French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Antarctic · Capital: Port-aux-Français
How it is run: French Southern and Antarctic Lands is a territory or observer, so some decisions about it are made elsewhere. The research links below explain who is in charge.
French Southern and Antarctic Lands is home to a community in Antarctic, where people speak French.
Numbers that tell a story 🔢
👥 People
Not counted in world data
🗺️ Land
7,747 km²
About the size of a small US state such as Vermont or New Hampshire.
🏙️ How crowded
Not enough data
📊 Size in its region
Part of Antarctic
2nd largest by land in Antarctic.
🗣️ Official languages
French
💰 Money
Euro (€)
Everyday details 🧭
📞 Phone code
+262
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
🌐 Websites end in
.tf
🧑 People here are called
French
🏷️ Name at home
Terres australes et antarctiques françaises
Also written: French Southern Territories.
🌊 Coast or inland
Has a coastline
🕊️ UN voting group
Not a UN member
Neighbours & borders 🤝
French Southern and Antarctic Lands has no land borders at all. It is surrounded by water, so boats and planes are the way in and out.
Say its name around the world 🗣️
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Tierras Australes y Antárticas Francesas
French
Terres australes et antarctiques françaises
Arabic
أراض فرنسية جنوبية وأنتارتيكية
Chinese
法国南部和南极土地
Japanese
フランス領南方・南極地域
Russian
Французские Южные и Антарктические территории
Portuguese
Terras Austrais e Antárticas Francesas
German
Französische Süd- und Antarktisgebiete
Put it in perspective 📏
- French Southern and Antarctic Lands covers roughly 74 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
Fast facts 🧠
Fact of the day: French Southern and Antarctic Lands sits in Antarctic, in the southern and eastern half of the globe.
🏷️ Official name
Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
🏙️ Capital
Port-aux-Français
🌍 Region
Antarctic · Antarctic
🔤 Country code
TF
🕊️ UN status
Not a UN member state
🚩 Independence
Linked territory
More about French Southern and Antarctic Lands 🔎
🧭 Where on the map
49.3° S, 69.2° E
🌐 Half of the world
Southern & Eastern hemisphere
🕰️ Clock check
Roughly UTC+5 — when it is noon in London it is about 17:00 in Port-aux-Français.
- 🇹🇫 is the flag of French Southern and Antarctic Lands. Its country code — the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics — is TF.
- French Southern and Antarctic Lands sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- French Southern and Antarctic Lands is close to the line of 0° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- French Southern and Antarctic Lands is a territory linked to another country, so some decisions are made elsewhere.
- French Southern and Antarctic Lands sits in Antarctic, in the southern and eastern half of the globe.
Countries nearby 🤝
Talk about it 💬
- French Southern and Antarctic Lands has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- French Southern and Antarctic Lands can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If French Southern and Antarctic Lands spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz 🧪
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of French Southern and Antarctic Lands?
Port-aux-Français
Which money do people spend in French Southern and Antarctic Lands?
Euro (€)
How many countries share a land border with French Southern and Antarctic Lands?
None — no land neighbours at all.
Roughly how many people live in French Southern and Antarctic Lands?
World data does not count this place separately.
Keep researching 🔍
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further — and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here — kid-friendly encyclopedias 📚
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources 🏛️
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy 📰
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card 🏫
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians — all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.