Minor French Dependencies

24 Jan 1521                Possibly discovered by Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan that
                             he named San Pablo.
15 Nov 1528                Reportedly discovered by Spanish Capt. Álvaro de Saavedra Cerón
                             (d. 1529) which he names Isla Médanos.
1704                       Reportedly discovered by English pirate Captain John Clipperton
                             (b. c.1672 - d. 1722).
 3 Apr 1711                First documented sighting on the island by French Capt. Mathieu
                             Martin de Chassiron (b. 1674 - d. 1722) and Michel-Joseph Dubocage
                             (b. 1676 - d. 1727), commanders of the frigates La Princesse and
                             La Découverte, who name the island the Île de la Passion.
1753                       Island appears as Ile de la Passion on the reduced map of the South
                             Sea drawn by Frenchman Jacques-Nicolas Bellin.
Aug 1825                   American Capt. Benjamin Morrell (b. 1795 - d. c.1839) makes a
                             recorded landing on Clipperton.
17 Nov 1858                Annexed to France by Victor Édouard Le Coat de Kerveguen (b. 1816
                             - d. 1871)(Île de Clipperton).(subordinated to French Polynesia).
1892                       Claimed as Clipperton Island under the Guano Act by Frederick W.
                             Permien (claim rejected by State Department). In 1893, Permien
                             transferred his claim to the Oceanic Phosphate Company.
May 1893 - Oct 1893        Charles Jensen and "Brick" Thurman of the Oceanic Phosphate Company
                             were left on the island to prevent other attempts to claim the
                             island and its guano.
1895 - 1905                English and Mexican phosphate exploitation by the Oceanic Phosphate
                             Company.
29 Apr 1897 - Jul 1897     British cargo vessel Kinkora and crew are wrecked on Clipperton.
13 Dec 1897                Annexed by Mexico (Isla de la Pasión), remains uninhabited.
Mar 1906 - 18 Jul 1917     Colony settled by Mexico in order to claim Mexican sovereignty.
 8 Jun 1909                France and Mexico decide to arbitrate their disagreement over
                             the island's sovereignty.
18 Jul 1917                Surviving islanders are rescued by the USS Yorktown.
28 Jan 1931                Awarded to France following the arbitration of Victor Emmanuel III,
                             King of Italy (Mexico definitively recognized French sovereignty
                             over the island in 1959).
26 Jan 1935                France re-establishes possession (subordinated to French Polynesia).
16 Jun 1936 - 18 Mar 1986  Under the jurisdiction of the French Establishments of Oceania
                             and then French Polynesia.
19 May 1947 - 29 Jun 1947  Capt. William Noble and crew of fishing boat Thistle from San Pedro,
                             California are stranded on the island.
18 Mar 1986 - 21 Feb 2007  Administered by the High Commissioner for French Polynesia.   
22 Dec 1944 - 21 Oct 1945  Occupied by U.S. Navy during the "Island X" secret operation.
 6 Feb 1962 -  1 Mar 1962  Crew of the tuna clipper M/V Monarch are stranded on the island
                             until rescued by the destroyer USS Robison.
 6 Jun 1966 - 14 Oct 1968  Clipperton hosts a French scientific mission "Mission Bougainville".
1982                       Exclusive economic zone off Clipperton Island established by France.
20 Mar 1986                Clipperton becomes a domaine public de l'État (State-owned public
                             domain).
21 Feb 2007 -              Directly administered by the Minister of Overseas France (who
                             delegates his powers to High Commissioner of French Polynesia).
16 Jan 2018                France expands the outer limits of the territorial sea to 22 km
                             (12 nmi) and the exclusive economic zone off Clipperton Island
                             to 370 km (200 nmi).
21 Feb 2022                The 3DS Loi provided that "the island of Clipperton may also be
                             referred to as "La Passion-Clipperton."

Mexican Governors
Mar 1906 -  5 May 1915     Ramón Arnaud                    (b. 1879 - d. 1915)
                             (= Ramón Nonato Arnaud Vignon)
 5 May 1915 - 17 Jul 1917  Victoriano Álvarez              (b. 18.. - d. 1917)
                             (self-declared "king")
U.S. Military Commander
22 Dec 1944 - 23 Oct 1945  George Lowry                    (b. 1889 - d. 1981)

Bassas da India
 

Map of Basas da India

Population: Uninhabitable

16th cent.                 Discovered by Portuguese sailor Gaspar Gonçalves and named Baixo
                             da India. It is later called Bayos da Indya (Pilestrina, 1511),
                             Baxos de la India (Diogo Ribeiro, 1529), Basses de Judie
                             (carte de Henri II in 1542), Syrtes Indie (Sanuto, 1588),
                             and Basse Juive (De Mannevilette, 1770) .
1825                       Named the Bassas da India in a map by British Admiral William Owen
                             (b. 1774 - d. 1857).
 8 Aug 1896                Claimed by France as part of French Madagascar colony.
14 Jun 1960                French possession; administered by the High Commissioner 
                             for Reunion (from 19 Sep 1960)(by décret no 60-555 1 Apr 1960).
18 Jan 2005                Transferred to the administrators of French Southern and
                             Antarctic Lands.
15 Mar 2007                Incorporated into the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Territorial Dispute: Claimed by Madagascar.

Banc du Geyser (Geysir)

c.1650                     Shown on Spanish maps as Arecife de Santo António.
23 Dec 1678                Named Geysir Reef when the English vessel Geysir ran aground
                             on the reef.
 8 Aug 1896                Banc du Geyser, a drying reef in the Mozambique Channel,
                             claimed by France as part of French Madagascar colony.
14 Jun 1960                French possession; administered by the High Commissioner 
                             for Reunion (from 19 Sep 1960)(by décret no 60-555 1 Apr 1960).
1976                       Madagascar announced the annexation of the reef (no effect).
18 Jan 2005                Transferred to the administrators of French Southern and
                             Antarctic Lands.
15 Mar 2007                Incorporated into the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
22 Feb 2012                Included within the Glorioso Islands Marine Natural Park.

Territorial Dispute: the 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).

24 Dec 1774                Visited by the British ship Europa.
1825                       Named Europa Island in a map by British Admiral William Owen
                             (b. 1774 - d. 1857).
c.1860                     Frenchman named de Rosiers came to settle the island from
                             Madagascar (length of his stay is unknown).
 8 Aug 1896                Claimed by France as part of French Madagascar colony.
31 Oct 1897                Formally annexed to France, part of French Madagascar colony.
1903                       Presence of a small colony is attested.
c.1910                     Two couples whose men were said to have been Seychellois and three
                             Malagasy employees live on the island.
12 Jan 1950                First meteorological mission landed under the leadership of Serge
                             Frolow (b. 1903 - d. 1959).
14 Jun 1960                French possession administered by the High Commissioner 
                             for Reunion (from 19 Sep 1960)(by décret no 60-555 1 Apr 1960).
1973                       France begins garrisoning the island.
18 Jan 2005                Transferred to the administrators of French Southern and
                             Antarctic Lands.
15 Mar 2007                Incorporated into the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Territorial Dispute: Claimed by Madagascar.

 2 Mar 1880                Named and settled by Frenchman Hippolyte Caltaux, who established
                             a coconut plantation on Grande Glorieuse.
23 Aug 1892                Claimed for France by Capt. Richard of the Primauget. From 
                             1895, subject to French Mayotte.
31 Oct 1897                Formally annexed to France, subject to Mayotte.
1907                       French government ends the concession of Caltaux.
1907 - 1939                Islands entrusted to the Compagnie des Îles Malgaches.
1912 - 1960                Mayotte and Glorioso subject to Madagascar.
May 1945 - 1958            Returned to the Compagnie des Îles Malgaches.
1959                       Permanent meteorological station established.
14 Jun 1960                French possession administered by the High Commissioner 
                             for Reunion (from 19 Sep 1960)(by décret no 60-555 1 Apr 1960).
1973                       France begins garrisoning the island.
18 Nov 1975                Declared a wildlife reservation.
18 Jan 2005                Transferred to the administrators of French Southern and
                             Antarctic Lands.
15 Mar 2007                Incorporated into the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
22 Feb 2012                Glorioso Islands Marine Natural Park (Parc naturel marin des
                             Glorieuses), including Banc du Geyser, established.
 8 Jun 2021                Marine park re-designated National Nature Reserve of the Glorieuses
                             Archipelago (Réserve naturelle nationale de l'archipel des
                             Glorieuses).

Proprietor (from 1892, Warden)
 2 Mar 1880 - 1907         Hippolyte Caltaux                 (b. 1847 - d. af.1927) 

Territorial Dispute: Claimed by Madagascar.

1501                       Discovered by the Portuguese Capt. João da Nova (or Juan de Nova)
                             (b. 1460 - d. 1509) and named Galega or Agalega (Galicia).
                             It is later called Johan de Nova by Pilestrima (1519),
                             Joa de Nova (Mercator, 1569), San-Christophoro (Ortelius, 1570),
                             and Saint-Christophe (Lislet Geoffroy).
1825                       Named Juan de Nova Island in a map by British Admiral William Owen
                             (b. 1774 - d. 1857).
 8 Aug 1896                Claimed by France as part of French Madagascar colony.
31 Dec 1897                Formally annexed to France.
c.1900 - c.1940            Island is rented to a French firm for a 20-year lease to extract
                             guano (phosphates) and coconuts.
14 Jun 1960                French possession administered by the High Commissioner 
                             for Reunion (from 19 Sep 1960)(by décret no 60-555 1 Apr 1960).
10 Mar 1952 - 1968         Leased by France to Société française des îles Malgaches (SOFIM)
                             to extract phosphate for a period of 15 years (reappointed for
                             25 years on 15 Jun 1960).
1963                       Installation of an auxiliary meteorological named la Goulette.
1974                       France begins garrisoning the island.
18 Jan 2005                Transferred to the administrators of French Southern and
                             Antarctic Lands.
15 Mar 2007                Incorporated into the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Territorial Dispute: Claimed by Madagascar.

Aug 1722                   Discovered the French ship of the Compagnie française des Indes
                             orientales, the Diane, commanded by Jean Marie Briand de la
                             Feuillée (b. 1685 - d. 1739) and named Île de Sable
                             (Isle of Sand).
 1 Aug 1761 - Oct 1761     French ship L'Utile, of the Compagnie française des Indes
                             orientales, shipwrecks on the island with its crew and slaves.
29 Nov 1776                French Capt. Jacques-Marie Boudin de Tromelin, chevalier de
                             Tromelin (b. 1751 - d. 1798) on the corvette La Dauphine rescues
                             the remaining slaves of L'Utile on the island who are taken to
                             Mauritius and freed. 
1814                       Placed under the jurisdiction of Reunion.
1825                       Named Tromelin Island in a map by British Admiral William Owen
                             (b. 1774 - d. 1857).
26 Nov 1867 - 22 Dec 1867  Indian ship Atieth Rahamon commanded by Capt. Samuel C. Hodges
                             with its crew is wrecked on the island.
 8 Aug 1896                Part of French Madagascar colony.
1954                       France begins garrisoning the island.
14 Jun 1960                French possession; administered by the High Commissioner 
                             for Reunion (from 19 Sep 1960)(by décret no 60-555 1 Apr 1960).
18 Jan 2005                Transferred to the administrators of French Southern and
                             Antarctic Lands.
15 Mar 2007                Incorporated into the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Territorial Dispute: Claimed by Mauritius.