TROMELIN ISLAND                                                                 
(French possession)                                                             
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 1 km2; land area: 1 km2                                             
                                                                                
Comparative area: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in                       
Washington, DC                                                                  
                                                                                
Land boundaries: none                                                           
                                                                                
Coastline: 3.7 km                                                               
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;                                                         
                                                                                
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;                   
                                                                                
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
Disputes: claimed by Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles                      
                                                                                
Climate: tropical                                                               
                                                                                
Terrain: sandy                                                                  
                                                                                
Natural resources: fish                                                         
                                                                                
Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures              
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other--scattered bushes 100%                        
                                                                                
Environment: wildlife sanctuary                                                 
                                                                                
Note: located 350 km east of Madagascar and 600 km north of Reunion             
in the Indian Ocean; climatologically important location for forecasting        
cyclones                                                                        
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: uninhabited                                                         
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: none                                                            
                                                                                
Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the                     
Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion                                 
                                                                                
ECONOMY                                                                         
Overview: no economic activity                                                  
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Airports: 1 with runway less than 1,220 m                                       
                                                                                
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only                                            
                                                                                
Telecommunications: important meteorological station                            
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Note: defense is the responsibility of France