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South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Thirty-second orientation
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands at a glance
- Area
- total : 3,903 sq km land: 3,903 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2025-12-21
This permanent record currently carries the preserved final Factbook profile. Independently maintained Almanac fields have not yet superseded it.
Preserved public-domain record · not maintained current data
Final CIA World Factbook profile
This is the preserved historical baseline from the Factbook’s final public snapshot. It is presented as the CIA stated it, not as a current Standard American Almanac finding. Current, independently maintained facts appear above when available.
CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · profile updated · pinned source record · commit d81154954b8b
Introduction1 fields
- 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.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Geography16 fields
- Location
- Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area
- total : 3,903 sq km land: 3,903 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area - comparative
- slightly larger than Rhode Island
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Maritime claims
- territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Climate
- variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Elevation
- highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Geography - note
- the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
People and Society1 fields
Environment3 fields
- Environmental issues
- damage to native wildlife from imported animals
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Climate
- variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Government7 fields
- Country name
- conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short form: South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands abbreviation: SGSSI etymology: Captain James COOK originally named it "the Isle of Georgia" in 1775 in honor of British King GEORGE III; the word "South" was later added to distinguish these islands from the other Sandwich Islands, now known as the Hawaiian Islands
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Dependency status
- overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing the British monarch
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- none (administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Diplomatic representation from the US
- none (administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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) meaning: the lion represents the UK and discovery; the seal, penguin, and reindeer are native to the islands
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Transportation2 fields
- Ports
- total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 3 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Grytviken, Prince Olav Harbor, Stromness Harbor
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Military and Security1 fields
- Military - note
- defense is the responsibility of the UK
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
The underlying United States government material is public domain. The Almanac’s reuse terms do not change the legal status of this preserved source layer.