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):
37 50 S, 77 32 E
Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul):
38 72 S, 77 53 E
Iles Crozet:
46 25 S, 51 00 E
Iles Kerguelen:
49 15 S, 69 35 E
Bassas da India (Iles Eparses):
21 30 S, 39 50 E
Europa Island (Iles Eparses):
22 20 S, 40 22 E
Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses):
11 30 S, 47 20 E
Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses):
17 03 S, 42 45 E
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses):
15 52 S, 54 25 E
Map references:
Antarctic Region
Area:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: 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 (2011)
Irrigated land: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Geography - note:
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: 230
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
Bassas da India (Iles Eparses):
total - 80 sq km; land - 0.2 sq km; water - 79.8 sq km (lagoon)
Europa Island (Iles Eparses):
total - 28 sq km; land - 28 sq km; water - 0 sq km
Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses):
total - 5 sq km; land - 5 sq km; water - 0 sq km
Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses):
total - 4.4 sq km; land - 4.4 sq km; water - 0 sq km
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses):
total - 1 sq km; land - 1 sq km; water - 0 sq km
note:
excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
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
Europa Island (Iles Eparses):
about one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses):
about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses):
about seven times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses):
about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul):
28 km
Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul):
Iles Kerguelen:
2,800 km
Bassas da India (Iles Eparses):
35.2 km
Europa Island (Iles Eparses):
22.2 km
Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses):
35.2 km
Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses):
24.1 km
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses):
3.7 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 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
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
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
Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island:
low, flat, and sandy
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses):
low, flat, sandy; likely volcanic seamount
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
fish, crayfish
note:
Glorioso Islands and Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses) have guano, phosphates, and coconuts
0 sq km (2011)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
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
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
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)