Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean

Infobox Country
native_name = "Îles éparses de l'océan indien"
conventional_long_name = Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean

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symbol_type = Coat of arms
national_motto = "Liberté, égalité, fraternité"
national_anthem = La Marseillaise


map_caption = Location of the Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean:
• 1 : Bassas da India• 2 : Europa Island• 3 : Glorioso Islands• 4 : Juan de Nova Island• 5 : Tromelin Island(KM : Comoros, MG : Madagascar, MU : Mauritius, MZ : Mozambique, RE : Reunion, YT : Mayotte)The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean (French: "Îles Éparses" or "Îles éparses de l'océan indien") consist of four small coral islands and an atoll in the Indian Ocean. They have no permanent population. Three of the islands, the Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova, and Europa, as well as the Bassas da India atoll, lie in the Mozambique Channel west of Madagascar, while the fourth island, Tromelin, lies about 220 miles east of Madagascar. Also in the Mozambique Channel is the Banc du Geyser, which was annexed by Madagascar in 1976. France continues to view the Banc du Geyser as part of the Îles Éparses.

According to new law 2007-224 of February 21, 2007, the Scattered Islands constitute the 5th district of French Southern and Antarctic Lands [http://www.taaf.fr/rubriques/iles/iles_introduction.htm] .

The islands have been classified as nature reserves. Except for Bassas da India, they all support meteorological stations. The meteorological stations on the Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova, and Europa Island are automated. The station on Tromelin Island, in particular, provides warning of cyclones threatening Madagascar, Reunion, or Mauritius. Each of the islands, except Bassas da India, has an airstrip of more than 1,000 metres. Mauritius, the Comoros , Seychelles, and Madagascar dispute France's sovereignty over the islands. Mauritius claims Tromelin; the Comoros and Seychelles claim the Glorioso Islands; and Madagascar claims the remaining islands.

Overview

Individual islands

*Bassas da India
**Ten unnamed rock islets
*Europa Island
**Île Europa
**Eight unnamed rock islets
*Glorioso Islands
**Grande Glorieuse
**Île du Lys
**Wreck Rock
**South Rock
**Verte Rocks (three islets)
**Three unnamed islets
*Juan de Nova Island
*Tromelin Island

Administration

Since January 3, 2005, the Îles Éparses have been administered on behalf of the French state by the senior administrator of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands ("TAAF" — "les Terres Australes et Antartiques Françaises"), based in Réunion. The Îles Éparses had previously been under the administration of the prefect of Réunion since the independence of Madagascar in 1960. France maintains a military garrison of around 14 troops on each of the islands in the Mozambique Channel that are claimed by Madagascar. The Glorioso Islands are also claimed by the Comoros, while Mauritius claims Tromelin Island.

France claims an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles around each of the small islands in the Îles Éparses, which together with the EEZ claims for the islands of Réunion and Mayotte totals more than one million square kilometres in the western Indian Ocean. There is considerable overlap of the EEZ with the neighbouring states.

See also

* French overseas departments and territories
* Administrative divisions of France
* Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific Oceans
* French Southern and Antarctic Lands

External links

* [http://www.outre-mer.gouv.fr/outremer/front?id=outremer/decouvrir_outre_mer/les_iles_eparses_1049904806609 Official site] (in French)