South Georgia
and the South Sandwich Islands

(Flag ) (Coat of Arms)
Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat (Latin: The Lion shall protect his own land)
Official language	English
Capital	Grytviken
Commissioner	Howard Pearce
Area  - Total  - % water	not ranked 3,093 km² -
Population  - Total (2006 E)  - Density	not ranked ~20 n/a;
Currency	GBP
Time zone	UTC/GMT -2
National anthem	God Save the Queen
Internet TLD	.gs

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The territory was formed in 1985; previously they were governed as part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies. The territory consists of the island of South Georgia, which is the largest island in the territory, and a group of smaller islands known as the South Sandwich Islands. There is no native population on any of the islands, and the only inhabitants are the British Government Officer, scientists and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey who maintain a base at the capital, King Edward Point, and museum staff at nearby Grytviken. Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Georgia_and_the_South_Sandwich_Islands. ... Image File history File links Arms_of_South_Georgia. ... Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Flag of the Civil Commissioner of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands The Flag of the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands was granted in 1985, when the Territory was created. ... Coat of Arms of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands The Coat of Arms of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands was granted in 1985, upon the creation of the territory. ... A motto is a phrase or a short list of words meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... A LAND attack is a DoS (Denial of Service) attack that consists of sending a special poison spoofed packet to a computer, causing it to lock up. ... Image File history File links Location_of_SGSSI.png From commons [1] Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... An official language is a language that is given a privileged legal status in a state, or other legally-defined territory. ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Grytviken as it was before 1929 Grytviken (Norwegian: Pot Bay, after the pots used to render seal oil) is the only settlement in the United Kingdom territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. ... His Excellency Howard John Stredder Pearce, CVO (born April 13, 1949 in Twickenham) is the Governor of the Falkland Islands and the Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI). ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Estimation is generally the calculation of an approximate or uncertain result, often based on approximate, uncertain, incomplete, or noisy data. ... Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population, estimated for the year 2005. ... UKP redirects here. ... See also List of time zones Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time or Z, is an atomic realization of Universal Time (UT) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the astronomical basis for civil time. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their official national song. ... God Save the Queen is a patriotic song whose origin remains a matter of speculation. ... A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of an Internet domain name; that is, the letters which follow the final dot of any URL. For example, in the domain name wikipedia. ... .gs is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (almost exclusively Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... This article is about the year. ... Motto: Desire the right Anthem: God Save the Queen Capital Stanley Status Overseas territory of the United Kingdom Official language(s) English Governor Howard Pearce Area  - Total  - % water not ranked 12,173 km² - Population  - Total (2003 E)  - Density not ranked 2,967 0. ... BAS headquarters The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), formerly the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS), is an institute of the Natural Environment Research Council, and has, for the last fifty years, undertaken the majority of Britains scientific research on and around the Antarctic continent. ... Grytviken as it was before 1929 Grytviken (Norwegian: Pot Bay, after the pots used to render seal oil) is the only settlement in the United Kingdom territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. ...

The sovereignty of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands has been disputed since their discovery. Argentina is the only country to still maintain a claim over the islands. The sovereignty dispute over SGSSI contributed to the 1982 Falklands War and has remained unresolved until today. Argentina maintained a settlement on the South Sandwich Islands from 1976 until 1982, and occupied South Georgia during the Falklands War. 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

The church at Grytviken.

Image File history File links Photo from German Wikipedia, taken by user Wofratz in November 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Photo from German Wikipedia, taken by user Wofratz in November 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Grytviken as it was before 1929 Grytviken (Norwegian: Pot Bay, after the pots used to render seal oil) is the only settlement in the United Kingdom territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. ...

South Georgia

The Island of South Georgia was first said to have been sighted in 1675 by Anthony de la Roche, a London merchant, and it was named Pepys Island after Samuel Pepys, the Admiralty Secretary. It was rediscovered in 1775 by Captain James Cook, who after dismissing his find as "not worth the discovery," went on to name it "the Isle of Georgia" in honour of King George III. Events January 5 - The Battle of Turckeim June 18 - Battle of Fehrbellin August 10 - King Charles II of England places the foundation stone of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London - construction begins November 11 - Guru Gobind Singh becomes the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs. ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London (see Wiktionary:London for the name in other languages) is the capital of the United Kingdom and England. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... James Cook, portrait by Nathaniel Dance, c. ... George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain, and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and there after King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ...

Throughout the 19th century it was a sealers' base and, in the following century, a whalers' base until whaling ended mid-century. The first land-based whaling station, Grytviken, was set up in 1904 and was in operation until 1965. The seven whaling stations, all on the North coast with its sheltered harbours, starting in the West are: Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Grytviken as it was before 1929 Grytviken (Norwegian: Pot Bay, after the pots used to render seal oil) is the only settlement in the United Kingdom territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... A harbor (or harbour) or haven is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. ...

• Prince Olav Harbour (from 1911 factory-ship, land-based station 1916 to 1934)
• Leith Harbour (1909 to 1965)
• Stromness (from 1907 factory-ship, land-based station 1912-1931, repair yard to 1960/1961)
• Husvik (from 1907 factory-ship, land-based station 1960 to 1960, out of operation 1930 to 1945)
• Grytviken (1904 to 1965)
• Godthul (1908 to 1929, only a rudimentary land base, main operations on factory-ship)
• Ocean Harbour (1909 to 1920)

During WW2, a small garrison force of Norwegian soldiers were stationed at South Georgia to protect against a possible invasion by Japanese forces. But due to the remote location of the island, the cold was a worse enemy than the Japanese.^[1] German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ...

The Falklands War was precipitated on 19 March 1982 when a group of Argentineans, posing as scrap metal merchants, occupied South Georgia at an abandoned whaling station at Leith Harbour. The commander of the Argentinian Garrison was Alfredo Astiz, a Captain in the Argentine Navy who, years later, was convicted of felonies committed during the Dirty War in Argentina. He renamed the island Isla San Pedro when he proclaimed Argentine authority over South Georgia on April 2. The island was recaptured by British forces on 25 April (Operation Paraquat). To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: En Unión y Libertad (English: In Union and Liberty) Anthem: Himno Nacional Argentino Capital Buenos Aires Largest city Buenos Aires Official language(s) Spanish Government President Democratic Federal Republic Néstor Kirchner Independence - May Revolution - Declared - Recognised from Spain 25 May 1810 9 July 1816 in 1821 (by... Former Royal Yacht Britannia is permanently moored at Leith harbour. ... Alfredo Ignacio Astiz was a Captain and Intelligence officer in the Argentine Navy, known as the Blond Angel of Death, during the rule of Jorge Rafael Videla in the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional (1976-1983). ... Argentine Navy Jack The Navy of the Argentine Republic (Armada de la República Argentina, ARA) is the navy of Argentina. ... The term dirty war generally refers to a program of state terrorism in response to perceived left-wing subversion that is claimed to threaten a countrys stability. ... 2 April is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... Paraquat was the code-word for the British military operation to recapture the Island of South Georgia from Argentine military control in April 1982. ...

The research station at King Edward Point, near the former Norwegian whaling station of Grytviken, originally established up in 1949/1950 by the British Antarctic Survey (until 1962 called Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey), became a small military garrison after the Falklands war. This returned to civilian use in 2001 and is operated by the British Antarctic Survey. The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch Whaling is the hunting and killing of whales. ... Grytviken as it was before 1929 Grytviken (Norwegian: Pot Bay, after the pots used to render seal oil) is the only settlement in the United Kingdom territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... BAS headquarters The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), formerly the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS), is an institute of the Natural Environment Research Council, and has, for the last fifty years, undertaken the majority of Britains scientific research on and around the Antarctic continent. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... BAS headquarters The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), formerly the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS), is an institute of the Natural Environment Research Council, and has, for the last fifty years, undertaken the majority of Britains scientific research on and around the Antarctic continent. ...

South Sandwich Islands

The islands were initially named "South" Sandwich Islands to distinguish them from the then "Sandwich Islands" now known as "Hawaii". The southern eight islands were discovered by James Cook in 1775. The northern three by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen in 1819. They were named after the 4th Earl of Sandwich, 1st Lord of the Admiralty. Official language(s) Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² n/a km 2,450 km 41. ... James Cook, portrait by Nathaniel Dance, c. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen (Russian: ; Faddey Faddeyevich Bellinsgauzen) (September 20, 1778–January 13, 1852) served as a naval officer of the Russian Empire and commanded the second Russian expedition to circumnavigate the globe. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, 1783, by Sir Thomas Gainsborough John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (3 November 1718 – 3 April 1792) succeeded his grandfather, Edward, the 3rd Earl, in the earldom in 1729. ...

The United Kingdom unilaterally declared sovereignty over the South Sandwich Islands in 1908, grouping them with other British held territory in the South Atlantic under the Falkland Island Dependency. Argentina also claimed the islands in dispute with the UK (See Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands). 1908 (MCMVIII) is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic. ...

Argentina challenged British sovereignty in the Islands on several occasions. From January 25, 1955 through summer of 1956 Argentina maintained the summer station Teniente Esquivel at Ferguson Bay on the Southeastern coast of Thule Island. From 1976 to 1982, Argentina maintained a research base named Corbeta Uruguay, at Port Faraday, in the lee (southern East coast) of the same island. Although the British discovered the presence of the Argentine base in 1978, no effort was made to remove them until after the Falklands War. The base was eventually removed on June 20, 1982. January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Thule Island is one of the southermost of the South Sandwich Islands. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ca. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Islands

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands consist of two main groups of islands:

• South Georgia and its associated islands, which consist of the island of South Georgia Island, which is by far the largest island in the territory, the islands that immediately surround the main island of South Georgia and some remote and isolated islets west and east-southeast of the main island of South Georgia Island.
• The South Sandwich Islands

For a more detailed list of the islands of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands than the list provided below, see List of sub-antarctic islands: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ... South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ... Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two principal points of the compass in clockwise order. ... South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ... South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ... The sub-antarctic islands are the islands in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. ...

South Georgia and its associated islands:

• South Georgia Island, the big main island (54°15′00″S, 36°45′00″W)
  • Bird Island
  • Annenkov Island
  • Cooper Island
  • Pickersgill Islands
  • Welcome Islands
  • Willis Islands
  • Trinity Island
  • Black Rocks
• Shag Rocks 185 km west-northwest of South Georgia Island
• Black Rock 169 km west-northwest of South Georgia Island and 16 km southeast of the Shag Rocks
• Clerke Rocks 56 km east-southeast of South Georgia Island

South Sandwich Islands (57°45′00″S, 026°30′00″W): South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ... Bird Island off South Georgia Bird Island (54°00′ S 038°03′ W) is 4. ... Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat Official language English Capital Grytviken Civil Commisioner Howard Pearce Area  - Total  - % water not ranked 3,093 km² - Population  - Total (2003 E)  - Density not ranked ~100 n/a; Currency Falkland pound (FKP; fixed to GBP) Time zone UTC -4 (DST -3) National anthem God Save the... Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat Official language English Capital Grytviken Civil Commisioner Howard Pearce Area  - Total  - % water not ranked 3,093 km² - Population  - Total (2003 E)  - Density not ranked ~100 n/a; Currency Falkland pound (FKP; fixed to GBP) Time zone UTC -4 (DST -3) National anthem God Save the... Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat Official language English Capital Grytviken Civil Commisioner Howard Pearce Area  - Total  - % water not ranked 3,093 km² - Population  - Total (2003 E)  - Density not ranked ~100 n/a; Currency Falkland pound (FKP; fixed to GBP) Time zone UTC -4 (DST -3) National anthem God Save the... Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat Official language English Capital Grytviken Civil Commisioner Howard Pearce Area  - Total  - % water not ranked 3,093 km² - Population  - Total (2003 E)  - Density not ranked ~100 n/a; Currency Falkland pound (FKP; fixed to GBP) Time zone UTC -4 (DST -3) National anthem God Save the... Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat Official language English Capital Grytviken Civil Commisioner Howard Pearce Area  - Total  - % water not ranked 3,093 km² - Population  - Total (2003 E)  - Density not ranked ~100 n/a; Currency Falkland pound (FKP; fixed to GBP) Time zone UTC -4 (DST -3) National anthem God Save the... Trinity Island or Isla Trinidad is an island having three peaks, lying 0. ... Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat Official language English Capital Grytviken Civil Commisioner Howard Pearce Area  - Total  - % water not ranked 3,093 km² - Population  - Total (2003 E)  - Density not ranked ~100 n/a; Currency Falkland pound (FKP; fixed to GBP) Time zone UTC -4 (DST -3) National anthem God Save the... The Shag Rocks The Shag Rocks are 6 small islands in the westernmost extreme of South Georgia, 240 kilometers West of the main island of South Georgia and 1000 kilometers east of the Falkland Islands. ... Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two principal points of the compass in clockwise order. ... South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ... The Shag Rocks The Shag Rocks are 6 small islands in the westernmost extreme of South Georgia, 240 kilometers West of the main island of South Georgia and 1000 kilometers east of the Falkland Islands. ... Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two principal points of the compass in clockwise order. ... South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ... The Shag Rocks The Shag Rocks are 6 small islands in the westernmost extreme of South Georgia, 240 kilometers West of the main island of South Georgia and 1000 kilometers east of the Falkland Islands at 53°33 S, 42°02 W. 16 kilometers further Southeast is the Black Rock... Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat Official language English Capital Grytviken Civil Commisioner Howard Pearce Area  - Total  - % water not ranked 3,093 km² - Population  - Total (2003 E)  - Density not ranked ~100 n/a; Currency Falkland pound (FKP; fixed to GBP) Time zone UTC -4 (DST -3) National anthem God Save the... Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two principal points of the compass in clockwise order. ... South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ...

Orthographic projection centred on the South Sandwich Islands

• Traversay Islands
  • Leskov Island
  • Visokoi Island
  • Zavodovski Island
• Candlemas Islands
  • Candlemas Island
  • Vindication Island
• Bristol Island
• Montagu Island
• Saunders Island
• Southern Thule
  • Bellingshausen Island
  • Cook Island
  • Thule Island

Orthographic projection centred on the South Sandwich Islands The map was created with this online map creation tool. ... Orthographic projection centred on the South Sandwich Islands The map was created with this online map creation tool. ... The Traversay Islands ( 56°36′ S 027°43′ W) are a group of three islands, consisting of Zavodovski, Leskov, and Visokoi Islands, at the northern end of the South Sandwich Islands. ... Leskov Island (56º40´S 028º10´W) is less than 1. ... Visokoi Island (56º42´S 027º12´W) is 7. ... Zavodovski Island is a volcanic island in the South Sandwich Islands. ... The Candlemas Islands or Islas Candelaria are a small group of islands, consisting of two islands (Candlemas Island (57°05′ S 26°39′ W) and Vindication Island (57°06′ S 26°47′ W)) and numerous rocks, lying 23 miles southeast of Visokoi Island in the South Sandwich Islands at the... Candlemas Island lies about two miles from Vindication Island and the two are separated by the Nelson Channel. ... Orthographic projection centred on the South Sandwich Islands South Sandwich Islands Vindication Island lies about two miles from Candlemas Island and the two are separated by the Nelson Channel. ... Categories: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | Geography stubs ... Montagu Island is the largest of the South Sandwich Islands, located in the Weddell Sea off the coast of Antarctica at 58°25′S 26°23′W. NASA satellite photograph of Montagu Island Orthographic projection centred on the South Sandwich Islands South Sandwich Islands The desolate, uninhabited island measures approximately... Saunders Island location Orthographic projection centred over the South Sandwich Islands Saunders Island (57° 47′ S, 026° 27′ W) is an arc-shaped island 8. ... Part of the British Crown Dependency of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Orthographic projection centred on the South Sandwich Islands South Sandwich Islands Southern Thule is a collection of the three southernmost islands in the South Sandwich Islands: Bellingshausen, Cook, and Thule (Morrell). ... Bellingshausen Island (59º25´S 027º03´W) is one of the most southerly of the South Sandwich Islands, close to Thule Island and Russian Antarctic explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen (1778-1852) who discovered the island. ... Thule Island is one of the southermost of the South Sandwich Islands. ...

Politics

Howard Pearce.

Executive power is vested in The Queen, and is exercised by the Commissioner, a post held by the Governor of the Falkland Islands. The current Commissioner is Howard Pearce. An Assistant Commissioner deals with policy matters and is also Director of SGSSI Fisheries, responsible for the issue of fishing licenses. An Operations Manager deals with administrative matters relating to the territory. The Financial Secretary and Attorney General of the territory are appointed and hold similar appointments in the Falkland Islands' Government. A database query syntax error has occurred. ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ... His Excellency Howard John Stredder Pearce, CVO (born April 13, 1949 in Twickenham) is the Governor of the Falkland Islands and the Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI). ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), born 21 April 1926, is Queen of sixteen independent nations known as the Commonwealth Realms (and has previously been Queen of sixteen others). ... Flag of the Civil Commissioner of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands The Civil Commissioner of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdoms overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. ... The Governor of the Falkland Islands is the local representative of the British Crown in the Falkland Islands. ... His Excellency Howard John Stredder Pearce, CVO (born April 13, 1949 in Twickenham) is the Governor of the Falkland Islands and the Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI). ...

As there are no permanent inhabitants on the islands, there is no legislative council and no elections are held. The UK Foreign Office manages the foreign relations of the territory. Since 1982, the territory celebrates Liberation Day on June 14. A Legislative Council in British constitutional thought is the second-to-top tier of a government led by a Governor-General, Governor or a Lieutenant-Governor, inferior to an Executive Council and equal to or superior to a Legislative Assembly. ... Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (166th in leap years), with 200 days remaining. ...

The constitution of the territory, the manner in which its government is directed, and the availability of judicial review were discussed in a series of litigations in 2001 to 2005; see in particular Regina v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Appellant) ex parte Quark Fishing Limited [2005] UKHL 57. Although its government is entirely directed by the UK Foreign Office, it was held that its decisions under that direction could not be challenged as if they were in law decisions of a UK government department; thus the European Convention on Human Rights did not apply.

Geography

South Georgia Group

NASA satellite image of South Georgia island covered with snow.

South Georgia is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 1390 km south by east of the Falkland Islands, in 54-55°S, 36-38°W. It has a land area of 3756 km², including satellite islands, but excluding the South Sandwich Islands which form a separate island group. The main island itself, also called Pepys Island (San Pedro in Spanish), has an area of 3528 km². It is mountainous, with 11 peaks over 2,000 m high, their slopes furrowed with deep gorges filled with glaciers (Fortuna Glacier being the largest). Geologically, it consists of gneiss and argillaceous schists, with no trace of fossils, showing that the island is, like the Falkland Islands, a surviving fragment of some greater land-mass now vanished, most probably indicating a former extension of the Andean system. The German expedition sent out to observe the transit of Venus was stationed at Royal Bay, on the south-east side of the island in 1882. This is a true-color satellite image of South Georgia Island. ... This is a true-color satellite image of South Georgia Island. ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two principal points of the compass in clockwise order. ... The metre (Commonwealth English) or meter (American English) (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ... Fortuna Glacier, on the island of South Georgia, is a tidewater glacier at the mouth of Cumberland Sound. ... Gneiss Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high grade regional metamorphic processes from preexisting formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. ... Argillaceous schist is metamorphic rock which exhibits fine laminations of clay materials. ... The 2004 transit of Venus A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and the Earth, obscuring a small portion of the Suns disc. ... 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The climate in the islands is variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow. Most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia (Pepys Island) is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes. Mount Paget on South Georgia is 2,934 m high. The islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism. The north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20th century, live on South Georgia. Mount Paget is a saddle-shaped mountain, marking the highest point of the Allardyce Range in the central part of South Georgia. ... Binomial name Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758) For the musician, please see Caribou (musician). ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

South Sandwich Islands

CIA map of the Islands

There are 11 mostly volcanic islands (not counting tiny satellite islands and rocks nearby those main islands) forming an island arc, from north to south. As a group, the South Sandwich Islands are located at approximately 57°45′00″S, 026°30′00″W: Image File history File links 250px-South_Georgia_and_South_Sandwich_Islands. ... Image File history File links 250px-South_Georgia_and_South_Sandwich_Islands. ... For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ... An island arc is a type of archipelago formed by plate tectonics as one oceanic tectonic plate subducts under another and produces magma. ...

Zavodovski Island is a volcanic island in the South Sandwich Islands. ... Leskov Island (56º40´S 028º10´W) is less than 1. ... Visokoi Island (56º42´S 027º12´W) is 7. ... Candlemas Island lies about two miles from Vindication Island and the two are separated by the Nelson Channel. ... Orthographic projection centred on the South Sandwich Islands South Sandwich Islands Vindication Island lies about two miles from Candlemas Island and the two are separated by the Nelson Channel. ... Saunders Island location Orthographic projection centred over the South Sandwich Islands Saunders Island (57° 47′ S, 026° 27′ W) is an arc-shaped island 8. ... Montagu Island is the largest of the South Sandwich Islands, located in the Weddell Sea off the coast of Antarctica at 58°25′S 26°23′W. NASA satellite photograph of Montagu Island Orthographic projection centred on the South Sandwich Islands South Sandwich Islands The desolate, uninhabited island measures approximately... Categories: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | Geography stubs ... Bellingshausen Island (59º25´S 027º03´W) is one of the most southerly of the South Sandwich Islands, close to Thule Island and Russian Antarctic explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen (1778-1852) who discovered the island. ... Cook Island (59º27´S 027º10´W) is a central island of Southern Thule, in the South Sandwich Islands. ... Thule Island is one of the southermost of the South Sandwich Islands. ... South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ...

Subgroups

• Islands 1 through 3 are collectively known as Traversay Islands
• Islands 4 and 5 are collectively known as Candlemas Islands
• Islands 1 through 5 are collectively known as Traversay Islands (wider sense)
• Islands 9 through 11 are collectively known as Southern Thule

Islands 6 through 8, which are also the three largest islands, are not part of any subgroup. The Traversay Islands ( 56°36′ S 027°43′ W) are a group of three islands, consisting of Zavodovski, Leskov, and Visokoi Islands, at the northern end of the South Sandwich Islands. ... The Candlemas Islands or Islas Candelaria are a small group of islands, consisting of two islands (Candlemas Island (57°05′ S 26°39′ W) and Vindication Island (57°06′ S 26°47′ W)) and numerous rocks, lying 23 miles southeast of Visokoi Island in the South Sandwich Islands at the... The Traversay Islands ( 56°36′ S 027°43′ W) are a group of three islands, consisting of Zavodovski, Leskov, and Visokoi Islands, at the northern end of the South Sandwich Islands. ... Part of the British Crown Dependency of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Orthographic projection centred on the South Sandwich Islands South Sandwich Islands Southern Thule is a collection of the three southernmost islands in the South Sandwich Islands: Bellingshausen, Cook, and Thule (Morrell). ...

The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited, although Thule Island used to have a permanently manned Argentinian research station from 1976 to 1982 (for details, see paragraph on History above). Thule Island is one of the southermost of the South Sandwich Islands. ... Motto: En Unión y Libertad (English: In Union and Liberty) Anthem: Himno Nacional Argentino Capital Buenos Aires Largest city Buenos Aires Official language(s) Spanish Government President Democratic Federal Republic Néstor Kirchner Independence - May Revolution - Declared - Recognised from Spain 25 May 1810 9 July 1816 in 1821 (by...

There are automatic weather stations on Thule (Morrell) Island and Zavodovski. Thule Island is one of the southermost of the South Sandwich Islands. ... Zavodovski Island is a volcanic island in the South Sandwich Islands. ...

To the northwest of Zavodovski Island is the Protector Shoal, a submarine volcano. Protector Shoal (55. ...

Economy

This postage stamp depicting a fin whale was issued in 1963.

As there are no native inhabitants, economic activity in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is limited. The territory has revenues of less than $300,000 against expenditures of nearly $500,000. The main sources of income for the territory include fishing, tourism and sale of postage stamps. Image File history File links Stamp_South_Georgia_1963_4d. ... Image File history File links Stamp_South_Georgia_1963_4d. ... Finback redirects here. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish. ... Tourist redirects here; for the album by Athlete, see Tourist (album) Tourism is the act of travel for the purpose of recreation and business, and the provision of services for this act. ... This 1974 stamp from Japan depicts a Class 8620 steam locomotive. ...

Fishing

Fishing takes place around South Georgia and in adjacent waters in some months of the year, with fishing licences sold by the territory for finfish and krill. There is a potential source of income from harvesting fin fish and krill. Fishing licenses bring in a handful of million pounds a year, most of which is spent on fishery protection and research. The three currently exploited commercial fisheries are Patagonian Toothfish, Icefish, and Krill. All fisheries are regulated and managed in accordance with the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources(CCAMLR) system. Families Euphausiidae Euphausia Dana, 1852 Meganyctiphanes Holt and W. M. Tattersall, 1905 Nematobrachion Calman, 1905 Nematoscelis G. O. Sars, 1883 Nyctiphanes G. O. Sars, 1883 Pseudeuphausia Hansen, 1910 Stylocheiron G. O. Sars, 1883 Tessarabrachion Hansen, 1911 Thysanoessa Brandt, 1851 Thysanopoda Latreille, 1831 Bentheuphausiidae Bentheuphausia amblyops Krill are shrimp-like marine... Binomial name Dissostichus eleginoides Smitt, 1898 The Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) is a large, slender fish found in the cold, temperate waters (from 50 to 3850m) of the Southern Atlantic, Southern Pacific, Indian and Southern Oceans on seamounts and continental shelves around most sub-Antarctic islands. ... Species Chaenocephalus aceratus (16 more) The icefishes (or white-blooded fishes) are a family (Channichthyidae) of perciform fish found in the cold waters around Antarctica and southern South America. ... Families Euphausiidae Euphausia Dana, 1852 Meganyctiphanes Holt and W. M. Tattersall, 1905 Nematobrachion Calman, 1905 Nematoscelis G. O. Sars, 1883 Nyctiphanes G. O. Sars, 1883 Pseudeuphausia Hansen, 1910 Stylocheiron G. O. Sars, 1883 Tessarabrachion Hansen, 1911 Thysanoessa Brandt, 1851 Thysanopoda Latreille, 1831 Bentheuphausiidae Bentheuphausia amblyops Krill are shrimp-like marine... The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. ...

Tourism

Tourism has become a bigger source of income in recent years, with many cruise ships visiting the islands. The territory gains income from landing charges.

Postage Stamps

A large source of income from abroad also comes from the issue of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands postage stamps which are produced in the UK.

See also

• Sub-antarctic islands

The sub-antarctic islands are the islands in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. ...

External links

• Detailed map of South Georgia
• King Edward Point research station
• Bird Island research station
• CIA World Factbook entry
• South Georgia official website
• A Postcard from South Georgia by Roderick Eime
• Photos from South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands from Pbase.com
• Gazetteer: Geographic Names of Antarctica and Subantarctic (with coordinates and heights)
• Gazetteer: Geographic Names of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
• Information on the whaling stations
• Operation Paraquat
• Argentine invasion of South Georgia
• Argentine Government website with a map of SGSSI
• Virtual visitors guide to the cemeteries of South Georgia
• South Georgia Heritage Trust
• South Georgia photos
• South Georgia images

References

1. ↑ Fritt Norge, Oslo 1995

British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies
Overseas territories: Anguilla | Bermuda | British Antarctic Territory | British Indian Ocean Territory | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Falkland Islands | Gibraltar | Montserrat | Pitcairn Islands | Saint Helena (Ascension, Tristan da Cunha) | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | Turks and Caicos Islands
Crown dependencies: Guernsey | Jersey | Isle of Man
UK Sovereign Base Areas: Akrotiri and Dhekelia (in Cyprus)