l: 3,903 sq km

land: 3,903 sq km

water: 0 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

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 sq km (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

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands People

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.)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Government Top of
Page

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)

Co