When was Kerguelen discovered?

When was Kerguelen discovered?

1772
Glacier in the Kerguelen Islands. Discovered in 1772 by the French navigator Yves-Joseph de Kerguélen-Trémarec and later explored by the British explorer Captain James Cook, the archipelago was often frequented by whalers and seal hunters.

Who discovered the Kerguelen Islands?

In 1825, the British sealer John Nunn and three crew members from Favourite were shipwrecked on Kerguelen until they were rescued in 1827 by Captain Alexander Distant during his hunting campaign.

Does anyone live on the Kerguelen Islands?

The Kerguelen Islands are located 2,051 miles away from any sort of civilization. There are no native inhabitants of the island, but as part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands it is permanently occupied by 50 to 100 French scientists, engineers and researchers at any given time of the year.

Where are the Kerguelen Islands?

The Kerguelen Islands are an overseas territory of France. But their far-off location in the southern Indian Ocean places these islands far closer to Antarctica than to mainland Europe. In fact, the islands are so remote and the landscape so harsh that they have also been called the “Desolation Islands.”

Which continent is Kerguelen?

Kerguelen is a microcontinent in the southern Indian Ocean, 3,000 km southwest of Australia and not far from Antarctica….The author(s) of this world are openly seeking contributions to this work.

Geographic map of Kerguelen
Geopolitical map of Kerguelen
Demonym Kerguelean

Where is the Kerguelen Plateau?

Southern Ocean
Kerguelen Plateau is one of the largest volcanic plateaus in the world and the largest in the Southern Ocean. It lies about 3 000km to the southwest of Fremantle (Western Australia) and is nearly three times the size of Japan or four times the size of the British Isles.

Where is Kerguelen Islands located?

France
The Kerguelen Islands are an overseas territory of France. But their far-off location in the southern Indian Ocean places these islands far closer to Antarctica than to mainland Europe.

What do you call an island with no people?

The Sentinelese are an uncontacted tribe living on North Sentinal Island, one of the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean. They vigorously reject all contact with outsiders. They live on their own small forested island called North Sentinel, which is approximately the size of Manhattan.

Can you go to the Kerguelen Islands?

This requires careful planning, as the islands are not easy to get to. Tourists can book a cabin in the base support ship Marion Dufresne for around €9,000. There are four trips open to tourists per year. Although very infrequent, a few small cruise ships have made stops in Kerguelen.

What formed Kerguelen Plateau?

The plateau was produced by the Kerguelen hotspot, starting with or following the breakup of Gondwana about 130 million years ago. A small portion of the plateau breaks sea level, forming the Kerguelen Islands (a French overseas territory) plus the Heard and McDonald Islands (an Australian external territory).

How did the Kerguelen Islands get their name?

The islands are named after French explorer Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec. The islands were officially discovered by the French navigator Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec on 12 February 1772. The next day, Charles de Boisguehenneuc landed and claimed the island for the French crown.

What is Kerguelen famous for?

As Kerguelen lies on the Antarctic Convergence where upwelling cold water from the Antarctic mixes with the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean, birdlife and marine mammals are abundant. The state of the sea reflects the high wind speeds, with wave heights of 12-15 m (40-50 ft.) being common.

What is the population of the Kerguelen in France?

Kerguelen has been continually occupied since 1950 by scientific research teams, with a population of 50 to 100 personnel frequently present. There is also a French satellite tracking station.

Are the Kerguelen Islands part of Madagascar?

Until 1955, the Kerguelen Islands were administratively part of the French Colony of Madagascar and Dependencies. That same year, they collectively became known as Les Terres australes et antarctiques françaises (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and were administratively part of the French Département d’outre-mer de la Réunion.

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