Land use:
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arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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0 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
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Environment - current issues:
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NA
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Geography - note:
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islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean
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People |
French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
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Economy |
French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
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Economy - overview:
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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.
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Internet country code:
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.tf
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Waterways:
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none
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Ports and harbors:
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none; offshore anchorage only
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Merchant marine:
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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.)
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Airports:
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none (2002)
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Military |
French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of France
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Disputes - international:
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"Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US
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This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003
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