View source for Péninsule Jeanne d'Arc

{{Short description|Peninsula of Grande Terre, an island in southern Indian Ocean}}
[[File:Kerguelen topographic map-fr.svg|thumb|right|Topographic map of the Kerguelen Archipelago showing the peninsula in the south-east (lower right)]]
[[File:Black-browed albatross.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Black-browed albatross in flight|The peninsula holds an important breeding colony of black-browed albatrosses]]
'''Péninsule Jeanne d'Arc''', also known as '''Presqu'île Jeanne d'Arc''', ('''Joan of Arc Peninsula''' in English) is a [[peninsula]] of Grande Terre, the main island of the [[subantarctic]] [[Kerguelen Islands|Kerguelen]] [[archipelago]] in the southern [[Indian Ocean]].
==Description==
The peninsula occupies the south-eastern corner of Grande Terre, to which it is connected by the narrow, {{convert|350|m|ft|adj=on}} wide Haulage des Swains [[isthmus]] at its north-west end, and by the similarly narrow Haulage des Naufragés isthmus to [[Presqu'île Ronarc'h]] towards the eastern end of its north coast.  It is about {{convert|38|km|mi}} long from west to east and {{convert|12|km|mi}} wide.  Port Jeanne d'Arc is the site of an abandoned Norwegian [[whaling]] station at the western end of the peninsula's north coast that is subject to a [[building restoration|cultural heritage conservation]] program.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.caboose.org.uk/journeys/KERpjda.html |title=Port Jeanne d'Arc |accessdate=2012-01-18 |work=Journeys |first=Kevin |last=O’Rourke |publisher=caboose.org.uk |date=2008-02-29 }}</ref>
==Important Bird Area==
The southern coast of the peninsula has been identified as a {{convert|120|km2|mi2|adj=on}} [[Important Bird Area]] (IBA) by [[BirdLife International]] because of its breeding [[seabird]]s.  It consists largely of cliffs that rise steeply from the shore to a height of over {{convert|800|m|ft}}.  To the east, a large [[Valley#Glacial nvalleys|glacial valley]] opens into the Baie de l’Antarctique.  With the exception of the Canyon des Sourcils Noirs, at the eastern end of the site, which is regularly visited by scientists monitoring a study population of [[black-browed albatross]]es, human presence is rare.<ref name=bli>BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Southern coast of Péninsule Jeanne d'Arc. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 201201-18.</ref>
At least 21 species breed in the IBA.  Some 3,000 pairs of [[southern rockhopper penguin]]s nest along the base of the cliffs, with about 2,500 pairs of [[gentoo penguin|gentoos]] and 130,000 pairs of [[Macaroni penguin|macaronis]].  Kerguelen's only population of [[sooty albatross]]es is found at the Canyon des Sourcils Noirs, together with the 1,300 pairs of black-brows.  Other birds breeding in the site include [[northern giant petrel]]s, [[Kerguelen tern]]s, [[light-mantled albatross]]es, [[white-chinned petrel]]s and [[Kerguelen shag]]s.<ref name=bli/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Important Bird Areas of French Southern Territories}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Peninsule Jeanne D'Arc}}
[[Category:Landforms of the Kerguelen Islands]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of Kerguelen]]
[[Category:Subantarctic peninsulas|Jeanne d'Arc]]
[[Category:Peninsulas of France]]
{{FrenchSouthernTerritories-geo-stub}}