Adélie Land

Adélie Land is a special area in Antarctica that France claims as its own. It is one of seven places in Antarctica where countries say they have rights. This land stretches from the coast of the Southern Ocean all the way to the South Pole. Since 1955, France has been in charge of this area as part of its group of territories called the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

People from France have lived and worked there all year long since April 9, 1950. The area follows special rules set by something called the Antarctic Treaty System, which helps keep Antarctica peaceful and for science. Even though countries make these claims, the treaty makes sure that no one loses their rights or gains new ones just because of the agreement.

Geography

Adélie Land is a part of Antarctica that belongs to France. It stretches along the coast from 136° E to 142° E and goes inland toward the South Pole. The coast of Adélie Land is about 350 kilometres (220 miles) long, and the land area is mostly covered in ice, covering around 432,000 square kilometres (167,000 square miles).

The area is known for very strong winds that push snow and ice away from the coast. It is surrounded by land claimed by Australia on both sides.

History

The coast of Adélie Land was found in January 1840 by the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville. He named it after his wife, Adèle. This is why France claims this part of Antarctica. The first French research station, Port Martin, was built in 1950 but was destroyed by a fire in 1952. It was replaced by Dumont d'Urville Station in 1956. Another station called Charcot Station was used from 1957 to 1960. Today, only Cap Prud'Homme Camp and Dumont d'Urville Station are still active.

Research stations

Port Martin and Base Marret (1950–1952)

Main article: Port Martin

In 1950, a French team found a good spot for a research base called Port Martin. They set up the base with 11 people staying there over the winter. The next year, more people joined, and they built a smaller base called Base Marret on Petrel Island. Sadly, Port Martin caught fire in 1952, but everyone was safe and stayed at Base Marret.

Dumont d'Urville Station (1956–present)

Main article: Dumont d'Urville Station

Dumont d'Urville Station is a French research base that has been operating since 1956. It is located on Petrel Island, close to the mainland. The station is used for many kinds of science work, like studying plants, sea life, ice, and weather. It can hold many people during the summer and a smaller group during the winter.

Charcot Station (1957–1960)

Charcot Station was a small French base built inland on the Antarctic ice. It was set up for a science project and had just three people staying there from 1957 to 1960. The base was designed in a special way to handle heavy snow.

Robert Guillard Station (1994–present)

Robert Guillard Station, also called Cap Prud'Homme, is a camp used by both Italy and France. It opened in 1994 and is located near the coast of Adélie Land. Supplies for another faraway base are brought here and then taken to their destination by a team of people and vehicles.

Wildlife

Part of the Pointe Géologie Archipelago in Adélie Land is protected by the Antarctic Specially Protected Area 120.

In 2010, a glacier blocked a river, causing extra ice to cover the rocky areas where Adélie penguins need to build their nests.

Before 2017, about 18,000 pairs of Adélie penguins lived in Adélie Land. But in 2017, extra sea ice made it very hard for the penguins to reach the ocean. Because of this, almost all the baby penguins that year didn’t get enough food and became too tired, and many did not survive. Near the Dumont d'Urville Station, you can also find emperor penguins and seals.