Part 302

Military branches: French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none ______________________________________________________________________

FRENCH SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC LANDS and Antarctic Lands]

(overseas territory of France)

@French Southern and Antarctic Lands:Geography

Location: 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"

Geographic coordinates: 43 00 S, 67 00 E

Map references: Antarctic Region

Area: 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: slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,232 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: antarctic

Terrain: volcanic

Elevation extremes: 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% permanent pastures : 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography - note: remote location in the southern Indian Ocean

@French Southern and Antarctic Lands:People

Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: there were 134 (1996) mostly researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January)

@French Southern and Antarctic Lands:Government