Budget [time series]

revenues: $291,777 expenditures: $451,000, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.) Communications

Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]

Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting fin fish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK.

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Area [time series]

total: 4,066 sq km land: 4,066 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island

Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]

slightly larger than Rhode Island

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

NA km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget 2,915 m

Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]

NA

International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]

party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA

Geographic coordinates [time series]

54 30 S, 37 00 W

Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]

the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia

Irrigated land [time series]

0 sq km (1993)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Antarctic Region

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism

Natural resources [time series]

fish

Terrain [time series]

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

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short form: none

Data code [time series]

SX

Dependency status [time series]

dependent territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from London by a civil commissioner who is also the governor of the Falkland Islands; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

none (dependent territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

none (dependent territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

the flag of the UK is used

Legal system [time series]

NA

Capital (National capital) [time series]

none; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town

Military - note (Military-note) [time series]

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Population [time series]

no indigenous population note: there is a small military garrison on South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Survey has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]

claimed by Argentina SPAIN

Airports [time series]

none

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Grytviken