ARCHIVE // TF // 1997

French Southern and Antarctic Lands

1997 Edition — territory

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Communications
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios [time series]
NA
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: NA international : NA
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
NA
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
NA
Televisions [time series]
NA
Economy
Budget [time series]
revenues: $24.5 million expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996)
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
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.
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 7,781 sq km land: 7,781 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 - comparative [time series]
slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware
Climate [time series]
antarctic
Coastline [time series]
1,232 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point : Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Ross on Kerguelen 1,850 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
NA
International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
43 00 S, 67 00 E
Geography - note [time series]
remote location in the southern Indian Ocean
Irrigated land [time series]
0 sq km (1993)
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land : 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures : 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Location [time series]
South of 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"
Map references [time series]
Antarctic Region
Maritime claims [time series]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
Natural resources [time series]
fish, crayfish
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 "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Country name [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
Data code [time series]
FS
Dependency status [time series]
overseas territory of France since 1955; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
the flag of France is used
Independence [time series]
none (overseas territory of France)
Capital (National capital) [time series]
none; administered from Paris, France
Military
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of France
People
Population [time series]
no indigenous inhabitants note: there were 134 (1996) mostly researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
"Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US GABON
Transportation
Airports [time series]
none
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 73 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,535,552 GRT/4,382,987 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 7, chemical tanker 7, container 11, liquefied gas tanker 5, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, specialized tanker 1 note: a subset of the French register allowing French-owned ships to operate under more liberal taxation and manning regulations than permissible under the main French register (1996 est.)
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
none; offshore anchorage only