Australian Antarctic Territory (Australia)--part: 45 degrees to 60 degrees east; Françaises Southern and antarctiques Lands (France)--part: Crozet Islands

How is the land laid out?

This part of Greater Antarctica has two land and two sea zones. Most of this area is a high plateau, covered by thick ice. Nearer the coast are mountains: the Scott and the Napier Mountains among them. The coast itself has two narrow peninsulas and one wide one. Offshore is ice shelf, embedding within it the one island. Beyond the shelf is sea ice, the degree of packing varying seasonally.

Also included are a set of islands in the southern Indian Ocean: the Crozets.

Map

Who lives there?

A small research year-round research station is on one of the Crozet Islands, which are administered by France. French is likely to be the language in use, and Roman Catholic Christianity the most likely religion or religious background.

Who was there before?

No-one even visited Greater Antarctica before the late 19th century. Within the mainland area, the former year-round research station, Molodezhnaya,¹ administered by Russia in the 20th century, has closed. The Crozets were first visited in the 18th century.

Around the Area

north
east
west

Footnotes

1. Also transliterated from Russian as Molodežnaja.