Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - French Southern and Antarctic Lands (2002)

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) z French Southern and Antarctic Lands (2002)

	Paracel Islands (2003)	French Southern and Antarctic Lands (2002)

Administrative divisions	-	none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Airports	1 (2002)	none (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)	-
Area	total: NA sq km land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 7,829 sq km land: 7,829 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
Area - comparative	NA	slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware
Background	The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.	The Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.
Climate	tropical	antarctic
Coastline	518 km	1,232 km
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Paracel Islands	conventional long form: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by Administrateur Superieur Francois GARDE (since 24 May 2000), assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA)
Diplomatic representation from the US	-	none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US	-	none (overseas territory of France)
Disputes - international	occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam	"Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US
Economy - overview	China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism.	Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion.
Elevation extremes	lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m
Environment - current issues	NA	NA
Flag description	-	the flag of France is used
Geographic coordinates	16 30 N, 112 00 E	43 00 S, 67 00 E
Geography - note	composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group	islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean
Irrigated land	0 sq km (1998 est.)	0 sq km (1998 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Legal system	-	the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Location	Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines	south of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen 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"
Map references	Southeast Asia	Antarctic Region
Maritime claims	NA	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,815,472 GRT/4,806,161 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 5, chemical tanker 13, container 11, liquefied gas 7, petroleum tanker 19, roll on/roll off 11 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 2, France 62, Japan 3, Monaco 1, Norway 5, Sweden 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note	occupied by China	defense is the responsibility of France
Natural hazards	typhoons	Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
Natural resources	none	fish, crayfish
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants (July 2002 est.) note: in 2002, there were 145 researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January)
Ports and harbors	small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded	none; offshore anchorage only
Terrain	mostly low and flat	volcanic
Waterways	none	none

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