French Southern & Antarctic Lands
 

Adopted 21 Nov 1924             Oct 1956 - 23 Feb 2007     Flag of Administrators-Superior                    Adopted 23 Feb 2007     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) Administrative Seat: Saint-Denis, Reunion (Paris, France to 27 Feb 1997) Chief Station: Dumont d'Urville Currency: Euro (EUR); to 1 Jan 2002 French Franc (FRF) National Holiday: 14 Jul (1789) Bastille Day Population:  Uninhabited Seasonal Research Staff Summer (Jan): 123 Winter (Jul): 37 (2005-2006) Total Armed Forces: N/A Defense is the Responsibility of the France Merchant marine: 77 ships (2006) Number of Yr.-round Stations: 1 Summer-only Stations: 0 (2005) GDP: N/A International Organizations/Treaties: None French Southern and Antarctic Lands Chronology 18 Mar 1522                New Amsterdam Island discovered by Spanish Capt.                              Juan Sebastian del Cano. 1633                       Anthonie van Diemen re-discovers New Amsterdam,                              which he names Nieuw Amsterdam. 19 Apr 1618                Saint Paul Island discovered by Dutch Capt. Haevik                              Klaaszoon van Hillegom, named Zeewolf Island. 24 Jan 1772                Crozet Islands discovered and claimed for France                              by Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne. 12 Feb 1772                Kerguelen Island claimed for France by Yves-Joseph                              de Kerguelen-Tremarec. 28 Mar 1792                New Amsterdam and St. Paul Islands claimed for                              France by Joseph-Antoine Bruni d'Estrecasteaux. 21 Jan 1839                Claimed for France by Dumont d'Urville named                               Adelie Land (Terre Adelie). 1853                       France renounces claims the Crozet, Kurguelen,                               New Amsterdam and St. Paul Islands. Jan 1893                   France annexes the Crozet, Kurguelen, New Amsterdam                              and St. Paul Islands (subordinated to Madagascar) 21 Nov 1924                Adelie Land (Terre Adelie) in Antarctica                               officially claimed by France. Jan 1950                   First Antarctic station established                              (Dumont d'Urville).  6 Aug 1955                French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Terres                               Australes et Antarctiques Françaises) an                               overseas territory (detached from                               Madagascar [includes French Antarctic claim,                              142°E to 136°W Terre Adelie, Crozet Island,                              Kerguelen Islands, Saint-Paul and Amsterdam                              Islands]). 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                Administratiion of Îles Éparses transferred from                              Reunion to TAAF. 15 Mar 2007                Îles Éparses (Bassas da India, Europa, Glorioso,                              Juan de Nova and Tromelin) incorporated into                              TAAF.

Administrators-superior
1955 - 1959                Xavier Richert                     (b. 1913 - d. 1992)
1959 - 1972                Pierre Charles Rolland             (b. 1918 - d. 1988)
1973 - 1979                Roger Barberot                     (b. 1915 - d. 2002)
1979 - 1982                Francis Jacquemont                 (b. 1932)
1982 - 1987                Claude Pieri                       (b. 1922 - d. 2002)
25 Mar 1987 - May 1990     Claude Corbier                     (b. 1927)
16 May 1990 -  4 Dec 1991  Bernard de Gouttes                 (b. 1945)
 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 (interim)
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 (interim)             (b. 1946)
10 Apr 2007 -              Éric Pilloton                      (b. 1964)

Territorial Dispute: French "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica is not recognized by the United Nations, U.S., Russia, or by most other countries.