How many permanent residents live on the Crozet islands?

An isolated archipelago in the Indian Ocean, located midway between Madagascar and the coast of Antarctica, Les Îles Crozet mark the only places where the Crozet Plateau breaks sea level. Consisting of 5 large and 15 tiny islands, with a combined area of about 116 mi² (300 km²), the archipelago is divided into two main groups: western and eastern.

Since 1938 the Crozets have been a National Park, with protection for the abundant wildlife and unique flora and fauna. The French "administer" these islands in a way that is reminiscent of nineteenth-century empire, even though there are no electors or permanent residents.

A characteristic of all the Austral islands, and a complication for the logisticians, is that there are no natural ports or airstrips. The Crozets are visited several times a year by the Marion Dufresne, the world's biggest and most sophisticated oceanographic research vessel, bringing supplies and rotating crews of scientists at Alfred-Faure – the permanent base on Île de la Possession.

For those who have no idea about these islands, their physical appearance is a shock.The black volcanic sand beaches, with their background of sweeping empty and treeless mountains, teem with royal penguins and sea elephants.