The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises) is an Overseas Territory of France. The territory is sometimes referred to as the French Southern Lands (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.
Approximately 150 (in the winter) to 310 (in the summer) persons live in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands but they are only military personnel, officials, scientific researchers and support staff. The territory has legally no permanent civilian population.
On July 5, 2019, the French Austral Lands and Seas were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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.
- Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands (Îles Saint Paul et Amsterdam), a group to the north of the Kerguelen Islands.
- The Scattered Islands (Îles Éparses), a dispersed group of islands around the coast of Madagascar.
Blogs
- France & French Colony Stamps
- French Colonies Stamp Group
- French Stamps – Timbres Français
- Polar Philately.
- Stamps of the French Colonies
- Stamp Thing – France and Colonies
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