2020 Edition

Background

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 -- except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th- and early 20th-century whaling station. 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, which was stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK extended the exclusive fishing zone in 1993, from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.

Area

land

3,903 sq km

total

3,903 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Rhode Island

Climate

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

Coastline

NA

Elevation

highest point

Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

54 30 S, 37 00 W

Geography - note

the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

other

100% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Antarctic Region

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

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

Natural resources

fish

Terrain

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

Population

total

no permanent inhabitants

Country name

abbreviation

SGSSI

conventional long form

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

conventional short form

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

etymology

Captain James COOK originally named it "the Isle of Georgia" in 1775 in honor of British King GEORGE III; the word "South" was later added to distinguish these islands from the other Sandwich Islands, now known as the Hawaiian Islands

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing the British monarch

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina)

Flag

description: blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant; the islands' coat of arms is centered on the right half of the flag and has a green shield with a golden lion holding a torch; a fur seal is to the left of the shield and a Macaroni penguin to the right; a reindeer appears above the crest, and below the shield on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land) meaning: the lion represents the UK and discovery; the seal, penguin, and reindeer are native to the islands

International organization participation

UPU

Legal system

the laws of the UK apply

Heliports

1 (2025)

Ports

key ports

Grytviken, Prince Olav Harbor, Stromness Harbor

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

0

total ports

3 (2024)

very small

3

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Environmental issues

damage to native wildlife from imported animals