Statistical information South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 1989

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the World
top of pageBackground: The islands lie approximately 1000 km east of the Falkland Islands. 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 a small military garrison. The islands have large bird and seal populations.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand boundaries: none
Coastline: undetermined
Maritime claims: Continental shelf:200 meters or to depth of exploitation; Exclusive fishing zone:200 nm; Territorial sea:3 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
ElevationNatural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other; largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage
top of pagePopulation: 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
NationalityEthnic groupsLanguagesReligionsDemographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rateDeath rateNet migration ratePopulation distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: 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
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rateLife expectancy at birthTotal fertility rateContraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracySchool life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (no short-form name)
Government type: colony of the UK
Capital: Grytviken Harbour on South Georgia is the chief town
Administrative divisionsDependent areasIndependenceNational holidayConstitutionLegal systemInternational law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrageExecutive branch: William Hugh FULLERTON, Commissioner (since 1988; resident at Stanley, Falkland Islands); Air Vice Marshal D. O. CRWYS-WILLIAMS, Commander of the British Armed Forces in the Atlantic (since 1988; resident at Stanley, Falkland Islands)
Legislative branch: executive power vested in a commissioner (resident at Stanley, Falkland Islands) who makes the laws and administers the islands; the commissioner consults with the Executive Council of the Falklands Islands and the commander of the British Armed Forces in the Atlantic concerning matters that pertain to the Falkland Islands
Judicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participationDiplomatic representationFlag description
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture productsIndustriesIndustrial production growth rateLabor forceUnemployment rateYouth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $291,777; expenditures $451,011, including capital expenditures of $N/A (FY88 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal yearInflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExportsImportsReserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange ratestop of pageElectricityCapacity: 900 kW capacity; 2 million kWh produced, NA kWh per capita (1988)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresMilitary and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: none
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs