french southern and antarctic lands

French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Introduction

   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

     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  43 00 S, 67 00 E
  coordinates:

           Map  Antarctic Region
   references:

         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 -  slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware
  comparative:

          Land  0 km
   boundaries:

    Coastline:  1,232 km

      Maritime  territorial sea: 12 nm
       claims:  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen
                (does not include the rest of French Southern and
                Antarctic Lands)

      Climate:  antarctic

      Terrain:  volcanic

     Elevation  lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
     extremes:  highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m

       Natural  fish, crayfish
    resources:

     Land use:  arable land: 0%
                permanent crops: 0%
                other: 100% (2005)

     Irrigated  0 sq km
         land:

       Natural  Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
      hazards:

 Environment -  NA
       current
       issues:

   Geography -  islands component is widely scattered across remote
         note:  locations in the southern Indian Ocean

People

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

Government

 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  overseas territory of France since 1955; administered
       status:  from Paris by Administrateur Superieur Michel CHAMPON
                (since 20 December 2004), assisted by Secretary General
                Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA)

Administrative  none (overseas territory of France); there are no
    divisions:  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  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France
       branch:  (since 17 May 1995), represented by Senior
                Administrator Michel CHAMPON

    Diplomatic  none (overseas territory of France)
representation
    in the US:

    Diplomatic  none (overseas territory of France)
representation
  from the US:

          Flag  the flag of France is used
  description:

Economy

     Economy -  Economic activity is limited to servicing
     overview:  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

      Internet  .tf
 country code:

      Internet  38 (2006)
        hosts:

Transportation

      Merchant  total: 77 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,432,833 GRT/
       marine:  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  none; offshore anchorage only
    terminals:

Military

    Military -  defense is the responsibility of France
         note:

Transnational
Issues

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