Statistical information South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 1999

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 and recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters the UK in 1993 extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 miles to 200 miles around each island.
top of pageLocation: 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 reference:
Antarctic RegionAreaTotal: total:4,066 km²; land:4,066 km²; water:0 km²; note:includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island
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
ElevationExtremes: 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 km² (1993)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural 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
Geographytop of pagePopulationNationalityEthnic groupsLanguagesReligionsDemographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rateDeath rateNet migration ratePopulation distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: NA
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; conventional short form: none
Government typeCapital: none; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town
Administrative divisionsDependent areasIndependenceNational holidayConstitutionLegal system: NA
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrageExecutive branchLegislative branchJudicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participationDiplomatic representationIn the us: none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)
From the us: none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)
Flag description
: the flag of the UK is used
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:$451,000, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1988 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 pageElectricityCoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone system: domestic:NA; international:coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken
Broadcast 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: claimed by Argentina
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs