FRENCH SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC LANDS

FRENCH SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC LANDS / 
TERRES AUSTRALES ET ANTARCTIQUES FRANÇAISES (TAAF).

Map of the East Island (île de l'Est), in the Crozet Islands.
Airmail stamp issued on 01.01.1996.
Face value: 20 French francs.
Design and engraving: Pierre Béquet (1932-2012).
Printing: Recess.
Size: 48 x 36 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 349.
- Scott No. C136.
- StampWorld No. 350.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 357.
- Yvert et Tellier No. PA 137.

East Island (île de l’Est) is a part of the subantarctic archipelago of the Crozet Islands, south of the Indian Ocean, and is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. It is the remainder of an ancient and powerful stratovolcano, heavily eroded by Quaternary glaciers that currently form valleys. With an area of ​​130 km² (50 sq mi) it is the second largest island of the group. It is the most mountainous in the archipelago, with a high point, Pic Marion-Dufresne, of 1,090 m (3,580 ft), and a rugged coastline of high cliffs: Lesquin's 1,012 m (3,320 ft) cliff is considered the highest in the world. There is no human infrastructure; it is only occasionally visited by researchers. The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International as a breeding site for seabirds. The Island was discovered on January 24, 1772 by the French expedition of Marc-Joseph Marion Dufresne, who gave it the name île Aride. In the early 19th century it began to be frequented by British and New England seal hunters.