Atlas of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Wikimedia Commons Atlas of the World

The Wikimedia Atlas of the World is an organized and commented collection of geographical, political and historical maps available at Wikimedia Commons.
Discussion • Update the atlas • Index of the Atlas • Atlas in categories • Other atlases on line
The introductions of the country, dependency and region entries are in the native languages and in English. The other introductions are in English.

This section holds a short summary of the history of the area of present-day the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, illustrated with maps, including historical maps of former countries and empires that included present-day the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Terres australes et antarctiques françaises

Français Terres australes et antarctiques françaises - Territoire des Terres australes et antarctiques françaises

Le territoire des Terres australes et antarctiques françaises, constitue depuis 1955, un territoire d’outre-mer de la France, composé de trois districts insulaires du sud de l’océan Indien (les îles Kerguelen, les îles Crozet et les îles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam) et d’une portion du continent antarctique : la Terre Adélie.
L’application du traité de l’Antarctique, dont la France est signataire, place cependant la Terre Adélie dans une situation particulière. La souveraineté française, qui n’est pas reconnue par les autres nations, est exercée de manière limitée et conforme au Traité.
Une loi de 2007 a ajouté un cinquième district aux TAAF, celui tropical des Îles Éparses (l’île Tromelin, l’île Europa, l’atoll Bassas da India, les îles Glorieuses, l’île Juan de Nova) précédemment administrées séparément depuis la Réunion (bien que ces îles n’aient jamais fait partie de ce département d’outre-mer).

English French Southern and Antarctic Lands - Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

The Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands consist of a group of volcanic islands in the southern Indian Ocean, south of Africa, approximately equidistant between ► Madagascar and ► Réunion, ► Antarctica and ► Australia (This part alone is defined as the French Southern Territories internationally) and the Adélie Land (French sovereignty exercises over this part of the Antarctica continent according to the Antarctic Treaty System).
The Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean under French sovereignty became in 2007 the fifth district of the territory and comprises four small coral islands and an atoll in the Indian Ocean. They have no permanent population. Three of the islands groups, Glorieuses, Juan de Nova and Europa, as well as the Bassas da India atoll lie in the Mozambique Channel west of Madagascar, while the fourth island, Tromelin, is about 220 miles east of Madagascar. In the same area lie ► Heard Island and McDonald Islands (which are not part of this French territory but are governed by Australia).


Short name French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Official name Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Status ► French overseas territory
Location Indian Ocean
Capital Saint-Pierre (administrative only)
Population 310 inhabitants
Area 439781 km²
Major language(s) French
Major religion(s)
More information French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Geography of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, History of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and Politics of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
More images French Southern and Antarctic Lands - French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Category).

General maps

300pxx400px
  1. The Scattered Islands (one district)
  2. Kerguelen Islands (one district)
  3. Crozet Islands (one district)
  4. Amsterdam and Saint-Paul Islands (one district)
  5. Adélie Land (one district, not shown here)

History maps

The islands that form nowadays the French Southern and Antarctic Lands are aqcuired by France between 1772 and 1843. France adds these islands and the claim on Antartica to Madagascar. France separates the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in 1955 from Madagascar.
Glorioso Island became a French possession in 1892, followed in 1897 by Bassas da India, Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island. In 1954 Tromelin Island came under French control. Since 2005 the islands have been administered on behalf of the French state by the senior administrator of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories. The islands had previously been under the administration of the prefect of Réunion since the independence of Madagascar in 1960. France maintains a military garrison of around 14 troops on each of the islands in the Mozambique Channel, which are claimed by Madagascar. The Glorieuses islands are also claimed by the Comoros, while Mauritius claims Tromelin island.

Old maps

This section holds copies of original general maps more than 70 years old.

Map drawn during the Kerguelen expedition of James Cook in 1784


The Scattered Islands (one district)

 

This district is the most recently added one (in 2007) within the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. Location of the Scattered Islands:

  1. Bassas da India
  2. Europa Island
  3. Glorioso Islands
  4. Juan de Nova Island
  5. Tromelin Island

(KM : Comoros, MG : Madagascar, MU : Mauritius, MZ : Mozambique, RE : Réunion, YT : Mayotte)

 
  Map of the Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean
  Scattered Islands

Satellite maps

  Satellite map of Bassas da India
  Satellite map of Europa Island
  Satellite map of the Glorioso Islands
  Juan de Nova, International Space Station image at low tide
  Juan de Nova, Landsat image at high tide
  Satellite map of Tromelin


Maps of Bassas da India (part of the Scattered Islands)

  CIA WFB map of Bassas da India
  CIA map of Bassas da India
  Detailed map of Bassas da India


Maps of Europa Island (part of the Scattered Islands)

  CIA WFB map of Europa Island
  Map of Europa Island (made from the CIA map)
  CIA map of Europa Island
  Map of Europa Island
  Map of Europa Island land cover (in French)
  Map of Europa Island in French


Maps of Glorioso Islands (part of the Scattered Islands)

  CIA WFB map of Glorioso Islands
  CIA map of Glorioso Islands


Maps of Juan de Nova (part of the Scattered Islands)

  Location of Juan de Nova Island
  Detailed map of the land cover of Juan de Nova Island (in French)
  CIA WFB map of Juan de Nova Island
  CIA map of Juan de Nova Island


Maps of Tromelin (part of the Scattered Islands)

  CIA WFB map of Tromelin
  CIA map of Tromelin


Kerguelen Islands (one district)

  Kerguelen Islands topographic map (district).
  Position of the Kerguelen Islands.

Crozet Islands (three district)

  Crozet Islands (district).
  Île de la Possession (part of the Crozet Islands district).

Amsterdam and Saint-Paul Islands (one district)

  Amsterdam Island (part of the Saint-Paul and Amsterdam Islands district).
  Saint-Paul Island (part of the Saint-Paul and Amsterdam Islands district).


Adélie Land (one district)

  Terre Adélie, the French claim on Antarctica.


Notes and references

General remarks:

  • The WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Atlas of the World is an organized and commented collection of geographical, political and historical maps available at Wikimedia Commons. The main page is therefore the portal to maps and cartography on Wikimedia. That page contains links to entries by country, continent and by topic as well as general notes and references.
  • Every entry has an introduction section in English. If other languages are native and/or official in an entity, introductions in other languages are added in separate sections. The text of the introduction(s) is based on the content of the Wikipedia encyclopedia. For sources of the introduction see therefore the Wikipedia entries linked to. The same goes for the texts in the history sections.
  • Historical maps are included in the continent, country and dependency entries.
  • The status of various entities is disputed. See the content for the entities concerned.
  • The maps of former countries that are more or less continued by a present-day country or had a territory included in only one or two countries are included in the atlas of the present-day country. For example the Ottoman Empire can be found in the Atlas of Turkey.

Entries available in the atlas

General pages
Atlas   ■ Historical atlas   ■ Index of the Atlas   ■ Names in native languages

The world and its continents and oceans
Quick reference   ■ Historical maps of the world   ■ Old maps
Physical and topographical   ■ Political   ■ Geological   ■ People   ■ Time and time zones   ■ Projections of the globe
Africa   ■ North and South America   ■ Antarctica   ■ Asia   ■ Europe

(History, European Union)   ■ Oceania   ■ Oceans

Themes
Administrative divisions   ■ International organizations   ■ Languages   ■ Religions

Historical eras
Prehistory   ■ Antiquity   ■ Middle Ages   ■ Rise of Islam   ■ Early Modern Age   ■ Early American Societies   ■ Early Asian Societies   ■ Age of Renaissance   ■ Colonialism   ■ Stielers Handatlas 1891   ■ 20th Century   ■ World War I   ■ World War II

Entities with undisputed sovereign status
Afghanistan   ■ Albania   ■ Algeria   ■ Andorra   ■ Angola   ■ Antigua and Barbuda   ■ Argentina   ■ Armenia   ■ Australia   ■ Austria   ■ Azerbaijan   ■ Bahamas   ■ Bahrain   ■ Bangladesh   ■ Barbados   ■ Belarus   ■ Belgium   ■ Belize   ■ Benin   ■ Bhutan   ■ Bolivia   ■ Bosnia and Herzegovina   ■ Botswana   ■ Brazil   ■ Brunei   ■ Bulgaria   ■ Burkina Faso   ■ Burundi   ■ Cambodia   ■ Cameroon   ■ Canada   ■ Cape Verde   ■ Central African Republic   ■ Chad   ■ Chile   ■ China   ■ Colombia   ■ Comoros   ■ Congo (Democratic Republic)   ■ Congo (Republic)   ■ Costa Rica   ■ Côte d’Ivoire   ■ Croatia   ■ Cuba   ■ Cyprus   ■ Czech Republic   ■ Denmark   ■ Djibouti   ■ Dominica   ■ Dominican Republic   ■ East Timor   ■ Ecuador   ■ Egypt   ■ El Salvador   ■ Equatorial Guinea   ■ Eritrea   ■ Estonia   ■ Eswatini   ■ Ethiopia   ■ Fiji   ■ Finland   ■ France   ■ Gabon   ■ Gambia   ■ Georgia   ■ Germany   ■ Ghana   ■ Greece   ■ Grenada   ■ Guatemala   ■ Guinea   ■ Guinea-Bissau   ■ Guyana   ■ Haiti   ■ Honduras   ■ Hungary   ■ Iceland   ■ India   ■ Indonesia   ■ Iran   ■ Iraq   ■ Ireland   ■ Israel   ■ Italy   ■ Jamaica   ■ Japan   ■ Jordan   ■ Kazakhstan   ■ Kenya   ■ Kiribati   ■ Korea (Democratic People’s Republic)   ■ Korea (Republic)   ■ Kuwait   ■ Kyrgyzstan   ■ Laos   ■ Latvia   ■ Lebanon   ■ Lesotho   ■ Liberia   ■ Libya   ■ Liechtenstein   ■ Lithuania   ■ Luxembourg   ■ Madagascar   ■ Malawi   ■ Malaysia   ■ Maldives   ■ Mali   ■ Malta   ■ Marshall Islands   ■ Mauritania   ■ Mauritius   ■ Mexico   ■ Micronesia (Federated States)   ■ Moldova   ■ Monaco   ■ Mongolia   ■ Montenegro   ■ Morocco   ■ Mozambique   ■ Myanmar   ■ Namibia   ■ Nauru   ■ Nepal   ■ Netherlands   ■ New Zealand   ■ Nicaragua   ■ Niger   ■ Nigeria   ■ North Macedonia   ■ Norway   ■ Oman   ■ Pakistan   ■ Palau   ■ Panama   ■ Papua New Guinea   ■ Paraguay   ■ Peru   ■ Philippines   ■ Poland   ■ Portugal   ■ Qatar   ■ Romania   ■ Russia   ■ Rwanda   ■ Saint Kitts and Nevis   ■ Saint Lucia   ■ Saint Vincent and the Grenadines   ■ Samoa   ■ San Marino   ■ São Tomé and Príncipe   ■ Saudi Arabia   ■ Senegal   ■ Serbia   ■ Seychelles   ■ Sierra Leone   ■ Singapore   ■ Slovakia   ■ Slovenia   ■ Solomon Islands   ■ Somalia   ■ South Africa   ■ South Sudan   ■ Spain   ■ Sri Lanka   ■ Sudan   ■ Suriname   ■ Sweden   ■ Switzerland   ■ Syria   ■ Tajikistan   ■ Tanzania   ■ Thailand   ■ Togo   ■ Tonga   ■ Trinidad and Tobago   ■ Tunisia   ■ Turkey   ■ Turkmenistan   ■ Tuvalu   ■ Uganda   ■ Ukraine   ■ United Arab Emirates   ■ United Kingdom   ■ United States   ■ Uruguay   ■ Uzbekistan   ■ Vanuatu   ■ Vatican City   ■ Venezuela   ■ Vietnam   ■ Yemen   ■ Zambia   ■ Zimbabwe

Entities with disputed sovereign status
Abkhazia   ■ Artsakh   ■ Kosovo   ■ Northern Cyprus   ■ Palestine   ■ Somaliland   ■ South Ossetia   ■ Taiwan   ■ Tatarstan   ■ Transnistria   ■ Western Sahara

Dependencies and other overseas territories
Akrotiri and Dhekelia   ■ Åland   ■ American Samoa   ■ Anguilla   ■ Aruba   ■ Ascension Island   ■ Ashmore and Cartier Islands   ■ Baker Island   ■ Bermuda   ■ Bouvet Island   ■ British Indian Ocean Territory   ■ British Virgin Islands   ■ Cayman Islands   ■ Christmas Island   ■ Clipperton Island   ■ Cocos (Keeling) Islands   ■ Cook Islands   ■ Coral Sea Islands   ■ Curaçao   ■ Faroe Islands   ■ French Guiana   ■ French Polynesia   ■ French Southern and Antarctic Lands   ■ Gibraltar   ■ Greenland   ■ Guadeloupe   ■ Guam   ■ Guantanamo Bay   ■ Guernsey   ■ Heard Island and McDonald Islands   ■ Hong Kong   ■ Howland Island   ■ Isle of Man   ■ Jan Mayen   ■ Jarvis Island   ■ Jersey   ■ Johnston Atoll   ■ Kingman Reef   ■ Macau   ■ Martinique   ■ Mayotte   ■ Midway Atoll   ■ Montserrat   ■ Navassa Island   ■ New Caledonia   ■ Niue   ■ Norfolk Island   ■ Northern Mariana Islands   ■ Palmyra Atoll   ■ Pitcairn Islands   ■ Puerto Rico   ■ Réunion   ■ Saint Helena   ■ Saint Martin (France)   ■ Saint-Barthélemy   ■ Saint-Pierre and Miquelon   ■ Sint Maarten (Netherlands)   ■ Svalbard   ■ Tokelau   ■ Tristan da Cunha   ■ Turks and Caicos Islands   ■ United States Virgin Islands   ■ Wake Island   ■ Wallis and Futuna

Disputed subnational entities and territories
Bajo Nuevo Bank   ■ Crimea   ■ Falkland Islands   ■ Gilgit–Baltistan   ■ Kurdistan (Syrian)   ■ Kashmir   ■ Ladakh   ■ Paracel Islands   ■ Serranilla Bank   ■ South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands   ■ Spratly Islands   ■

Subnational autonomous entities
Aceh   ■ Adjara   ■ Adygea   ■ Altai   ■ Andalusia   ■ Aosta Valley   ■ Aragon   ■ Asturias   ■ Athos   ■ Azores   ■ Balearic Islands   ■ Bashkortostan   ■ Basque Autonomous Community   ■ Bonaire   ■ Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federation of)   ■ Bougainville   ■ Brussels   ■ Buryatia   ■ Canary Islands   ■ Catalonia   ■ Chechnya   ■ Chuvashia   ■ Corsica   ■ Dagestan   ■ Easter Island   ■ England   ■ Extremadura   ■ Flanders   ■ Friuli-Venezia Giulia   ■ Gagauzia   ■ Galicia   ■ Galápagos Islands   ■ Gilgit–Baltistan   ■ Gorno-Badakhshan   ■ Guangxi   ■ Ingushetia   ■ Islamabad Capital Territory   ■ Inner Mongolia   ■ Kabardino-Balkaria   ■ Kalmykia   ■ Karachay-Cherkessia   ■ Karakalpakstan   ■ Karelia   ■ Khakassia   ■ Komi   ■ Kurdistan (Iraqi)   ■ Khyber Pakhtunkhwa   ■ Madeira   ■ Mari El   ■ Muslim Mindanao   ■ Mordovia   ■ Nakhichevan   ■ Navarre   ■ Nevis   ■ Ningxia   ■ North Ossetia – Alania   ■ Northern Ireland   ■ Nunatsiavut   ■ Quebec   ■ Saba   ■ Sakha   ■ Sardinia   ■ Scotland   ■ Sicily   ■ Sindh   ■ Sint Eustatius   ■ Srpska   ■ Tibet   ■ Tłı̨chǫ   ■ Trentino-Alto Adige   ■ Tuva   ■ Udmurtia   ■ Vojvodina   ■ Wales   ■ Wallonia   ■ Xinjiang   ■ Zanzibar

Other regions
Basque Country   ■ Burzenland   ■ Catalan Countries   ■ Frisia   ■ Kurdistan   ■ Manchuria   ■ Sápmi   ■ Svenskfinland   ■ Székely Land   ■ Transylvania

Former sovereign nations
Austria-Hungary   ■ Byzantine Empire   ■ Caliphate   ■ Czechoslovakia   ■ Frankish Empire   ■ Kingdom of Hawaiʻi   ■ Inca Empire   ■ Iroquois Confederacy   ■ Macedonian Empire   ■ Ottoman Empire   ■ Prussia   ■ Roman Empire   ■ Soviet Union   ■ Republic of Texas   ■ Vermont Republic   ■ Republic of West Florida   ■ Yugoslavia

Former dependencies and overseas territories
Netherlands Antilles

Former disputed territories
Tamil Eelam