French Southern and Antarctic Lands
 

Adopted 21 Nov 1924   Oct 1956 - 23 Feb 2007 Flag of the Administrator-superior Adopted 23 Feb 2007 Administrator-superior's Flag Map of French Antarctica (Terre Adelie Land)  Map of Iles Crozet, Kerguelen Island, St. Paul and Amsterdam  Hear National Anthem "La Marseillaise"  Constitution  (28 Sep 1958) Capital: Port-aux-Français, Iles Kerguelen ------------------------------------ Administrative Seat: Saint-Denis, Réunion (Paris, France 1955-1 Apr 2000) ------------------------------------ Chief Station: Dumont d'Urville Base (from 1956) (Port-Martin 1950-1952, Base Marret 1952-1955) Currency: Euro (EUR); 1959-1 Jan 2002 French Franc (FRF) National Holiday: 14 Jul (1789) Fête Nationale  (National Holiday "Bastille Day") Population: no indigenous inhabitants, except for visits by scientists: Iles Kerguelen 50-100; Iles Crozet 18-30; Seasonal Research Staff Summer (Dec.-Feb.): 136 Winter (Jun.-Aug.): 13 (2024) Total Active Armed Forces: N/A Defense is the Responsibility of the France Merchant marine: 2 ships (2023) Number of Yr.-round Stations: 1 Summer-only Stations: 1 (2024) GDP: N/A Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations, military bases, and French and other fishing fleets. International Organizations/Treaties: UPU French Southern and Antarctic Lands Index Chronology 18 Mar 1522                Amsterdam Island discovered by Spanish Capt.                              Juan Sebastián Elcano (b. c.1476 - d. 1526). 18 Jun 1633                Dutchman Antonie van Diemen (b. 1592 - d. 1645)                              re-discovers Amsterdam Island, which he names                              Nieuw Amsterdam Eiland. 19 Apr 1618                Saint-Paul Island discovered by Dutch Capt. Harwick                              Claesz de Hillegom, named Zeewolf Eiland. 24 Jan 1772                Crozet Islands discovered and claimed for France                              by Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne (b. 1724 - d.                              1772) who lands on île de la Possession. 12 Feb 1772                Kerguelen Islands claimed for France by Yves Joseph                              de Kerguelen-Trémarec (b. 1734 - d. 1797), and                              named La France Australe. 28 Mar 1792                Amsterdam and Saint-Paul Islands claimed for                              France by Joseph Antoine de Bruni d'Entrecasteaux                              (b. 1739 - d. 1793). Aug 1825 - Feb 1827        British sailor John Nunn (b. 1803 - d. 1860) and 3                              crew are wrecked on the Kerguelen Islands. 21 Jan 1840                Terre Adélie (Adelie Land) in Antarctica discovered                              and claimed for France by Capt. Jules Sébastien                              César Dumont d'Urville (b. 1790 - d. 1842).  8 Jun 1843                Governor of Réunion annexes the Iles Amsterdam and                              Saint-Paul for France (formally from 1 Jul 1843). Sep 1874 - Jan 1875        French astronomical mission, aboard the ship Le                              Fernand, visits Amsterdam and Saint-Paul. Oct 1892                   French ship La Bourdonnais takes possession of                              Amsterdam Island for France.  1-8 Jan 1893              French ship L'Eure reaffirms French sovereignty                              over the Iles Kerguelen, Amsterdam et Saint-Paul. 21 Nov 1924                Terre Adélie (Adelie Land) in Antarctica                              officially annexed by France. 21 Nov 1924                Decrees consolidate French claims to Iles                              Crozets, Iles Kerguelen, Iles Amsterdam et                               Saint-Paul and Terre Adélie (under the                              administration of the Governors-general of                              Madagascar as Dépendances de Madagascar).  1 Apr 1938                Terre Adélie boundaries fixed between longitudes                              136° and 142° E south of 60° S. 29 Jan 1939                France reaffirms sovereignty over Iles Crozets.  2 Feb 1941 - 24 Mar 1941  German auxiliary cruiser Pinguin, which captured                              the Norwegian whaling fleet and the factory                              ship Pelagos in the South Atlantic on 15 Jan                              1941, remained in Kerguelen.  Dec 1949                   French base established at Port-aux-Français                              on Kerguelen by Pierre Sicaud.  9 Apr 1950 - 23 Jan 1952  Port-Martin the first French Antarctic station.  6 Aug 1955                French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Terres                               Australes et Antarctiques Françaises) an                               overseas territory (detached from Madagascar                               [French Antarctic Terre Adélie, Iles Crozet,                              Iles Kerguelen and Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam])  1 Jan 1956                Dumont d'Urville Antarctic station established. 13 Jan 1992                French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor (Institut                              Polaire Français Paul-Émile Victor)(IPEV) created                              to manage the French National Antarctic Program. 28 Mar 2003                Category of "overseas territory" removed in French                              constitutional revision; organization of French                              Southern and Antarctic Lands to be determined by                              law; no change in de facto status.  3 Jan 2005                Administration of Îles Éparses (Scattered Islands)                              transferred from Reunion to TAAF. Feb 2005                   Concordia Station a joint French–Italian winter-                              over Antarctic research facility opens.  3 Oct 2006                National Nature Reserve of the French Southern                              and Antarctic Lands (Réserve Naturelle Nationale                              des Terres Australes Françaises) designated. 15 Mar 2007                Scattered Islands of the Indian Ocean (Îles Éparses                              de l'océan Indien)(Bassas da India, Europa,                              Glorioso, Juan de Nova and Tromelin) incorporated                              into TAAF (see French Minor Islands).  5 Jul 2019                French Austral Lands and Seas were inscribed as a                              UNESCO World Heritage Site. TAAF Districts Crozets Iles Éparses Kerguelen Saint Paul et Amsterdam Terre Adélie

Administrators-superior (in Paris, France)
15 Sep 1955 - 1958         Xavier Richert                     (b. 1913 - d. 1992)
23 Dec 1958 - 1972         Pierre Charles Rolland             (b. 1918 - d. 1988)
 4 Jul 1973 - 1979         Roger Barberot                     (b. 1915 - d. 2002)
 5 Sep 1979 - 1982         Francis Jacquemont                 (b. 1932 - d. 1996)
11 Mar 1982 - 1987         Claude Pieri                       (b. 1922 - d. 2002)
25 Mar 1987 - May 1990     Claude Eugène André Corbier        (b. 1927 - d. 2021)
16 May 1990 -  4 Dec 1991  Bernard de Gouttes Lastouzeilles   (b. 1945 - d. 2023)
 4 Dec 1991 -  8 Feb 1996  Christian Dors                     (b. 1954)
14 Mar 1996 - 25 Mar 1998  Pierre Lise                        (b. 1937)
25 Mar 1998 - 26 Jan 2000  Brigitte Girardin (f)              (b. 1953)
14 Feb 2000 - 24 May 2000  Jean-Yves Hermoso (acting)
24 May 2000 - 21 Jan 2005  François Garde                     (b. 1959)
21 Jan 2005 - 28 Feb 2007  Michel Champon                     (b. 1952)
28 Feb 2007 - 10 Apr 2007  Alain Mauroy (acting)              (b. 1946)
10 Apr 2007 - Sep 2008     Éric Pilloton                      (b. 1964)
16 Oct 2008 - Nov 2010     Rollon Mouchel-Blaisot             (b. 1959)
 4 Nov 2010 - 10 Apr 2012  Christian Gaudin                   (b. 1950)
10 Apr 2012 - Oct 2014     Pascal Bolot                       (b. 1963)
13 Oct 2014 - 31 May 2018  Cécile Pozzo di Borgo (f)          (b. 1952)
 1 Jun 2018 - 19 Nov 2018  Christine Geoffroy (f) (acting)    (b. 1962)
19 Nov 2018 - Sep 2020     Évelyne Decorps (f)                (b. 1957)
Sep 2020 - 12 Oct 2020     Thierry Dousset (acting)           (b. 1971)
12 Oct 2020 - Oct 2022     Charles Giusti                     (b. 1963)
Oct 2022 - 27 Oct 2022     Gilbert Manciet (acting)           (b. 1966)
27 Oct 2022 - 31 Dec 2025  Florence Jeanblanc-Risler (f)      (b. 1957)
 1 Jan 2026 -              Mikaël Quimbert                    (b. 1973)

Territorial Disputes: French "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica is recognized by Australia, New Zealand, Norway and U.K., but it is not recognized by the United Nations, U.S., Russia or by most other countries; 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); Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island (Îles Eparses) claimed by Madagascar; Tromelin Island (Îles Eparses) claimed by Mauritius.