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The Kerguelen Archipelago is in the southern Indian Ocean at 49°20' S, 70°20' E. The main island Kerguelen, originally called Desolation Island, is 6,675 km2 and it is surrounded by another 300 smaller outcrops, forming an archipelago of 7,215 km². The climate is cold, very windy and the seas are usually rough.
The islands belong to France, and were discovered by Yves Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec in February 1772. The archipelago was exploited for its seal population until their destruction, fur seals in the 18th century and elephant seals in the early 20th century. A number of expeditions have briefly visited the islands, including that of James Cook in 1776.
Kerguelen has been used by a small number of science teams since 1949, with a population of 50-100 always present. There is also a satellite tracking station. The main island is also home to a well-established feral cat population descended from ships' cats. They survive on sea birds and introduced rabbits.
The main base is located at the eastern end of the Golfe du Morbihan and is known as Port-Aux-Français. Facilities include a bar, gym, hospital, library and the chapel of Notre-dame des Vents.
In the seafaring novel Desolation Island one of the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian, the crew is shipwrecked on Kerguelen.
Since 1963 on the Kerguelen Islands at 49°22' S and 70°14' E the launch of sounding rockets (mainly Arcas, Dragon and Eridan) take place.
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