South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands

South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Introduction South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands -
Background: The 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. 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 scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. 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 NM to 200 NM around each island. Geography South Georgia and the South Sandwich 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 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of some nine islands water: 0 sq km land: 3,903 sq km
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% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)
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 the 21st century, live on South Georgia People South Georgia and the South Sandwich 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 2002 est.)
Population growth rate: NA% Government South Georgia and the South Sandwich 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 a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II; Grytviken, formerly a whaling station on South Georgia, is a scientific base
National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Constitution: adopted 3 October 1985
Legal system: the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina) Diplomatic representation from the none (overseas territory of the UK,
US: also claimed by Argentina)
Flag description: the flag of the UK is used Economy South Georgia and the South Sandwich 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, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly. Electricity - production: NA kWh Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% other: NA% nuclear: NA% Electricity - consumption: NA kWh Communications South Georgia and the South Sandwich 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 Transportation South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands - Waterways: none Ports and harbors: Grytviken Airports: none (2001) Military South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands -
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands - Disputes - international: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands occupied briefly by Argentina in 1982; islands continue to be claimed by Argentina

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  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands …   Wikipedia

  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — (engl.) Südgeorgien und die Südlichen Sandwichinseln …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands — <p></p> <p></p> Introduction ::South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands <p></p> Background: <p></p> The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, lie approximately 1,000 km east of the… …   The World Factbook

  • South Sandwich Islands — ▪ islands, Atlantic Ocean       group of actively volcanic islets in the South Atlantic Ocean, north of the Weddell Sea and 470 miles (760 km) southeast of the island of South Georgia. They extend for 190 miles (305 km), occupy 120 square miles… …   Universalium

  • History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — The history of the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is relatively recent. When European explorers found the islands, they were uninhabited, and their hostile climate, mountainous terrain, and remoteness made subsequent settlement… …   Wikipedia

  • Sovereignty of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — The sovereignty of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is disputed between the United Kingdom and Argentina. The United Kingdom exercises de facto control, and has done so since the islands were annexed by that country in 1908,… …   Wikipedia

  • Languages of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — The only official language of the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is English, and this is spoken by almost everyone on a day to day basis. The islands population is currently transient, and there has never been any native South… …   Wikipedia

  • Foreign relations of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — The foreign relations of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are managed by the UK Foreign Office. There is no native population on any of the islands, and the only inhabitants are the British Government Officer, scientists, and support… …   Wikipedia

  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — n. islands in the South Atlantic Ocean that are a dependent territory of the UK …   English contemporary dictionary

  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — noun A British owned territory of inhospitable islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean …   Wiktionary

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