South Georgia & Sandwich Islands--Geography
CIA FactbookThe World Factbook 1993: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Geography

Location: in the South Atlantic Ocean, off the south Argentine coast, southeast of the Falkland Islands

Area: total area: 4,066 km2 land area: 4,066 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island

note: includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: NA km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina

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

Natural resources: fish

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

Irrigated land: 0 km2

Environment: reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia; weather conditions generally make it difficult to approach the South Sandwich Islands; the South Sandwich Islands are subject to active volcanism

Note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage