ARRL DXCC ENTITY RE-EVALUATION MEMORANDUM – FT/G

FT/G — GLORIOSO ISLAND
Evaluation Under 1960 ARRL DXCC Rules

I. PURPOSE

This memorandum evaluates whether FT/G — Glorioso Island qualifies as a separate ARRL DXCC Entity under the 1960 ARRL DXCC Rules, the criteria in effect during the period of active French Indian Ocean territorial administration and broad ARRL recognition of overseas island possessions.

The analysis includes:

• Glorioso’s administrative and political status in 1960
• Its classification within the French Indian Ocean Territories
• Geographic separation and non-contiguity
• Application of 1960 Political-Entity rules
• Application of 1960 Geographic-Entity rules
• Final eligibility determination for DXCC status

II. BACKGROUND

A. Political & Administrative Status (1960)

In 1960, the Glorioso Islands were:

• A French overseas possession, administered as part of the Îles Éparses (Scattered Islands)
• Directly overseen by the French Ministry of Overseas France
• Administered separately from:
– Madagascar
– Réunion
– Comoros
– Any other French territory
• Classed legally as a dépendance—a distinct territorial holding
• Permanently uninhabited except for rotating French military, meteorological, and navigational detachments

This administrative separation is crucial:
Each of the Îles Éparses was treated as its own territorial unit.

B. International Standing (1960)

• Full French sovereignty exercised over Glorioso
• No competing territorial claims recognized internationally
• Treated as a distinct overseas possession, not a subdivision of Madagascar or Comoros
• Not a UN Mandate or Trust Territory

C. Telecommunication & Prefix Identity

• Amateur operations from Glorioso used the FT/G prefix block, formally associated with the individual island possession
• Licensing authority: French Overseas Ministry
• Prefix block assignment met the DXCC requirement for uniquely identifiable non-contiguous possessions

D. Geographic Characteristics

Glorioso Islands are:

• Located in the northern Mozambique Channel
• ~250 km northwest of Madagascar
• ~1,600 km from Réunion
• Small coral islands with a lagoon and permanent dry land
• Non-contiguous with any French territory
• In deep, isolated oceanic waters

E. DXCC Context (1960)

The 1960 ARRL DXCC Rules recognized:

Political Entities

• Sovereign nations
• Protectorates
• Colonies
• Overseas possessions and territories
• Distinct, separately administered dependencies

Geographic Entities

• Remote islands administered separately
• Non-contiguous dependencies of any recognized nation
• Outlying possessions above high tide and requiring separate operation

Glorioso qualifies strongly under both categories.

III. ANALYSIS UNDER THE 1960 ARRL DXCC RULES

1. POLITICAL ENTITY CRITERIA (1960) — PASS

1(a) Sovereign Nation — ❌ FAIL

Glorioso is not sovereign (French possession).

1(b) Separate Administration — ✔ PASS

• Administered as a distinct dependency
• Not subordinate to Madagascar, Comoros, or Réunion
• Functionally treated as its own territorial unit

1(c) International Administrative Recognition — ✔ PASS

• Recognized in French law and foreign territorial directories as “Îles Glorieuses (France)”

1(d) Distinct Prefix / Licensing Identity — ✔ PASS

• FT/G uniquely identifies Glorioso Island
• Separate telecommunication identity supports DXCC distinction

Conclusion:
Glorioso satisfies Political-Entity criteria as a distinct French overseas possession.

2. GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY CRITERIA (1960) — PASS

Geographic considerations reinforce DXCC separateness.

2(a) Non-Contiguous Territory — ✔ PASS

Separated by hundreds to thousands of kilometers from any other French territory.

2(b) Island Above High Tide — ✔ PASS

Fully qualifies under the 1947/1950s definition of an island.

2(c) Geographic Isolation — ✔ PASS

• Remote island group in the Mozambique Channel
• No land or reef connection to Madagascar

2(d) Administratively Distinct Island Possession — ✔ PASS

The ARRL treated all individually administered French island possessions as separate DXCC Entities at this time.

3. SPECIAL-AREA CRITERIA (1960) — NOT APPLICABLE

Glorioso was not:

• A UN Trust Territory
• A Mandate
• An Antarctic claim
• An internationalized zone

Thus §3 is irrelevant.

4. 1960 DELETION CRITERIA — NOT TRIGGERED

A deletion under 1960 rules required:

• Loss of distinct territorial identity
• OR incorporation into another territory

Neither occurred for Glorioso in 1960.

V. FINAL DETERMINATION

✅ FT/G — GLORIOSO ISLAND qualifies as a separate DXCC Entity under the 1960 ARRL DXCC Rules.

Qualification Basis (1960):

✔ French overseas possession
✔ Administered as a distinct dependency
✔ Separate operating prefix (FT/G)
✔ Remote, non-contiguous island
✔ Fully consistent with ARRL recognition of French Indian Ocean dependencies (FT/W, FT/T, FT/J, FT/E, FT/X)
✔ Meets both Political and Geographic DXCC criteria

Conclusion:
Under the 1960 ARRL DXCC Rules, Glorioso Island is unquestionably a valid DXCC Entity.

VI. SUMMARY TABLE

Rule (1960)	Pass/Fail	Notes
Sovereign Nation	❌	French possession
Separate Administration	✔	Separate dependency
International Identity	✔	Recognized territorial unit
Independent Licensing	✔	FT/G
Geographic Separation	✔	Remote in Mozambique Channel
Special-Area Rules	N/A	Not relevant
Deletion Criteria	Not triggered	No status change
Final Status	VALID DXCC ENTITY (1960)	Fully qualifies

References

ARRL DXCC Rules, editions in force through 1960
Clinton B. DeSoto, W1CBD, “How to Count Countries Worked, A New DX Scoring System,” QST, October 1935
ARRL DXCC Country Lists and administrative guidance, 1950s–early 1960s
Nautical and geographic charting of the Glorioso Islands (mid-20th century)
Early DXCC precedent involving isolated Indian Ocean island territories administered by a parent state