French Pacific Dependencies - French southern and antarctic territories



The French Southern and Antarctic Territories (Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises), an overseas territory of France, have a total area of 7,781 sq km (3,004 sq mi), not including Adélie Land, and are administered by an appointed administrator and consultative council from Paris. Most of the population (145 in 2002) in the territories were researchers.

The Kerguélen Archipelago, situated at 48° to 50° S and 68° to 70° E , about 5,300 km (3,300 mi) SE of the Cape of Good Hope, consists of one large and about 300 small islands with a total area of 7,215 sq km (2,786 sq mi). France maintains a captive register for French-owned merchant ships in the archipelago.

Crozet Archipelago, at 46° S and 50° to 52° E , consists of 5 main and 15 smaller uninhabited islands, with a total area of 505 sq km (195 sq mi).

St. Paul, at about 38° 25′ S and 77° 32′ E , is an uninhabited island with an area of about 7 sq km (2.7 sq mi). Some 80 km (50 mi) to the norh, at about 37° 50′ S and with an area of about 54 sq km (21 sq mi), is Amsterdam Island.

Adélie Land (Terre Adélie), comprising some 432,000 sq km (167,000 sq mi) of Antarctica between 136° and 142° E, S of 67° S , was discovered in 1840 by Dumont d'Urville and claimed by him for France.

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