Map of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 -- except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th- and early 20th-century whaling station. 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, which was stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK extended the exclusive fishing zone in 1993, from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 3,903 km²
Land: 3,903 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands
Comparative: slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: NA

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 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 are rugged and mountainous rising steeply from the sea; South Georgia is largely barren with steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes

Elevation
Highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

Land use
Other: 100% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography
Note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage


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Population
Total: no permanent inhabitants

Nationality

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Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type

Capital

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: the laws of the UK apply

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

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International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant; the islands' coat of arms is centered on the right half of the flag and has a green shield with a golden lion holding a torch; a fur seal is to the left of the shield and a Macaroni penguin to the right; a reindeer appears above the crest, and below the shield on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)

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National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

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Electricity

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Military expenditures

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Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

Heliports: 1 (2025)

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Railways

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Merchant marine

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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs