What is Kerguelen? Islands The Kerguelen Archipelago is a group of 301 islands, the largest of which is Gran Ter (which means "big land"), because it occupies 92.5% of the total territory of 7215 square meters. km It is him who is considered Kerguelen all over the world. The geographical coordinates of Kerguelen Island: 49 about 15``.S. 69 about 15` east
General Description of the Kerguelen Archipelago
The archipelago is located 2 thousand kilometers from the coast of Antarctica, on the southern side of the Indian Ocean, and is a component of the French Southern and Antarctic territories. The western part of the island is covered with Cook's ice cap, covering 400 square meters. km territory. Kerguelen Islands are the result of volcanic activity, dotted with numerous ponds and lakes. Volcano Mont Ross - the highest point of Kerguelen, is located in a southwestern direction and reaches a height of 1800 meters above sea level.
Geographically, the archipelago belongs to Antarctica, officially it is the territory of France. The nearest administrative district of the overseas department is located on the island of Reunion, it is about 6 days by sea. All internal issues on the island of Kerguelen is decided by a council of 13 people.
Kerguelen is also called the islands of Disconsolation, Desolation, Loneliness, Hopelessness. And this is easy to explain: there are very few such desolate desolate places on the globe.
Climatic conditions of the island
The climate of Kerguelen Island is severe, with constantly blowing cold winds of the western direction. Their speed has a hurricane force and is 150-200 km / h. The shakes are shaking under storm waves falling on them.
In the summer, there are sharp, strong, whip showers; in the winter, wet snow is added to them. The coldest month is August, the average monthly temperature is -1 ° C. The warmest is February, with an average temperature of + 9 ° C.
History of the Kerguelen Archipelago
The archipelago got its name (in the first version it was Kerguelen’s land) by the name of the French navigator Yves-Joseph Tremarek de Kerguelen, who discovered this land in February 1772. A year later, the Frenchman made a new expedition to the islands, after which he was sent to prison. Reason for conclusion: Kerguelen left part of his team on a deserted island. The court could not prove the seafarer's guilt, he was soon released and ended his career with the rank of counter-admiral.
In 1776, James Cook, the famous navigator, visited the Kerguelen Islands; in his honor got its name the glacier that covers Mount Mont Ross - the highest peak of the island.
In France, the discovery of Kerguelen did not cause much interest. In 1893, the Le Havre business brothers Gavier received a concession for economic activity for a period of 50 years and the rights of residents. Entrepreneurs began to engage in sheep breeding, but such an undertaking did not bring the expected result.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the berths of Kerguelen - Port Joan of Arc and Port-au-France - were whaling bases and carried out immense poaching of valuable animals, regardless of any norms. Having exterminated almost all sperm whales and seals, the whalers left these territories.
Then, in 1928, at the pier of Port-au-France, the French built a small canning factory that processed lobsters. But this undertaking had to be abandoned due to the drunken brawl of the workers, because it would be unprofitable to maintain police on the islands, women also refused to go here.
Kerguelen - territory of France
In 1939, France confirmed its own rights to the Kerguelen Islands and sent the ship “Bougainville” to their territories. After a number of work done, it became clear that the archipelago is convenient in terms of geophysical and meteorological observations, due to its geographical location. However, the Second World War prevented the implementation of this concept. Such a convenient place was used by another country - Germany. In the years 1940-1942. German cruisers began to sail to the archipelago as a secluded place located at the end of the world and held secret meetings where plans for naval operations were developed.
In 1949, the French erected a research station on the island, which operates to this day. In 1955, the Parliament of the French Republic passed a law stating that the Kerguelen archipelago, among other islands and archipelagos, is originally French territory and is called the French possession in the Antarctic. On the island since the 1970s there is a satellite communications station.
Ordinary life on the island
The nearest centers of civilization are thousands of nautical miles away. Airplanes do not fly to Kerguelen Island in the Indian Ocean. Only scientists, harbor workers, personnel of the satellite tracking station, employees of public institutions live here; There is no permanent population. In the summer, this is about 200 people, in winter - 2 times less.
If you look at the life of Kerguelen Island from the perspective of a person, you can say that there is a struggle for survival. Scientists: geologists, meteorologists, biologists, climatologists, geophysicists - on a rotational basis do their work, which is of great importance for all mankind. Indeed, obtaining the most complete information about the processes occurring on our planet gives at least some understanding of them.
Scientists conducting such necessary research are interested in spending their own leisure time: they go skiing, make bonfires, shoot well, and know how to navigate the terrain. Indeed, in such conditions, one should be as careful as possible; inattention and relaxation are simply dangerous; the slightest step away from the station - and a person can easily get lost and disappear in an unknown direction. There are no roads on Kerguelen, but people have adapted to travel around the island on off-road vehicles.
Kerguelen vegetation
What grows on Kerlegen? All islands have grass, juicy and tall. Creeping shrubs are also rare. In this way, the plants adapted to strong winds. There are no trees on Kerguelen at all. The most common plant is wild cabbage, which covers large spaces in the summer with a continuous green carpet.
Strong elastic leaves of this plant are rich in ascorbic acid. This feature was successfully used by sailors fleeing scurvy.
Animal world
The islands are inhabited by large colonies of elephant seals, penguins, flocks of cormorants, gulls and other birds from the southern latitudes. Off the coast of the island there are macrourus and netotenia, and krill accumulations are the largest in Antarctica. Once, scientists launched trout and salmon into streams; these fish have successfully taken root here, as well as rabbits and cats introduced in the 19th century, taken by sailors to ships to fight rats. These animals multiplied and run wild, in their numbers crossed the 15 thousandth line. Cats survive by hunting birds and small fish, sometimes stealing it from yawning penguins; rabbits eat cabbage.
From an environmental point of view, Kerguelen is considered an absolutely clean zone. The attraction of the island is the Church of Our Lady of the Winds - the southernmost Catholic church on the planet, built in the 50s of the 20th century.
