Adélie Land

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Flag of the French Southern Territories of which Adélie Land forms the majority portion.

Not to be confused with France Antarctique.

Adélie Land is the portion of the Antarctic coast between Pourquoi Pas Point at 66°12′S 136°11′E and Point Alden at 66°48′S 142°02′E, with a shore length of 350 km and with its hinterland extending as a sector about 2600 km toward the South Pole. It is one of four districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. The land area, mostly ice covered, is estimated at 432 000 km².

Since January 12, 1956, there has been a permanently staffed French research base at 66°40′S 140°01′E, Dumont d'Urville Station, with a winter population of 33, which goes up to 78 in the Antarctic summer. The first French station, Port Martin, was built April 9, 1950 at 66°49′04″S, 141°23′39″E, but destroyed by fire the night of January 23 to 24, 1952. Port Martin hosted a winter population of 11 in 1950 and of 17 in 1951.

France has also maintained an inland station on the Antarctic ice sheet, 320 km from the coast and from Dumont d'Urville Station, at an elevation of 2400 meters, Charcot Station (named after Jean-Baptiste Charcot) at 69°22′S 139°01′E, built for the IGY 1957/1958, in operation from January 1957 to 1960, which housed only three men. The station was largely dug into the snow to protect it against the strong winds.

Adélie Land borders on the Australian Antarctic Territory both West and East, namely on Claire Land (part of Wilkes Land) in the West, and George V Land in the East.

The coast was discovered in 1837 by French explorer Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville, who named it after his wife, Adélie.

[edit] See also

List of places named after people

[edit] External links

http://www.discoverfrance.net/Colonies/Terre_Adelie.shtml

v • d • e

French overseas departments and territories

Departments¹
Guadeloupe • French Guiana • Martinique • Réunion

Overseas communities²
Mayotte (collectivité départementale) • French Polynesia (pays d'outre-mer) • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (collectivité territoriale) • Wallis and Futuna (territoire)

Special status
New Caledonia

Uninhabited lands
French Southern Territories (Amsterdam Island • Saint-Paul Island • Crozet Islands • Kerguelen Islands • Adélie Land) • Clipperton • Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean

¹ These overseas departments are also overseas regions. Guadeloupe currently includes Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin which in 2003 voted to become separate collectivités d'outre-mer ; the change will be implemented in early 2007.
² Each overseas community has its own status (indicated in brackets).