ARCHIVE // TF // 1993
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
1993 Edition — territory
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Communications
Merchant marine
[time series]
16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 292,490 GRT/514,389 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 4 refrigerated cargo, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 oil tanker, 3 bulk, 1 multifunction large load carrier; note - a captive subset of the French register
Ports
[time series]
none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunication systems
(Telecommunications)
[time series]
NA
Defense Forces
Note
[time series]
defense is the responsibility of France
Economy
Budget
[time series]
revenues $17.5 million; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Economic overview
(Overview)
[time series]
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.
Geography
Area
[time series]
total area: 7,781 km2 land area: 7,781 km2 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 km2 in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Climate
[time series]
antarctic
Coastline
[time series]
1,232 km
Environment - current issues
(Environment)
[time series]
Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
Disputes - international
(International disputes)
[time series]
Terre Adelie claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US
Irrigated land
[time series]
0 km2
Land boundaries
[time series]
0 km
Land use
[time series]
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Location
[time series]
in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia
Map references
[time series]
Antarctic Region, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
[time series]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
[time series]
fish, crayfish
Note
[time series]
remote location in the southern Indian Ocean
Terrain
[time series]
volcanic
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
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
Capital
[time series]
none; administered from Paris, France
Digraph
[time series]
FS
Flag
[time series]
the flag of France is used
Independence
[time series]
none (overseas territory of France)
Country name
(Names)
[time series]
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
Government type
(Type)
[time series]
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
People
Population
[time series]
no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are researchers whose numbers vary from 150 in winter (July) to 200 in summer (January)