ADELIE COAST

also called Adlie Land, part of the coast of Wilkes Land in eastern Antarctica, extending from Claire Coast (west) to George V Coast (east). The region is an ice-covered plateau rising from the Indian Ocean and occupying an area of about 150,000 square miles (390,000 square km). It was discovered in 1840 by the French explorer Jules-Sbastien-Csar Dumont d'Urville, who named it after his wife. The Adlie Coast is the basis of France's claim on the continent between longitude 136 and 142 E; administratively it is a part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories (q.v.). The French meteorological station Dumont d'Urville base was established in 1952 at Gologie Archipelago, replacing the original station of Port-Martin (founded 1950), which was destroyed by fire.