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South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
British Overseas Territory
Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Flag
Official seal of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Coat of arms
Motto: 
Leo terram propriam protegat (Latin) (English: "Let the lion protect his own land")
Anthem: "God Save the King"
Location of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean
Location of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Separation from Falkland Islands3 October 1985
Capital
and largest settlement
King Edward Point
54°17′00″S 36°30′00″W / 54.28333°S 36.50000°W / -54.28333; -36.50000
Official languagesEnglish
Demonym(s)
  • South Georgian
  • South Sandwich Islander
GovernmentDirectly administered dependency under a constitutional monarchy
• Monarch
Charles III
Alison Blake
Government of the United Kingdom
• Minister
Stephen Doughty
Area
• Total
3,903 km2 (1,507 sq mi) (not ranked)
CurrencyPound sterling
Falkland Islands pound (£) (FKP)
Time zoneUTC−02:00
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy
Driving sideleft
Calling code+500
UK postcode
SIQQ 1xx
ISO 3166 codeGS
Internet TLD.gs
Websitewww.gov.gs

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the South Sandwich Islands. South Georgia is 165 kilometres (103 mi) long and 35 kilometres (22 mi) wide and is by far the largest island in the territory. The South Sandwich Islands lie about 700 kilometres (430 mi) southeast of South Georgia. The territory's total land area is 3,903 km2 (1,507 sq mi).[1] The Falkland Islands are about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) west from its nearest point.

The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited, and a very small non-permanent population resides on South Georgia.[2] There are no scheduled passenger flights or ferries to or from the territory, although visits by cruise liners to South Georgia are increasingly popular, with several thousand visitors each summer.

The United Kingdom claimed sovereignty over South Georgia in 1775 and the South Sandwich Islands in 1908. The territory of "South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands" was formed in 1985;[3] previously, it had been governed as part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies. Argentina claimed South Georgia in 1927 and claimed the South Sandwich Islands in 1938.

Argentina maintained a naval station, Corbeta Uruguay, on Thule Island in the South Sandwich Islands from 1976 until 1982 when it was closed by the Royal Navy. The Argentine claim over South Georgia contributed to the 1982 Falklands War, during which Argentine forces briefly occupied the island. Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands as part of the Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province.

Toothfish are vital to the islands' economy; as a result, Toothfish Day is celebrated on 4 September as a bank holiday in the territory.[4]

  1. ^ South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, CIA World Factbook, 2002.
  2. ^ "South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands – Current Status". Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI). Retrieved 31 May 2016. There are no permanent residents in the Territory but the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) operates two bases on South Georgia. The base at King Edward Point (KEP) is operated under contract to GSGSSI and the FCO and is staffed by eight BAS personnel, plus two GSGSSI officers and their spouses. Bird Island has a year round complement of four BAS personnel who undertake long-term monitoring of seabirds and marine mammals. The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited, though an originally undetected, and subsequently allowed, manned Argentinean research station was located on Thule from 1976 to 1982.
  3. ^ "The South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Order 1985".
  4. ^ "Toothfish Day celebration in South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands". MercoPress. 4 September 2015.

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