evidence: There are several French island departments/regions in the Western Indian Ocean. Please note that the designations employed and the presentations of material on this page do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP/Nairobi Convention or contributory organisations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries or the designation of its name, frontiers or boundaries. [...] The lles Eparses are a collection of French overseas island territories in the Western Indian Ocean managed by the French Southern and Antarctic Lands since February 2007[6]. lles Eparses are composed of the following islands: Europa, Juan de Nova and Glorieuses archipelago (Grande Glorieuse, Roches Vertes and Ile du Lys) in the Mozambique Channel, Tromelin north of La Reunion and the barely emerged coral reef of Bassas da India. Bassas da India covers total land area of 80km2; Europa Island – 28km2; Glorioso Islands – 5 km2; Juan de Nova Island – 4.4 km2 and Tromelin Island a total 1 square kilometre[7] . The associated territorial marine waters represent a total of more than 640,000 km2 (approximately 6% of the French maritime territory). All islands except Juan de Nova were classified as nature reserves in 1975.