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Adélie Land is the portion of the Antarctic coast between Pourquoi Pas Point at 66°12'S, 136°11'E and Point Alden at 66°48'S, 142°02'E, with a shore length of 350 km and with its hinterland extending as a sector about 2600 km toward the South Pole. It is one of four districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. Since the land is all South of the 60° parallel, its affiliation with the French Southern and Antarctic Lands is suspended by the Antarctic Treaty. The land area, mostly ice covered, is estimated at 432 000 km2.
Since January 12, 1956, there has been a permanently staffed French research base, Dumont d'Urville Station, with a winter population of 33, which goes up to 78 in the Antarctic summer. The first French station, Port Martin, was built April 9, 1950 at 66°49'S, 141°23'E, but destroyed by fire on January 21, 1952. France has also maintained an inland station on the Antarctic ice sheet, 300 km from the coast and from Dumont d'Urville Station, at an elevation of 2400 meters, Charcot Station at 69°22'S, 139°01'E, from January 1957 to 1960, which housed only three men.
Adélie Land borders on the Australian Antarctic Territory both West and East, namely on Claire Land (part of Wilkes Land) in the West, and George V Land in the East.
The coast was discovered in 1837 by French explorer Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville, who named it after his wife, Adélie.
External Links
- Further Information (http://www.discoverfrance.net/Colonies/Terre_Adelie.shtml)de:Adelieland