French Possessions

Bassas da India (0.1 sq mi, 0.2 sq km), a French possession since 1897, is an uninhabited volcanic atoll off the southeastern coast of Africa in the Mozambique channel.

Map of Bassas da India Source: The World Factbook 2003

Clipperton Island (2 sq mi, 6 sq km) is an uninhabited atoll named for a pirate who used it as a hideout in the 18th century. Located in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Mexico, it was claimed by France in 1855, seized by Mexico in 1897, and ultimately awarded to France in 1935.

See also Clipperton Island: Pirate's Lair.

Map of Clipperton Island Source: The World Factbook 2003

Europa Island (11 sq mi, 28 sq km), a French possession since 1897, is located off the southeastern coast of Africa in the southern Mozambique channel. A small French military garrison resides there.

Map of Europa Island Source: The World Factbook 2003

Glorioso Islands (2 sq mi, 5 sq km), a French possession since 1892, is composed of two coral islands (Ile Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. Uninhabited except for a military garrison on Ile Glorieuse, the islands are located off Southern Africa, northwest of Madagascar.

Map of Glorioso Islands Source: The World Factbook 2003

Juan de Nova Island (1.7 sq mi, 4.4 sq km) is named after a famous 15th-century Spanish explorer and has been a French possession since 1897. Located off southern Africa in the Mozambique Channel, the island is inhabited by a small French garrison.

Map of Juan de Nova Island Source: The World Factbook 2003

Tromelin Island (0.4 sq mi, 1 sq km), a possession of France since 1814, is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. It currently serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and a meteorological station.

Map of Tromelin Island Source: The World Factbook 2003

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