Do you know which is the largest glacier in France? Forget Chamonix – it’s in Kerguelen. As for the world’s biggest cliff, it’s in Crozet. Discovered 250 years ago this year, the territory is made up of two archipelagos – Kerguelen and Crozet – and the two islands of Saint-Paul and Amsterdam, making it one of the jewels of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
Although they are little known among the public (and even less taught in geography classes), these lands are our country’s largest nature reserve and will soon be the largest protected marine area in the world, covering more than 1.6 million km2. These islands and their unique ecosystems are located in the southern Indian Ocean, in the famous Roaring Forties. Some of the largest colonies of royal penguins, elephant seals, eared seals and wandering albatrosses have taken up residence there, and some of the world’s best scientists travel over to study the exceptional biodiversity on show, supported by the French Polar Institute Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV).