South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Defense note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Telephones

NA

Television broadcast stations

0

Televisions

NA Defense

Budget

revenues: $291,777 expenditures: $451,000, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)

Economic 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.

Electricity

capacity: 900 kW production: 2 million kWh consumption per capita: NA kWh (1992)

Area

total area: 4,066 sq km land area: 4,066 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island note: includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island

Climate

variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year, interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow

Coastline

NA km

Environment

current issues: NA 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 international agreements: NA

Geographic coordinates

54 30 S, 37 00 W

Geographic 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

International disputes

administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina

Irrigated land

0 sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)

Location

Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America

Map references

Antarctic Region

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

fish

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 lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget 2,915 m

Administrative divisions

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Capital

none; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town

Constitution

3 October 1985

Data code

SX

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (of the United Kingdom since 6 February 1952), a hereditary monarch, is represented by Commissioner David Everard TATHAM (since August 1992; resident at Stanley, Falkland Islands)

Flag

the flag of the UK is used

Independence

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Judicial branch

none

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

no elections

Name of country

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

National holiday

Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Type of government

dependent territory of the UK

Population

no indigenous 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

Airports

none

Highways

total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Ports

Grytviken