Republic of the Southern Indian Ocean Islands

The Republic of the Southern Indian Ocean Islands (: République des Îles australes de l'Océan Indien) is a federal state comprised of seven island provinces comprising a total of 314 islands and countless smaller rocks, skerries, and rock reefs. Its total landsmass covers approximately 3216 square miles and its population is just under 87,000. It is a  with its capital in Port-aux-Français, the country's largest city.

The provinces of East Kerguelen and West Kerguelen (then as the Kerguelen Islands), the Crozet Archipelago, Amsterdam Island, and Saint Paul Island gained independence from the French Republic in 1956. They were joined by the Heard Island and McDonald Islands in 1960 after they gained independence from Australia, and finally by the Prince Edward Islands in 1982 after they gained independence from South Africa. The final constitution, ratified in 1985, established the islands as a federal republic consisting of seven provinces.

The Southern Indian Ocean Islands is known for being a very country, having legalised, , and , whilst maintaining a very progressive. It was the second country in the world, after the, to legalise same-sex marriage and is known for being very LGBT friendly. The country has not outlawed the death penalty.

The inhabitants mainly speak French, although the provinces of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and Prince Edward Islands are predominantly anglophone.

Etymology
At initial independence, in 1956, the newly established republic bore the name La république des Archipels de Kerguelen et de Crozet et des Îles d'Amsterdam et de Saint-Paul de l'ancien territoire des Terres australes et antarctiques françaises (the Republic of the Kerguelen and Crozet Archipelagoes and the Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands of the former territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands), generally shortened to République des Archipels et des Îles (Republic of Archipelagoes and Islands), as so provided by the First Constitution of the Southern Indian Ocean Islands. This name was maintained until 1960.

With the inclusion of the Australian territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands into the republic in 1960 and the subsequent bilinguality of the republic, the name was altered as well as officially in two languages: French and English. The new name was La république des Archipels de Kerguelen et de Crozet et des Îles d'Amsterdam et de Saint-Paul de l'ancien territoire des Terres australes et antarctiques françaises et l'Archipel de l'ancien territoire d'Australia des Îles Heard-et-McDonalds in French and Republic of the Kerguelen and Crozet Archipelagoes and the Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands of the former territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and the Former Australian Territory of Heard Islands and McDonald Islands in English, as provided by the Second Constitution. This name was maintained until 1982.

When in 1982 the Prince Edward Islands joined the republic the name was altered again temporarily in the Third Constitution prior to the main constitutional revision of the Fourth Constitution into La république des Archipels de Kerguelen et de Crozet et des Îles d'Amsterdam et de Saint-Paul de l'ancien territoire des Terres australes et antarctiques françaises, de l'Archipel de l'ancien territoire d'Australia des Îles Heard-et-McDonalds et de l'Archipel du Prince-Édouard in French, and Republic of the Kerguelen and Crozet Archipelagoes and the Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands of the former territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, the Former Australian Territory of Heard Islands and McDonald Islands, and the Prince Edward Islands in English.

Recognising the need for a shorter name, the Fourth Constitution provided the current name in reference to the location of the constituent islands.