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.)