Home

Geography of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Location:Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
Geographic coordinates:54 30 S, 37 00 W
Map references:Antarctic Region
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
Area - comparative:slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:NA km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
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
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m
Natural resources:fish
Land use: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) (2005)
Irrigated land:0 sq km
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:NA
Geography - note: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

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Quickstats

  • Population:
  • Area: 3,903 sq km
  • Density:
  • GDP (total):
  • GDP (per capita):
  • Literacy:

Languages of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Useful to know

  • Currency: Pound sterling (GBP)
  • Dial code:

International Trade

External sites

  • BBC News Profile
  • Travel Guide
  • Official Website
  • Laws of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • Wikipedia Profile

More Resources

Recent blog posts