|
|
| 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 | | | Zone | Antarctica | | | 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 | | | 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 | | | Irrigated land | NA 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 | |
|
