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Location:
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Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
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Geographic coordinates:
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54 30 S, 37 00 W
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Map references:
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antarctic region
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Area:
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total: 3,903 sq km
note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of some nine islands
water: 0 sq km
land: 3,903 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Rhode Island
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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NA km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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Climate:
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variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
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Terrain:
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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
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m
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Natural resources:
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fish
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Land use:
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arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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0 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism
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Environment - current issues:
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NA
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Geography - note:
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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
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