The SGSSI are a group of sub-Antarctic islands, located in the South Atlantic Ocean. 177, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Index 2020, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Main Index. Land boundaries: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands geography covering natural resources, climate, location, and more. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are volcanic in origin, formed on the boundaries of two small tectonic plates, the Scotia and South Sandwich plates, as they rub against or are subducted beneath the much larger South American Plate. [see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ] (2011 est.)
(2011 est.) 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 nm Maritime claims: permanent pasture: 0% [see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ] [see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ] A new base was developed in the 1950s at King Edward Point, which is currently the seat of British administration, meteorological observations, and regulation of natural and commercial wildlife. (2011 est.) Antarctic Region, Area: Most of the islands consist of basalt and lava flow, with glaciers covering about 80 percent of each island. Together, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands form part of the Scotia Arc, which extends from the tip of South America to Antarctica (and also includes the South Shetland and South Orkney Islands, though these are not part of the British dependency). lowest point: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands The 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.
(2011 est.) nm forest: 0% (2011 est.) Claims for first discovery of the islands are clouded in uncertainty on account of the remoteness and inhospitality of the climate in this part of the world. Whaling stations were established by Scandinavians in the early 20th century, the largest at Grytviken, which was abandoned in the mid-1960s, but is now being redeveloped as a museum. land: 3,903 sq km Tourism is also a recent new business, with increasing numbers of specialized cruise ships bringing tourists to view the islands' abundant wildlife: South Georgia is a vital breeding oasis for some of the greatest concentration of wildlife on the planet—at least half of the world's populations of southern fur seals, southern elephant seals, penguins, and albatrosses come here to breed each summer. Shortly after reports of the island's large seal population got back to Europe, sealing expeditions set out for the South Atlantic, the start of a big business that continued for two decades until the island's seal population was nearly wiped out. [see also: Irrigated land country ranks ], 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, Environment - current issues: reindeer - introduced to the islands in the 20th century - devastated the native flora and bird species; some reindeer were translocated to the Falkland Islands in 2001, the rest were exterminated (2013-14); a parallel effort (2010-15) eradicated rats and mice that came to the islands as stowaways on ships as early as the late 18th century, Geography - note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage. [see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ] permanent pasture: 0% [see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ] other: 100% The British have administered the islands since 1908, first as dependencies of the Falkland Islands about 800 mi (1,300 km) to the northwest, then as a separate territory dating from 1985. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are volcanic in origin, formed on the boundaries of two small tectonic plates, the Scotia and South Sandwich plates, as they rub against or are subducted beneath the much larger South American Plate. 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 . water: 0 sq km [see also: Land use - forest country ranks ] (2011 est.) (2011 est.)
The coastline of South Georgia is generally rough and mountainous, with plentiful large bays and inlets, mostly on the north coast, well suited for deepwater anchorages and whaling stations. For example, it assigns unemployment rates in increasing order, whereas we rank them in decreasing order. Different theories of discovery are put forward by supporters of British or Argentine claims over the islands. The islands include the Shags Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Black Rocks, South Georgia Island, South Sandwich Islands, and Bird Island. The island of South Georgia is 105 mi (170 km) long, and about 25 mi (40 km) wide. It is 100 miles (160 km) long and 20 miles (32 km) wide and rises to Mount Paget (9,625 feet [2,934 metres]). The South Sandwich Islands are a chain of smaller islands: Zavodovski Island, Leskov Island, Visokoi Island, Candlemass Island and Vindication Island, Sa… agricultural land: 0% The terrain is mountainous, with a central ridge and many fjords and bays along the coast. [see also: Area - land country ranks ] Natural resources: fish Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m South Georgia consists of one main island, with smaller islands offshore (Willis, Bird, and Cooper), plus the more distant Shag Rocks, Black Rock, and Clerke Rocks.
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ] 2) The rank that you see is the CIA reported rank, which may have the following issues: The South Sandwich Islands are highly volcanic and geologically recent in origin: roughly 5 million years. The island is classified as an ET or polar tundra climate on the Köppen-Geiger classification system. Climate: variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow Elevation: nm NOTE: 1) The information regarding South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands on this page is re-published from the 2020 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. Geography - note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage, Area - comparative: slightly larger than Rhode Island, Coastline: NA Atlantic Ocean 0 m Grytviken was also a starting point for many 20th-century expeditions to Antarctica, including the famous doomed journey of Sir Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance. ARGENTINA continues to claim the islands, but has formally renounced intentions to regain the islands militarily.