1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
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
antarctic
Coastline
1,232 km
Environment
Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
International disputes
Terre Adelie claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US
Irrigated land
0 km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Location
in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia
Map references
Antarctic Region, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
fish, crayfish
Note
remote location in the southern Indian Ocean
Terrain
volcanic
People and Society
Population
no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are researchers whose numbers vary from 150 in winter (July) to 200 in summer (January)
Government
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
Capital
none; administered from Paris, France
Digraph
FS
Flag
the flag of France is used
Independence
none (overseas territory of France)
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
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
Economy
Budget
revenues $17.5 million; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
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.
Communications
Merchant marine
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
none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications
NA
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of France