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South America / SX

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands flag
ⓘ

2021 Factbook flag mirror; image identity has not been individually audited. Source.

Last updated: October 29, 2026

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands: CIA World Factbook map from 2021; original boundary notes preserved.
ⓘCIA World Factbook map, February 2021 media edition. Identity reviewed; current boundaries have not been audited. visual contact sheet or original identity check; does not verify current boundaries Boundaries, place names and designations may be dated or disputed; original annotations retained. SHA-256: 439a9b3f2243fd34fc93a3e058e4f8eb0c337794051e4c5a83050f9a28f84bc7. Provenance and inspection record.

Introduction

Background:1

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.

Geography

Location:2

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

Geographic coordinates:3

54 30 S, 37 00 W

Map references:4

Antarctic Region

Area:5

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

Area - comparative:6

slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:7

total:0 km

Coastline:8

NA

Maritime claims:9

territorial sea:12 nm
exclusive fishing zone:200 nm

Climate:10

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

Terrain:11

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:12

highest point:Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m
lowest point:Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Natural resources:13

fish

Land use:14

other:100% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land:15

0 sq km (2022)

Natural hazards:16

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:17

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

People and Society

Population:18

total:no permanent inhabitants

Environment

Environmental issues:19

damage to native wildlife from imported animals

Climate:20

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

Land use:21

other:100% (2018 est.)

Government

Country name:22

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

Dependency status:23

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

Legal system:24

the laws of the UK apply

Diplomatic representation in the US:25

none (administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation from the US:26

none (administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina)

International organization participation:27

UPU

Flag:28

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

Transportation

Heliports:29

1 (2025)

Ports:30

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

Military and Security

Military - note:31

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Historical observations

Notes & sources

  1. Background. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  2. Location. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  3. Geographic coordinates. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  4. Map references. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  5. Area. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  6. Area - comparative. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  7. Land boundaries. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  8. Coastline. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  9. Maritime claims. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  10. Climate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  11. Terrain. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  12. Elevation. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  13. Natural resources. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  14. Land use. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  15. Irrigated land. Reference edition; observation: 2022. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  16. Natural hazards. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  17. Geography - note. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  18. Population. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  19. Environmental issues. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  20. Climate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  21. Land use. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  22. Country name. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  23. Dependency status. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  24. Legal system. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  25. Diplomatic representation in the US. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  26. Diplomatic representation from the US. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  27. International organization participation. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  28. Flag. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  29. Heliports. Reference edition; observation: 2025. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  30. Ports. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  31. Military - note. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-03 09:44:32 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
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