]! ^! Named after a famous 15th century Spanish navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate. Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological station. 
]" ^" Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique ^# 17 03 S, 42 45 E ^$ Africa ^% `! 4.4 sq km `" 4.4 sq km `# 0 sq km ^& about seven times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC ^' 0 km ^( 24.1 km ^) `$ 12 nm `I 200 nm `J 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation ^* tropical ^+ low and flat ^, `% Indian Ocean 0 m `& unnamed location 10 m ^- guano deposits and other fertilizers ^. `' 0% `( 0% `) 100% (90% forest) (2001) ^/ 0 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 periodic cyclones ^1 NA ^2 wildlife sanctuary 
]# ^3 no indigenous inhabitants note: there is a small French military garrison along with a few meteorologists; occasionally visited by scientists (July 2005 est.) 
]$ ^F `4 none `5 Juan de Nova Island `V none `W Ile Juan de Nova ^G possession of France; administered by the Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands ^N the laws of France, where applicable, apply ^V none (possession of France) ^W none (possession of France) ^X the flag of France is used 
]% ^Y Up to 12,000 tons of guano are mined per year. 
]& _a 1 meteorological station 
]' _C none; offshore anchorage only _D 1 (2004 est.) _L `! 1 `_ 1 (2004 est.) 
]( _G defense is the responsibility of France 
]) _H claimed by Madagascar 