French Southern and Antarctic Lands
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (French: Terres australes et antarctiques françaises, TAAF) is an overseas territory (French: Territoire d'outre-mer or TOM) of France. It consists of:
- Adélie Land (Terre Adélie), the French claim on the continent of Antarctica.
- Crozet Islands (Îles Crozet), a group in the southern Indian Ocean, south of Madagascar.
- Kerguelen Islands (Archipel des Kerguelen), a group of volcanic islands in the southern Indian Ocean, southeast of Africa.
- Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands (Îles Saint Paul et Amsterdam), a group to the north of the Kerguelen Islands.
- Scattered Islands (Îles Éparses), a dispersed group of islands around the coast of Madagascar.
French Southern and Antarctic Lands Terres australes et antarctiques françaises (French) | |
|---|---|
Overseas Territory of France | |
|
Coat of arms | |
| Motto: | |
| Anthem: La Marseillaise ("The Marseillaise") | |
| Sovereign state | France |
| Territorial status | 6 August 1955 |
| Capital | Saint Pierre, Réunion (headquarters, not geographically assigned) 43°00′S 67°00′E |
| Largest settlement | Port-aux-Français |
| Official languages | French |
| Government | |
• President of the French Republic | Emmanuel Macron |
• Prefect, Administrator Superior | Florence Jeanblanc-Risler |
• Secretary General | Thierry Dousset |
| Legislature | Advisory Council of the TAAF |
| Area | |
• Total | 439,666.4 km2 (169,756.1 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate | Officially 400~800 permanent scientists and military personnel No known permanent population |
| Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
| Time zone |
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| Driving side | right |
| ISO 3166 code | |
| Internet TLD | .tf |
| Website | taaf |
The territory is sometimes referred to as the French Southern Lands (French: Terres australes françaises) or the French Southern Territories, usually to emphasize non-recognition of French sovereignty over Adélie Land as part of the Antarctic Treaty System.
The entire territory has no known permanently settled inhabitants. Approximately 150 (in the winter) to 310 (in the summer) people are usually present in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands at any time, but they are mainly made up of military personnel, officials, scientific researchers and support staff.
On 5 July 2019, the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, and the Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the "French Austral Lands and Seas" because of their pristine wilderness, biodiversity, and enormous bird colonies.