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SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS

(dependent territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

@South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:Geography

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: 4,066 sq km
land: 4,066 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island

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 2,915 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

Environment-international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: 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 population
note: 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

@South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:Government

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

Data code: SX

Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK, also claimed by
Argentina; administered from London by a civi