French Southern and Antarctic Lands is located in the Southern Africa region, in the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic regions, at approximately 49° 15′ 0” S, 69° 30′ 0” E.
Geography
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) are a far-flung French territory made up of the sub-Antarctic island groups of Kerguelen, Crozet, and Amsterdam & Saint-Paul in the southern Indian Ocean, the Scattered Islands near Madagascar, and Adélie Land — France’s claimed slice of Antarctica.
Cold, windswept and home only to rotating scientists, the islands host vast colonies of penguins and seals and one of the world’s largest marine reserves.
Are the French Southern and Antarctic Lands a country?
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands are an overseas territory of France with no permanent inhabitants. They are run by an appointed administrator based in Réunion; the Adélie Land claim falls under the Antarctic Treaty.
| Status | Overseas territory of France |
| Sovereign state | France |
| Main settlement / station | Port-aux-Français (Kerguelen) |
| Population | No permanent population (~150–300 rotating research & support staff) |
| Area | 439781 km² |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Language(s) | French |
| ISO 3166 code | TF / ATF |
| Calling code | +262 |
| Internet TLD | .tf |
Climate
The territory has a cold, extremely windy sub-Antarctic climate averaging about 5°C (41°F) on Kerguelen, with the Adélie Land sector firmly polar.
French Southern and Antarctic Lands in its region
The main islands lie in the southern Indian Ocean far south of Réunion and Madagascar, from which they are supplied, stretching down towards Antarctica.
