evidence: Bassas da India: A French possession since 1897, this atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide. [...] Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): total - 80 sq km; land - 0.2 sq km; water - 79.8 sq km (lagoon) [...] Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): land area about one-third the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC;