Kerguelen Islands Îles Kerguelen (French) | |
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| Motto: "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" (French) (English: "Liberty, equality, fraternity") | |
| Anthem: "La Marseillaise" | |
 Location of the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean | |
 Map of the Kerguelen Islands | |
| Status | District of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| Largest city | Port-aux-Français |
| Official languages | French |
| Demonym(s) | Kerguelenois |
| Government | |
| Emmanuel Macron | |
• Administrator | Pascal Bolot[1] |
• Head of District | Disker[1] |
| French overseas territory | |
• Discovery and claim | February 1772 |
• administered as a district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands | 1955 |
| Area | |
• Total | 7,215 km2 (2,786 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | ~20% |
| Population | |
• Estimate |
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| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC+5 |
| Calling code | +262 |
| Internet TLD | .tf |
The Kerguelen Islands (/kərˈɡeɪlən/ or /ˈkɜːrɡələn/;[2] in French commonly Îles Kerguelen but officially Archipel Kerguelen,[3] pronounced [kɛʁɡelɛn]), also known as the Desolation Islands (Îles de la Désolation in French), are a group of islands in the sub-Antarctic region. They are among the most isolated places on Earth, with the closest territory being the Heard Island and McDonald Islands territory of Australia located at roughly 450 km (240 nmi), and the nearest inhabited territory being Madagascar at more than 3,300 kilometres (1,800 nautical miles) in distance. The islands, along with Adélie Land, the Crozet Islands, Amsterdam and Saint Paul islands, and France's Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean, are part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and are administered as a separate district.
The islands constitute one of the two exposed parts of the Kerguelen Plateau (the other being Heard Island and the McDonald islands), a large igneous province mostly submerged in the southern Indian Ocean. The main island, Grande Terre, is 6,675 km2 (2,577 sq mi) in area, about three-quarters of the size of Corsica, and is surrounded by a further 300 smaller islands and islets,[4] forming an archipelago of 7,215 km2 (2,786 sq mi). The climate is harsh and chilly with frequent high winds throughout the year. The surrounding seas are generally rough and they remain ice-free year-round. There are no indigenous inhabitants, but France maintains a permanent presence of 45 to 100 soldiers, scientists, engineers, and researchers.[5] There are no airports on the islands, so all travel to and from the outside world is by ship.
- ^ a b Official organisational chart
- ^ "Kerguelen, n." Oxford English Dictionary. 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
Pronunciation: /kəˈɡeɪlən/ /ˈkəːɡələn/
, respectively kər-GAY-lən or KUR-gə-lən. - ^ "Collectivités territoriales françaises" (PDF) (in French). Commission nationale de toponymie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Kerguelen Islands". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- ^ Sea Level Measurement and Analysis in the Western Indian Ocean, UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission