slands are of volcanic
origin with some active volcanoes

_#_Natural resources: fish

_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and
pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%; largely covered
by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of
grass, moss, and lichen

_#_Environment: reindeer, introduced early in this century, live
on South Georgia; weather conditions generally make it difficult to
approach the South Sandwich Islands; the South Sandwich Islands are
subject to active volcanism

_#_Note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays,
which provide good anchorage

_*_People
_#_Population: no permanent population; there is a small military
garrison on South Georgia and the British Antarctic Survey has a
biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich islands are
uninhabited

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (no
short-form name)

_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK

_#_Capital: Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town

_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)

_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)

_#_Constitution: 3 October 1985

_#_Legal system: English common law

_#_National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

_#_Executive branch: British monarch, commissioner

_#_Legislative branch: none

_#_Judicial branch: none

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Commissioner William Hugh FULLERTON (since 1988; resident
at Stanley, Falkland 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 $451,011, including
capital expenditures of $NA (FY88 est.)

_#_Electricity: 900 kW capacity; 2 million kWh produced, NA kWh per
capita (1990)

_*_Communications
_#_Highways: NA

_#_Ports: Grytviken on South Georgia

_#_Airports: 5 total, 5 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
1 with runway 2,440-3,659 m

_#_Telecommunications: coastal radio station at Grytviken; no
broadcast stations

_*_Defense Forces
_#_Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
_%_
_@_Soviet Union
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 22,402,200 km2; land area