fs.json

{"code":"fs","name":"French Southern and Antarctic Lands","region":"Antarctica","background":"In February 2007, the Iles Eparses became an integral part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF). The Southern Lands are now divided into five administrative districts, two of which are archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; the third is a district composed of two volcanic islands, Ile Saint-Paul and Ile Amsterdam; the fourth, Iles Eparses, consists of five scattered tropical islands around Madagascar. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna, scientists at the various scientific stations, fishermen, and military personnel. The fifth district is the Antarctic portion, which consists of \"Adelie Land,\" a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.","geo":{"Location":"southeast and east of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, some near Madagascar and others about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island 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":{"Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":{"S":{"deg":37,"min":50},"E":{"deg":77,"min":32}},"Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":{"S":{"deg":38,"min":72},"E":{"deg":77,"min":53}},"Iles Crozet":{"S":{"deg":46,"min":25},"E":{"deg":51,"min":0}},"Iles Kerguelen":{"S":{"deg":49,"min":15},"E":{"deg":69,"min":35}},"Bassas da India (Iles Eparses)":{"S":{"deg":21,"min":30},"E":{"deg":39,"min":50}}},"Map references":{},"Area":{"Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":"total - 55 sq km; land - 55 sq km; water - 0 sq km","country comparison to the world":"","Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":"total - 7 sq km; land - 7 sq km; water - 0 sq km","Iles Crozet":"total - 352 sq km; land - 352 sq km; water - 0 sq km","Iles Kerguelen":"total - 7,215 sq km; land - 7,215 sq km; water - 0 sq km"},"Area - comparative":{"Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":"less than one-half the size of Washington, DC","Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":"more than 10 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC","Iles Crozet":"about twice the size of Washington, DC","Iles Kerguelen":"slightly larger than Delaware","Bassas da India (Iles Eparses)":"land area about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington, DC"},"Land boundaries":{"quantity":0,"unit":"km"},"Coastline":{"Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":{"quantity":28,"unit":"km"},"Iles Kerguelen":{"quantity":2800,"unit":"km"},"Bassas da India (Iles Eparses)":{"quantity":35.2,"unit":"km"},"Europa Island (Iles Eparses)":{"quantity":22.2,"unit":"km"}},"Maritime claims":{"territorial sea":{"quantity":12,"unit":"nm"},"exclusive economic zone":"200 nm from Iles Kerguelen and Iles Eparses (does not include the rest of French Southern and Antarctic Lands); Juan de Nova Island and Tromelin Island claim a continental shelf of 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation"},"Climate":{"Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul":"oceanic with persistent westerly winds and high humidity","Iles Crozet":"windy, cold, wet, and cloudy","Iles Kerguelen":"oceanic, cold, overcast, windy","Iles Eparses":"tropical"},"Terrain":{"Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":"a volcanic island with steep coastal cliffs; the center floor of the volcano is a large plateau","Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":"triangular in shape, the island is the top of a volcano, rocky with steep cliffs on the eastern side; has active thermal springs","Iles Crozet":"a large archipelago formed from the Crozet Plateau is divided into two groups of islands","Iles Kerguelen":"the interior of the large island of Ile Kerguelen is composed of rugged terrain of high mountains, hills, valleys, and plains with a number of peninsulas stretching off its coasts","Bassas da India (Iles Eparses)":"atoll, awash at high tide; shallow (15 m) lagoon"},"Elevation extremes":{"lowest point":"Indian Ocean 0 m","highest point":"Mont de la Dives on Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul) 867 m; unnamed location on Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul) 272 m; Pic Marion-Dufresne in Iles Crozet 1,090 m; Mont Ross in Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m; unnamed location on Bassas de India (Iles Eparses) 2.4 m; unnamed location on Europa Island (Iles Eparses) 24 m; unnamed location on Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses) 12 m; unnamed location on Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses) 10 m; unnamed location on Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses) 7 m"},"Natural resources":{"Natural resources":"fish, crayfish"},"Land use":"Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul) - 100% trees, grasses, ferns, and moss; Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul) - 100% grass, ferns, and moss; Iles Crozet - 100% tossock grass, heath, and fern; Iles Kerguelen - 100% tossock grass and Kerguelen cabbage; Bassas da India (Iles Eparses) - 100% rock, coral reef, and sand; Europa Island (Iles Eparses) - 100% mangrove swamp and dry woodlands; Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses) - 100% lush vegetation and coconut palms; Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses) - 90% forest, 10% other; Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses) - 100% grasses and scattered brush (2005)","Irrigated land":{"quantity":0,"unit":"sq km"},"Natural hazards":{"Natural hazards":"Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are inactive volcanoes; Iles Eparses subject to periodic cyclones; Bassas da India is a maritime hazard since it is under water for a period of three hours prior to and following the high tide and surrounded by reefs","volcanism":"Reunion Island - Piton de la Fournaise (elev. 2,632 m, ), which has erupted many times in recent years, including 2010, is one of the world's most active volcanoes; although rare, eruptions outside the volcano's caldera could threaten nearby cities"},"Geography - note":{"Geography - note":"islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean","Bassas da India (Iles Eparses)":"the atoll is a circular reef that sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano","Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses)":"wildlife sanctuary for seabirds and sea turtles","Glorioso Island (Iles Eparses)":"the islands and rocks are surrounded by an extensive reef system","Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses)":"climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)"},"environmentalIssues":["introduction of foreign species on Iles Crozet has caused severe damage to the original ecosystem","overfishing of Patagonian toothfish around Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen"]},"people":{"Population":{"Population":"no indigenous inhabitants","Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":"has no permanent residents but has a meteorological station","Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul)":"is uninhabited but is frequently visited by fishermen and has a scientific research cabin for short stays","Iles Crozet":"are uninhabited except for 18 to 30 people staffing the Alfred Faure research station on Ile del la Possession","Iles Kerguelen":"50 to 100 scientists are located at the main base at Port-aux-Francais on Ile Kerguelen","Bassas da India (Iles Eparses)":"uninhabitable"}},"government":{"Country name":{"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","abbreviation":"TAAF"},"Dependency status":"overseas territory of France since 1955","Legal system":"the laws of France, where applicable, apply","Executive branch":{"chief of state":"President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Senior Administrator Christian GAUDIN (since 4 November 2010)"},"Diplomatic representation in the US":"none (overseas territory of France)","Diplomatic representation from the US":"none (overseas territory of France)","Flag description":"the flag of France is used","National anthem":{"note":"as a territory of France, \"La Marseillaise\" is official (see France)"},"internationalOrganizations":["UPU"],"administrativeDivisions":["none (overseas territory of France)","there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government","but there are five administrative districts named Iles Crozet","Iles Eparses","Iles Kerguelen","Ile Saint-Paul et Ile Amsterdam","the fifth district is the \"Adelie Land\" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US"]},"economy":{"Economy - overview":"Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations, military bases, and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion."},"communications":{"Internet country code":".tf","Internet hosts":44,"Communications - note":"one or more meteorological stations on each possession"},"transport":{"Airports":"4; note - one each on Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island in the Iles Eparses district (2010)","Ports and terminals":"none; offshore anchorage only","Transportation - note":{"aids to navigation - lighthouses":"Europa Island 18 m; Juan de Nova Island (W side) 37 m; Tromelin Island (NW point) 11m (all in the Iles Eparses district)"}},"military":{"Military - note":"defense is the responsibility of France"},"issues":{"Disputes - international":{"Disputes - international":"French claim to \"Adelie Land\" in Antarctica is not recognized by the US","Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses)":"claimed by Madagascar; the vegetated drying cays of Banc du Geyser, which were claimed by Madagascar in 1976, also fall within the EEZ claims of the Comoros and France (Glorioso Islands)","Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses)":"claimed by Mauritius"}}}