Administration
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands have formed a territoire d'outre-mer (an overseas territory) of France since 1955. Formerly, they were administered from Paris by an administrateur supérieur assisted by a secretary-general; since December 2004, however, their administrator has been a préfet, currently Pascal Bolot, with headquarters in Saint-Pierre on Réunion Island.
The territory is divided into five districts:
| District | Capital | Winter Population | Summer Population | Area (km²) |
EEZ (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Îles Saint Paul et Amsterdam | Martin-de-Viviès | 25 | 45 | 61 | 502,533 |
| Archipel Crozet | Alfred Faure | 25 | 45 | 352 | 567,475 |
| Archipel des Kerguelen | Port-aux-Français | 70 | 110 | 7,215 | 563,869 |
| Terre Adélie | Dumont d'Urville Station | 30 | 110 | 432,000 | - |
| Îles Éparses(1) | Saint-Pierre(2) | 56 | 56 | 38.6 | 593,276 |
| TAAF | Saint-Pierre(3) | 150 | 310 | 439,781 | 2,274,277 |
(1)
(2)
(3)
Each district is headed by a district chief, which has powers similar to those of a French mayor (including recording births and deaths and being an officer of judicial police).
Because there is no permanent population, there is no elected assembly, nor does the territory send representatives to the national parliament.
Read more about this topic: French Southern And Antarctic Lands