French Southern Territories Online Business Education. Administration. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

French Southern Territories
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

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
0 sq km land:
Area - comparative: slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,232 km

Maritime claims: 200 NM from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea:
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: 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