Location: Southern Africa, in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia Map references: Antarctic Region, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 7,781 sq km land area: 7,781 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Delaware note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Crozet; excludes Terre Adelie claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 1,232 km Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: Terre Adelie claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US Climate: antarctic Terrain: volcanic Natural resources: fish, crayfish Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% Irrigated land: 0 sq km Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes international agreements: NA Note: remote location in the southern Indian Ocean
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands, People
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are researchers whose numbers
vary from 150 in winter (July) to 200 in summer (January)
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Government
Names:
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
Digraph:
FS
Type:
overseas territory of France since 1955; governed by High
Administrator Bernard de GOUTTES (since May 1990), who is assisted by
a 7-member Consultative Council and a 12-member Scientific Council
Capital:
none; administered from Paris, France
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 Terre Adelie claim in Antarctica that is not
recognized by the US
Independence:
none (overseas territory of France)
Flag:
the flag of France is used
@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
fishing catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported
to France and Reunion.
Budget:
revenues:
$17.5 million
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Communications
Highways:
total:
NA
paved:
NA
unpaved:
NA
Ports:
none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine:
21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 441,962 GRT/813,779 DWT, bulk 3,
cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, liquified gas 2, multifunction large load
carrier 1, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo
4
note:
a captive subset of the French register
Telecommunications:
NA
@French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Defense Forces