South Sandwich Islands

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South Sandwich Islands

South Sandwich Islands
Location of the South Sandwich Islands
Geography
Coordinates	56°36′S 027°43′W / 56.600°S 27.717°W / -56.600; -27.717
Archipelago	South Sandwich Islands
Total islands	11
Area	310 km2 (120 sq mi)
Administration
United Kingdom
Overseas Territory	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Demographics
Population	Uninhabited

The South Sandwich Islands (Spanish: Islas Sandwich del Sur) are a chain of uninhabited volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. They are administered as part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The chain lies in the sub-Antarctic region, about 700 kilometres (430 mi) southeast of South Georgia and 1,700 kilometres (1,100 mi) northeast from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

The archipelago comprises 11 main islands forming an island arc running north–south, the largest being Montagu at 110 square kilometres (42 sq mi). It is divided into four groups, from north to south: The Traversay, Candlemas and Central Islands (Saunders, Montagu, and Bristol), and Southern Thule.

The archipelago is prone to violent earthquakes. Over the previous century, nine M 7+ earthquakes have occurred here, the most recent being the M 8.1 in August 2021.^[1] None of these earthquakes are known to have caused fatalities due to their remote location.