Southern Lands and French Antartiques

Capital: Martin-de-Viviès (island of the News-Amsterdam)
Population: 128 inhabitants
Official language: French
Majority group: French (100%)
Minority groups: none
Political system: overseas French territory (TOM)
Constitutional articles (language): art. 2 of the Constitution of 1992 of Republic
Linguistic laws: without object

I GEOGRAPHICAL DATA
The southern Lands and the French Antarctic (TAAF) make part of the Antarctica. The total surface of the Antarctica covers 4, 2 millions of square kilometres in summer; during the winter, the continent doubles its surface because of the important layer of ice that covers the sea at its periphery. Ninety-five percent of the Antarctica is covered of ice and the continent detains about 90% of the reserves of soft water of the world. Yet, no human being resided already in a permanent way in Antarctica. The Antarctica is the coldest continent and the lowest temperature ever recorded on earth reached - 88, 3 °C, August 24, 1960, in the Vostok station.
The southern Lands and the French Antarctic (TAAF) are a overseas France territory (TOM). They are composed of four districts: on the one hand, the Kerguelen islands (7215 km2), the Crozet islands (115 km2), as well as the islands of Saint-Paul (7 km2) and News-Amsterdam (54 km2), all situated in the south of the ocean Indian, and, on the other hand, the Earth Adélie (432 000 km2), a narrow segment in triangular shape of the Antarctica continent, this one being situated to 2500 km of Tasmania (Autralie). The TAAF are distant to more of 15 000 kilometres of France, in an inhospitable and isolated region, up against a temperature hardly passing C 0° and descendant until -45° C, without intending almost permanent winds capable to reach the 250 km/hourLe flag is the one of the superior administrator of the TAAF; the ships under "Kerguelen" pavilion use the French pavilion.

II A FEW OF HISTORY
The Antarctica was only discovered to the beginning of the years 1880 because of the distance that separates it of the other continents. However, it was only in the years 1840 that one understood that the Antarctica was a continent. Three expeditions of different nationality - a French expedition directed by Jules Dumont of Urville, a British expedition directed by James Ross and an American expedition directed by the captain Charles Wilkes - bordered the coast on an important enough distance to achieve that this earth covered of ice that they saw was really a continental land mass. Today, one knows that this vast continent has not always been covered with ice. 70 millions of years ago, the Antarctica was covered with a big forest as one recovers some to the United States. After having fallen apart of the elder vast continent of the Gondwana, the Antarctica began to form themselves in ice has 35 millions of years, five millions of years ago, the Abtarctique was more or less what it is today.

III THE POPULATION
The southern Lands and the French Antarctic are deprived of autochthonous population. One counts of it a few 125 people (in 2000), essentially of the members of scientific and technical missions installed on the different bases. This population, to what is added of the medical staff, sees to double its strength lasting the summer. A fleet of six ships is affected to the servicing of the bases (two carriers, three soldiers and an oceanographically star). One will understand without pain that the official language of the TAAF is necessarily French. However, one cannot speak of linguistic politics about the Ssouthern Land and the French Antarctic the simple reason which it is not necessary, if it is not to apply the article 2 of the Constitution Republic. The fishing - practiced generally by French arming of the department of The Union (DOM) - constitutes for the southern Lands and the French Antarctic the first economic activity, or even the only one, except for what is the philately (known all over the world).
Different scientific programs are achieved in the southern Lands and the French Antarctic, notably on the Kerguelen islands and in Terre Adélie : survey of the high of the low atmosphere and the terrestrial environment; meteorology; analysis of the earthquakes of the ocean Indian and the south Pacific; survey of geology and the volcanism of the sub-Antarctic islands, of the glaciology of the polar skullcap,; biologic studies (navy and terrestrial plant and animal biology); oceanographically studies; survey of geophysics, of the sedimentary geology, the physical and chemical oceanography, the paleo-climatology, the navy biology, etc., without speaking of the international scientific cooperation.

IV THE ISLAND KERGUELENS
The archipelago of the Kerguelens regroups about 300 islands and islets of volcanic origin, of a total surface of 7215 km2 (Corsica: 8681 km2). The only island really important of this archipelago is Kerguelen (named the Grande Terre), a mountainous island to the rocky land. The island of Kerguelen counts many penguins and other birds of sea and, although there is not any local fauna on the island, rabbits introduced in 1874 succeeded in destroying a big part of vegetation.
The scientific basis staff resides to the French Port, the county seat. The island was discovered in 1772 by the French navigator Yves Joseph of Kerguelen of Tremarec. The British explorer James Cook disembarked on the island in 1776 and gave him the name of "Earth of the desolation". France annexed Kerguelen in 1893 and establishes permanent scientific stations there.

V THE ISLAND CROZETS
The Crozet islands form a mountainous archipelago of 115 km2 (about twenty small islands) mountainous; it rains there and sale constantly. Vegetation is there rare and fauna mainly constituted of elephants of sea and different varieties of birds. The county seat is Alfred-Faure. January 24, 1772, Marion Dufresne discovered this archipelago that he baptized Julian Marie-Crozet, of the name of his second in the expedition. He deposited a bottle containing a parchment to the weapons of the king of France in the Possession Island.

VI THE ISLANDS OF NEWS-AMSTERDAM AND HOLY-PAUL
The islands of News-Amsterdam (54 km2) and of Saint-Paul (7 km2) are all two of volcanic origin. The climate is extremely humid and windy, but moderate. Vegetation is relatively dense and the News-Amsterdam is the only island of the TAAF to have some trees. The county seat of the TAAF is Martin-Of-Viviès on the island of News-Amsterdam. The island of News-Amsterdam was discovered in 1522 by the Basque Juan Sebastian of Elcano, a mate of journey of Magellan. But it is a Dutch governor, Van Diemen that, June 17, 1633, gave the name of his ship in this island: "Nieuw Amsterdam", which means the island of the News-Amsterdam.
In 1618, the ship Dutchman Zee wolf ordered by Harwik Claez of Hillegom discovered the island Saint-Paul that he baptized the name of his ship, but this appellation was not kept. In 1559, geographer Evert Gysaerths mentioned the existence of this island with this mention: T.Q. descrobio oh nao S. Paulo". It is why the island carries the name of Saint-Paul today. March 28, 1792, the admiral of Entrecasteaux and Huons of Kermadec did the first summaries of the oriental coast of the island of News-Amsterdam. The two islands fell more or less into oblivion until one when a decree of the French government dated of November 21, 1924 connected them at the "province of Tamatave" to Madagascar (then French colony).

VII TERRE HER ADELIE
Contrary to the previous islands of the TAAF that are situated in the south of the ocean Indian, the Terre Adélie (432 000 km2) is on the Antarctica continent, to the south of the 66° south parallel, it occupies a thin segment in triangular shape (look at the card of the Antarctica) to the East of the continent. This land is a tray covered of an icecap that covers the whole relief. The climate is there of polar type, with temperatures generally descending below - 40° C in winter (sometimes less than 70° C) and of the winds of an extreme violence. The county seat is Dumont-d'Urville.