Short facts about the geography of French Southern and Antarctic Lands

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 Iles 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

Geography - note:

islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean

Source: World Factbook