French Southern and Antarctic Lands, French overseas territory in southern Indian Ocean, France
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands form an overseas territory comprising several remote island groups in the southern Indian Ocean, including the Kerguelen, Crozet, Amsterdam, and Saint Paul islands. These lands represent one of France's most remote administrative divisions, located thousands of kilometers from mainland Europe.
The islands were mainly discovered by European navigators during the 18th century, but only in 1955 were they separated from Madagascar as an independent administrative unit. Since then they have been governed directly by the French central administration with headquarters on Réunion.
The islands carry names given by Dutch and French navigators who charted them between the 17th and 18th centuries. Today they serve purely scientific purposes without civilian settlement or commercial activity, which shapes their character as a research landscape alone.
Access to this territory is highly restricted and usually requires official authorization plus logistical support from government or scientific institutions. Conditions are harsh and weather changeable, with strong winds and low temperatures throughout the year.
The territory spans several time zones from UTC+04:00 to UTC+10:00, reflecting the enormous geographical range across the southern Indian Ocean. Each island group follows its own time, adjusted to its respective longitude.
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