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From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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French Southern and Antarctic Lands

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(overseas territory of France)

Map

Location: 43 00 S, 67 00 E -- Southern Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands includes 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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Flag

Description: the flag of France is used

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Geography

Location: Southern Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands includes 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 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 Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" 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: "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: volcanic
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Ross on Kerguelen 1,850 m
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
Geographic note: remote location in the southern Indian Ocean

People

Population: no indigenous inhabitants; note - there were 145 (1995) mostly researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January)

Government

Name of country:
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
Data code: FS
Type of government: overseas territory of France since 1955; governed by High Administrator Christian DORS (since 4 December 1991)
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 "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used

Economy

Economic 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.
Budget:
revenues: $22.6 million
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)

Transportation

Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine:
total: 66 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,133,942 GRT/3,617,863 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 6, chemical tanker 7, container 10, liquefied gas tanker 4, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 13, specialized tanker 1
note: a subset of the French register allowing French-owned ships to operate under more liberal taxation and manning regulations than permissable under the main French register (1995 est.)
Airports: none (1994 est.)

Communications

Telephones: NA
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: NA
Televisions: NA

Defense

Defense note: defense is the responsibility of France

French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).