'''Kerguelen Archipelago''' is in French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Regions

Grande Terre, the main island, measures 150 km east to west and 120 km north to south. It is home to a permanent weather base - Port Aux Francais. The highest peak is Mont Ross, which is on the west side of the island and has an elevation of 1850 m. It is covered by Cook Glacier. The island has numerous peninsulas islets.

Following is a list of the most important of the satellite islands:

  • Ile Foch in the north is the largest, with an area of 206.2 km2. The highest point is 687 m at Pyramide Mexicaine.
  • Ile Saint-Lanne Gramont, also in the north, is the second largest, with an area of 45.8 km2. It is 480 m at the highest point and is located at 48__55__S 69__12__E).
  • Ile du Port, also in the north in the Golfe des Baliniers, is the third largest with an area of 43.0 km2, with a highest altitude of 340 m.
  • Ile de l'Ouest (west, about 40 km2)
  • Ile Longue (southeast, about 40 km2)
  • Iles Nuageuses (northwest)
  • Ile de Castries 48__41__S 69__29__E
  • Ile Leygues (north)
  • Ile Howe (north) 48__50__S 69__25__E
  • Ile Violette 49__07__S 69__40__E
  • Ile aux Rennes (southeast, area 36.7 km2, altitude 199 m, 49__32__S 69__54__E)
  • Cities

    Port-aux-Francais

    Other destinations

    French Southern and Antarctic Lands [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Southern_and_Antarctic_Lands]

    Understand

    The Kerguelen Islands or the Kerguelen Archipelago is a group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean. It is far far away from any civilization. It was discovered in 1772 by a French expedition and currently is a territory of France.

    The Kerguelen Islands are located at 49__15__S 69__35__E. This places the archipelago just outside of the Antarctic circle. The main island, Grande Terre, originally called Desolation Island, is 6,675 km2 and it is surrounded by another 300 smaller islands and islets, forming an archipelago of 7,215 km2. All the islands combined, it is slightly larger than the state of Delaware. The climate is cold and very windy and the seas are usually rough.

    Talk

    French

    Get in

    This requires careful planning, as the islands are not easy to get to. Mounting an expedition may be helpful.

    Get around

    legs

    See

    Historic localities

    There are also a number of historic localities, all on Grande Terre (see also the main map):

  • Anse Betsy (historic geomagnetic station at 49__10__S 70__13__E), on Baie Accessible, on the north coast of Peninsule Courbet. At this site, an astronomic and geomagnetic observatory was erected on October 26, 1874 by a German research expedition led by Georg Gustav Freiherr von Schleinitz.
  • Armor (Base Armor)
  • Baie de l'Observatoire (historic geomagnetic station at 49__21__S 70__12__E), just west of Port-Aux-Francais, also at the south coast of Peninsule Courbet, northern shore of Golfe du Morbihan. A station was erected at this site by the German Antarctic Expedition led by Erich Dagobert von Drygalski (1902 to 1903).
  • Cabane Port-Raymond (scientific camp at 49__20__S 69__49__E), at the head of a fjord cutting off Peninsule Courbet from the south
  • Cap Ratmanoff (geomagnetic station at 49__14__S 70__34__E, the easternmost point of Kerguelen)
  • La Montjoie (scientific camp at 48__59__S 68__50__E), on the south of Baie Rocheuse, northern west coast
  • Molloy (Pointe Molloy), former observatory 10 km west of later Port-Aux-Francais, at the south coast of Peninsule Courbet, northern shore of Golfe du Morbihan. An American expedition led by G. P. Ryan erected a station at this site on September 7, 1874.
  • Port Bizet (seismographic station at 49__31__12 S__69__54), on the north coast of Ile Longue)
  • Port Christmas (historic geomagnetic station at 48__41__S 69__03__E), on Baie de l'Oiseau, Peninsule Loranchet, extreme northwest. The place was named by James Cook, who discovered the islands and who anchored there on Christmas Day, 1797.
  • Port Couvreux (formerly a whaling station, an experimental sheep farm and a geomagnetic station, at 49__17__S 69__42__E), on Baie du Hillsborough, on the southeast coast of Presqu'ile Bouquet de la Grye. From 1912 sheep were bred to create an economic basis for settlement, but the attempt had to be abandoned in 1931.
  • Port Curieuse (harbor on the West coast at 49__22__S 68__48__E), on the west coast across Ile du l'Ouest. The site was named after ship Curieuse used by Raymond Rallier du Baty on his second visit the islands in 1913 to 1914.
  • Port Douzieme (literally Twelfth Port, hut and geomagnetic station at 49__31__S 70__09__E), on the north coast of Presqu'ile Ronarch, southern shore of Golfe du Morbihan
  • Port Jeanne d'Arc (former whaling station founded by Norwegian whalers in 1908, and historic geomagnetic station at 49__33__S 69__49__E), in the northwestern corner of Presqu'ile Jeanne d'Arc, looking across Passe de Buenos Aires to Ile Longue (4 km northeast). The derelict settlement consists of four residential buildings with wooden walls and tin roofs and a barn. One of the buildings was restored in 1977.
  • Since 1963, 49__22__S 70__14__E just east of Port-aux-Francais is a launch site for sounding rockets (mainly Arcas, Dragon and Eridan).

    Itineraries

    Do

    There are many interesting animals and plants. These include penguins, seals, Kerguelen cabbages, rabbits, cats and fish.

    Eat

    There are about 3500 sheep on the island, so look forward to lots of mutton.

    Drink

    Water.

    Stay safe

    The population of these islands is only about 110. Most are scientists or weather watchers. There is no risk of crime. Only danger may be the cold or getting lost.

    Get out