*The Kerguelen Islands*, also known as the Desolation Islands, are a remote and windswept group of volcanic islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Here's a concise overview: 🌍 Geographical Facts Location: About 3,300 km (2,000 miles) southeast of Madagascar, and 4,200 km (2,600 miles) southwest of Australia. Main Island: Grande Terre (the largest), surrounded by about 300 smaller islands and islets. Area: Approximately 7,215 km², roughly the size of Delaware or Puerto Rico. 🇫🇷 Political Status Administered by: France as part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises, TAAF). No indigenous population – all residents are French scientists, engineers, or military personnel. 🧊 Climate Cold, windy, and wet year-round. Subpolar oceanic climate: summers are chilly (rarely over 10°C), winters are cold (just above freezing), and it rains or snows more than 300 days a year. Frequent strong winds (gales and storms are very common). 🧪 Scientific Importance Home to the Port-aux-Français research station. Conducts meteorological, biological, geological, and satellite tracking research. Limited human presence: mainly researchers, 50–100 people at a time. 🐧 Wildlife & Ecology Rich in seabirds, seals, and penguins. Invasive species introduced by humans (like rabbits and reindeer) have affected the fragile ecosystem. No native trees; landscape is mostly moss, grass, and tundra vegetation. 🚢 Access No airport. Access only by ship from Réunion Island (a French territory near Madagascar) via the research supply vessel Marion Dufresne, a journey that takes about 28 days round-trip. 🧭 Fun Facts Sometimes called the "Iceland of the Southern Ocean." First discovered in 1772 by French explorer Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec. Has a small satellite dish station run by the French space agency CNES.