South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

§1. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Introduction Islands

Background:
  The islands lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands.
  Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling
  station. The famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en
  route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned
  some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a
  successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic
  Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in
  Grytviken. Today, the station houses a small military garrison. The islands
  have large bird and seal populations and, recognizing the importance of
  preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended
  the exclusive fishing zone from 12 miles to 200 miles around each island.

§2. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Geography Islands

Location:
  Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the
  tip of South America

Geographic coordinates:
  54 30 S, 37 00 W

Map references:
  Antarctic Region

Area:
  total: 3,903 kmē
  land: 3,903 kmē
  water: 0 kmē
  note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island,
    Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of some nine
    islands

Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  NA km

Maritime claims:
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
  variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with
  periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow

Terrain:
  most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and
  mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered
  mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some
  active volcanoes

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia)
    2,934 m

Natural resources:
  fish

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  permanent pastures: 0%
  forests and woodland: 0%
  other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse
    vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)

Irrigated land:
  0 kmē (1993)

Natural hazards:
  the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that
  generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to
  active volcanism

Environment - current issues:
  NA

Geography - note:
  the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good
  anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South
  Georgia

§3. South Georgia and the South Sandwich People Islands

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March 2001,
    to be replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the British
    Antarctic Survey which also has a biological station on Bird Island; the
    South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited (July 2001 est.)

§4. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Government Islands

Country name:
  conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  conventional short form: none

Dependency status:
  overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from
  the Falkland Islands by UK civil commissioner Donald A. LAMONT,
  representing Queen ELIZABETH II; Grytviken, formerly a whaling station on
  South Georgia, is the garrison town

National holiday:
  Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Constitution:
  adopted 3 October 1985

Legal system:
  the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Flag description:
  the flag of the UK is used

§5. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Economy Islands

Economy - overview:
  Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of
  income from harvesting fin fish and krill. The islands receive income from
  postage stamps produced in the UK.

Budget:
  revenues: $291,777
  expenditures: $451,000, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA%
  nuclear: NA%
  other: NA%

Electricity - consumption:
  NA kWh

§6. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Communications Islands

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA domestic: NA
  international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Radio broadcast stations:
  none

Television broadcast stations:
  0 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .gs

§7. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Transportation Islands

Waterways:
  none

Ports and harbors:
  Grytviken

Airports:
  none

§8. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Military Islands

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the UK

§9. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Transnational Issues Islands

Disputes - international:
  claimed by Argentina
