South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
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 1 to 35 km (1 to
22 miles) wide[3] and is by far the largest island in the territory.
The South Sandwich Islands lie about 700 kilometres (430 mi)
southeast of South Georgia.[3] The territory's total land area is
3,903 square kilometres (1,507 sq mi).[4] The Falkland
Islands are about 1,300 km (810 mi) north-west from its
nearest point.
There is no permanent population on the islands.[5] The present
inhabitants are the British Government Officer, Deputy Postmaster,
scientists, and support staff from the
British Antarctic Survey
British Antarctic Survey who
maintain scientific bases at Bird Island and at the capital, King
Edward Point, as well as museum staff at nearby Grytviken.
The
United Kingdom
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; previously it had
been governed as part of the
Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands Dependencies. Argentina
claimed South Georgia in 1927 and claimed the South Sandwich Islands
in 1938.
Argentina
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
Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Toothfish are vital to the sustaining of the islands and as a result
on 4 September a national day is dedicated to the toothfish.[6][7]
Contents
1 History
1.1 South Georgia
1.1.1 17th–19th centuries
1.1.2 20th and 21st centuries
1.2 South Sandwich Islands
2 Geography
2.1 South Georgia group
2.1.1 Islands within the South Georgia group
2.2 South Sandwich Islands
3 Climate
4 Government
5 Economy
5.1 Fishing
5.2 Tourism
5.3 Postage stamps
5.4 Currency
6 Flora and fauna
6.1 Plants
6.2 Birds
6.3 Mammals
6.4 Marine ecosystem
7 Military
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 External links
History[edit]
Main article: History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia[edit]
17th–19th centuries[edit]
South Georgia Island
Central South Georgia
Cumberland Bay –
Thatcher Peninsula
Thatcher Peninsula with King Edward Cove
(Grytviken) – Allardyce Range, featuring the summit of Mount
Paget.
(NASA imagery)
Map by James Cook
(1777, south facing upwards)
Geography
Location
Antarctic
Highest elevation
2,934 m (9,626 ft)
Highest point
Mount Paget
Administration
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Demographics
Ethnic groups
Britons
The Island of South Georgia is said to have been first sighted in 1675
by Anthony de la Roché, a London merchant,[8] and was named Roche
Island on a number of early maps.[citation needed] It was sighted by
the commercial Spanish ship León operating out of
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo on 28
June or 29 June 1756.[9] At one time it was confused with Pepys
Island, which was "discovered" by Dampier and Cowley in 1683 but later
proved to be a phantom island.[citation needed]
Captain
James Cook
James Cook circumnavigated the island in 1775 and made the
first landing. He claimed the territory for the Kingdom of Great
Britain, and named it "the Isle of Georgia" in honour of King George
III. British arrangements for the government of South Georgia were
established under the 1843 British Letters Patent.
In 1882–1883, a German expedition for the First International Polar
Year was stationed at
Royal Bay
Royal Bay on the southeast side of the island.
The scientists of this group observed the transit of Venus and
recorded waves produced by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa.
Seal hunting
Seal hunting at South Georgia began in 1786 and continued throughout
the 19th century. The waters proved treacherous and a number of
vessels were wrecked there, such as Earl Spencer, in late 1801.[10]
20th and 21st centuries[edit]
South Georgia became a base for whaling beginning in the 20th century,
until whaling ended in the 1960s. A Norwegian, Carl Anton Larsen,
established the first land-based whaling station and first permanent
habitation at
Grytviken
Grytviken in 1904. It operated through his Argentine
Fishing Company, which settled in Grytviken.[11][9] The station
operated until 1965.
Whaling
Whaling stations operated under leases granted by the (British)
Governor of the Falkland Islands. The seven stations, all on the north
coast with its sheltered harbours, were, from the west to east:
Prince Olav Harbour
Prince Olav Harbour (from 1911–1916 factory ship and small
land-based station 1917–1931)
Leith Harbour
Leith Harbour (1909–1965)
Stromness (from 1907 factory ship, land-based station 1913–1931,
repair yard to 1960/1961)
Husvik
Husvik (from 1907 factory ship, land-based station 1910–1960, not in
operation 1930–1945)
Grytviken
Grytviken (1904–1964)
Godthul
Godthul (1908–1929, only a rudimentary land base, main operations on
factory ship)
Ocean Harbour
Ocean Harbour (1909–1920)
The whaling stations' tryworks were unpleasant and dangerous places to
work. One was called "a charnel house boiling wholesale in vaseline"
by an early 20th-century visitor.
Tim Flannery
Tim Flannery wrote that its "putrid
vapors [resembled] the pong of bad fish, manure, and a tanning works
mixed together", and noted one bizarre peril: "A rotting whale could
fill with gas to bursting, ejecting a fetus the size of a motor
vehicle with sufficient force to kill a man."[12]
With the end of the whaling industry, the stations were abandoned.
Apart from a few preserved buildings such as the museum and church at
Grytviken, only their decaying remains survive.
The church at Grytviken
A panoramic view of South Georgia taken by
Frank Hurley
Frank Hurley during the
Imperial Trans-
Antarctic
Antarctic Expedition.
From 1905, the Argentine Meteorological Office cooperated in
maintaining a meteorological observatory at
Grytviken
Grytviken under the
British lease requirements of the whaling station until these changed
in 1949.
In 1908, the
United Kingdom
United Kingdom issued further
Letters Patent
Letters Patent that
established constitutional arrangements for its possessions in the
South Atlantic. The
Letters Patent
Letters Patent covered South Georgia, the South
Orkneys, the South Shetlands, the South Sandwich Islands, and Graham
Land. (The claim was extended in 1917 to include a sector of
Antarctica reaching to the South Pole.)
In 1909, an administrative centre and residence were established at
King Edward Point
King Edward Point on South Georgia, near the whaling station of
Grytviken. A permanent local British administration and resident
Magistrate
Magistrate exercised effective possession, enforcement of British law,
and regulation of all economic, scientific and other activities in the
territory, which was then governed as the Falkland Islands
Dependencies.
In about 1912, what is according to some accounts the largest whale
ever caught, a blue whale of 110 ft (34 m), was landed at
Grytviken.[13][14]
In April 1916, Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-
Antarctic
Antarctic Expedition
became stranded on Elephant Island, some 800 miles (1,300 km)
southwest of South Georgia. Shackleton and five companions set out in
a small boat to summon help, and on 10 May, after an epic voyage, they
landed at
King Haakon Bay
King Haakon Bay on South Georgia's south coast. While three
stayed at the coast, Shackleton and the two others, Tom Crean and
Frank Worsley, went on to cover 22 miles (35 km) over the spine
of the mountainous island to reach help at Stromness whaling station.
The remaining 22 members of the expedition, who had stayed on Elephant
Island, were subsequently rescued. In January 1922, during a later
expedition, Shackleton died on board ship while moored in King Edward
Cove, South Georgia. He is buried at Grytviken. The ashes of another
noted
Antarctic
Antarctic explorer, Frank Wild, who had been Shackleton's
second-in-command on the Imperial Trans-
Antarctic
Antarctic Expedition, were
interred next to Shackleton in 2011.
Argentina
Argentina claimed South Georgia in 1927.[15]
Historical and modern settlements of South Georgia Island
During the Second World War, the
Royal Navy
Royal Navy deployed an armed merchant
vessel to patrol South Georgian and
Antarctic
Antarctic waters against German
raiders, along with two four-inch shore guns (still present)
protecting
Cumberland Bay
Cumberland Bay and Stromness Bay, which were manned by
volunteers from among the Norwegian whalers. The base at King Edward
Point was expanded as a research facility in 1949/1950 by the British
Antarctic
Antarctic Survey, which until 1962 was called the Falkland Islands
Dependencies Survey.
Topography
Topography of South Georgia Island
The
Falklands War
_1982.jpg/602px-Falklands,_Campaign,_(Distances_to_bases)_1982.jpg)
Falklands War was precipitated on 19 March 1982 when a group of
Argentinians (most of them
Argentine Marines
Argentine Marines in 'mufti'), posing as
scrap metal merchants, occupied the abandoned whaling station at Leith
Harbour on South Georgia. On 3 April the Argentine troops attacked and
occupied Grytviken. Among the commanding officers of the Argentine
Garrison was Alfredo Astiz, a captain in the
Argentine Navy
Argentine Navy who, years
later, was convicted of crimes against humanity committed during the
Dirty War
_11.JPG/440px-Pasillo_de_la_memoria_UTN_FRA_(2015)_11.JPG)
Dirty War in Argentina.
The island was recaptured by British forces on 25 April in Operation
Paraquet. In 1985
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ceased
to be administered as a
Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands Dependency and became a
separate territory. The
King Edward Point
King Edward Point base, which had become a
small military garrison after the Falklands war, returned to civilian
use in 2001 and is now operated by the British
Antarctic
Antarctic Survey.
South Sandwich Islands[edit]
Captain
James Cook
James Cook discovered the southern eight islands of the
Sandwich Islands Group in 1775, although he lumped the southernmost
three together, and their status as separate islands was not
established until 1820 by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen.[16] The
northern three islands were discovered by Bellingshausen in 1819. The
islands were tentatively named "Sandwich Land" by Cook, although he
also commented that they might be a group of islands rather than a
single body of land. The name was chosen in honour of John Montagu,
4th Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty. The word "South"
was later added to distinguish them from the "Sandwich Islands", now
known as the Hawaiian Islands.
Argentina
Argentina claimed the South Sandwich Islands in 1938, and challenged
British sovereignty in the Islands on several occasions. From 25
January 1955 to mid-1956,
Argentina
Argentina maintained the summer station
Teniente Esquivel at
Ferguson Bay
Ferguson Bay on the southeastern coast of Thule
Island.
Argentina
Argentina maintained a naval base (Corbeta Uruguay) from 1976
to 1982, in the lee (southern east coast) of the same island. Although
the British discovered the presence of the Argentine base in 1976,[17]
protested and tried to resolve the issue by diplomatic means, no
effort was made to remove them by force until after the Falklands War.
The base was removed on 20 June 1982.
On 10 February 2008, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake had its epicentre
205 km (127 mi; 111 nmi) SSE of Bristol Island.[18] On
30 June 2008 at 06:17:53 UTC, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the
region. Its epicentre was at 58.160S 21.893W, 283 km
(176 mi; 153 nmi) ENE (73 degrees) of Bristol Island.[19]
The United States Geological Survey reported that a 7.3 magnitude
earthquake had occurred at 10:04 EDT on 15 Jul 2013, 216 km
(134 mi; 117 nmi) south-southeast of Bristol Island, South
Sandwich Islands, at a depth of 31.3 km (19.4 mi). The
epicentre was located 2,230 km (1,390 mi; 1,200 nmi)
southeast of Stanley, Falkland Islands.[20]
Geography[edit]
CIA map of the islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are a collection of
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. Most of the islands, rising
steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous. At higher
elevations, the islands are permanently covered with ice and snow.
South Georgia group[edit]
The South Georgia group lies about 1,390 kilometres (864 mi;
751 nmi) east-southeast of the Falkland Islands, at 54°–55°S,
36°–38°W. It comprises
South Georgia Island
South Georgia Island itself (by far the
largest island in the territory), and the islands that immediately
surround it and some remote and isolated islets to the west and
east-southeast. It has a total land area of 3,756 km2
(1,450 sq mi), including satellite islands (but excluding
the South Sandwich Islands which form a separate island group).
Islands within the South Georgia group[edit]
South Georgia Island
South Georgia Island lies at 54°15′S 36°45′W / 54.250°S
36.750°W / -54.250; -36.750Coordinates: 54°15′S 36°45′W /
54.250°S 36.750°W / -54.250; -36.750 and has an area of
3,528 km2 (1,362 sq mi). It is mountainous and largely
barren. Eleven peaks rise to over 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) high,
their slopes furrowed with deep gorges filled with glaciers; the
largest is Fortuna Glacier. The highest peak is
Mount Paget
Mount Paget in the
Allardyce Range
Allardyce Range at 2,934 metres (9,626 ft).
Geologically, the island consists of gneiss and argillaceous schists
with occasional tufts and other sedimentary layers from which fossils
have been recovered.[21] The island is a fragment of some greater
land-mass now vanished and was probably a former extension of the
Andean system.
Smaller islands and islets off the coast of South Georgia Island
include:
View of Grytviken
Annenkov Island
Bird Island
Cooper Island
Grass Island
Jomfruene
Pickersgill Islands
Welcome Islands
Willis Islands
Trinity Island
The following remote rocks are also considered part of the South
Georgia Group:
Shag Rocks 185 km (115 mi; 100 nmi) west-northwest of
South Georgia Island
Black Rock 169 km (105 mi; 91 nmi) west-northwest of
South Georgia Island
South Georgia Island and 16 km (9.9 mi; 8.6 nmi)
southeast of the Shag Rocks
Clerke Rocks
Clerke Rocks 56 km (35 mi; 30 nmi) east-southeast of
South Georgia Island
South Sandwich Islands[edit]
NASA satellite photograph of Montagu Island
The South Sandwich Islands (Spanish: Islas Sandwich del Sur) comprise
11 mostly volcanic islands (excluding tiny satellite islands and
offshore rocks), with some active volcanoes. They form an island arc
running north-south in the region 56°18'–59°27'S,
26°23'–28°08'W, between about 350 miles (300 nmi;
560 km) and 500 miles (430 nmi; 800 km) southeast of
South Georgia.
The northernmost of the South Sandwich Islands form the Traversay
Islands and
Candlemas Islands
Candlemas Islands groups, while the southernmost make up
Southern Thule. The three largest islands – Saunders, Montagu
and Bristol – lie between the two. The Islands' highest point
is
Mount Belinda
Mount Belinda (1,370 m or 4,495 ft) on Montagu Island.
The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited, though a permanently
manned Argentine research station was located on
Thule Island
Thule Island from
1976 to 1982 (for details, see § History above). There are
automatic weather stations on Thule (Morrell) Island and Zavodovski.
To the northwest of
Zavodovski Island
Zavodovski Island is the Protector Shoal, a
submarine volcano.
Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap · Google Maps
Download coordinates as: KML · GPX
The following table lists the South Sandwich Islands from north to
south:
Island
(Spanish name)
Area
Highest peak
Location
Traversay Islands
Protector Shoal
—
−27 m (−89 ft)
55°54′S 28°06′W / 55.900°S 28.100°W / -55.900;
-28.100 (Protector Shoal)
Zavodovski
25 km2 (9.7 sq mi)
Mount Asphyxia
550 m (1,800 ft)
56°18′S 27°34′W / 56.300°S 27.567°W / -56.300;
-27.567 (Zavodovski)
Leskov
0.3 km2 (0.12 sq mi)
Rudder Point
190 m (620 ft)
56°40′S 28°08′W / 56.667°S 28.133°W / -56.667;
-28.133 (Leskov)
Visokoi
35 km2 (14 sq mi)
Mount Hodson
915 m (3,002 ft)
56°42′S 27°13′W / 56.700°S 27.217°W / -56.700;
-27.217 (Visokoi)
Candlemas IslandsA
Candlemas
(Candelaria)
14 km2 (5.4 sq mi)
Mount Andromeda
550 m (1,800 ft)
57°05′S 26°39′W / 57.083°S 26.650°W / -57.083;
-26.650 (Candlemas)
Vindication
(Vindicación)
5 km2 (1.9 sq mi)
Quadrant Peak
430 m (1,410 ft)
57°06′S 26°47′W / 57.100°S 26.783°W / -57.100;
-26.783 (Vindication)
Central islands
Saunders
40 km2 (15 sq mi)
Mount Michael
990 m (3,250 ft)
57°48′S 26°28′W / 57.800°S 26.467°W / -57.800;
-26.467 (Saunders)
Montagu
(Jorge)
110 km2 (42 sq mi)
Mount Belinda
1,370 m (4,490 ft)
58°25′S 26°23′W / 58.417°S 26.383°W / -58.417;
-26.383 (Montagu)
Bristol
(Blanca)
46 km2 (18 sq mi)
Mount Darnley
1,100 m (3,600 ft)
59°03′S 26°30′W / 59.050°S 26.500°W / -59.050;
-26.500 (Bristol)
Southern Thule
Southern Thule (Tule del Sur)
Bellingshausen
1 km2 (0.39 sq mi)
Basilisk Peak
255 m (837 ft)
59°25′S 27°05′W / 59.417°S 27.083°W / -59.417;
-27.083 (Bellingshausen)
Cook
20 km2 (7.7 sq mi)
Mount Harmer
1,115 m (3,658 ft)
59°26′S 27°09′W / 59.433°S 27.150°W / -59.433;
-27.150 (Cook)
Thule (or Morrell) Island
14 km2 (5.4 sq mi)
Mount Larsen
710 m (2,330 ft)
59°27′S 27°18′W / 59.450°S 27.300°W / -59.450;
-27.300 (Thule)
Vysokaya Bank
—
−89 m (−292 ft)
59°43′S 27°58′W / 59.717°S 27.967°W / -59.717;
-27.967 (Vysokaya Bank)
South Sandwich Islands
310 km2 (120 sq mi)
Mount Belinda
1,370 m (4,490 ft)
A Sometimes included with the Traversay Islands.
A series of six passages separates each of the islands or island
groups in the chain. They are, from north to south: Zavodovski
Isl. – Traverse passage – Visokoi Isl. – Brown's
passage – Candlemas Isl. – Shackleton's passage –
Saunders Isl. – Larsen's passage – Montagu Isl. –
Biscoe's passage – Bristol Isl. – Forsters
Passage – Southern Thule. Nelson Channel is the passage between
Candlemas and Vindication Island.
Climate[edit]
NASA satellite image of
South Georgia Island
South Georgia Island covered with snow
The South Sandwich Islands connect with air currents to make wave
patterns in clouds.
Royal Bay
Royal Bay and South Georgia Island
The climate is classified as polar, and the weather is highly variable
and harsh; making a tundra (ET) in Köppen Climate Classification.
Typical daily maximum temperatures in South Georgia at sea level are
around 0 °C (32 °F) in winter (August) and 8 °C
(46.4 °F) in summer (January). Winter minimum temperatures are
typically about −5 °C (23 °F) and rarely dip below
−10 °C (14 °F). Annual precipitation in South Georgia is
about 1,500 mm (59.1 in), much of which falls as sleet or
snow, which is possible in any month. Inland, the snow line in summer
is at an altitude of about 300 m (984 ft).
Westerly winds blow throughout the year interspersed with periods of
calm—indeed, in 1963, 25% of winds were in the calm category at King
Edward point, and the mean wind speed of around 8 knots (9.2 mph;
15 km/h) is around half that of the Falkland Islands. This gives
the eastern side of South Georgia (leeward side) a more pleasant
climate than the exposed western side. The prevailing weather
conditions generally make the islands difficult to approach by ship,
though the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays which
provide good anchorage.
Sunshine, as with many South Atlantic Islands, is low, at a maximum of
just 21.5%. This amounts to around 1,000 hours of sunshine annually.
The local topography, however, also contributes significantly to the
low insolation. A study published during the early 1960s[22] indicated
that sunshine recording instruments remained significantly obscured
throughout the year and entirely obscured during June. It was
estimated that the theoretical sunshine exposure minus obstructions
would be around 14% at Bird Island and 35% at King Edward
Point – or, in hourly terms, ranging from around 650 hours in
the west to 1,500 hours in the east. This illustrates the effect the
Allardyce range has in breaking up cloud cover.
Mountain winds blow straight up the western side and straight down the
eastern side of the mountains and become much warmer and drier due to
the Föhn effect; this produces the most pleasant conditions when
temperatures can occasionally rise over 20 °C (68 °F) on
summer days. The highest recorded temperature was 28.8 °C
(83.8 °F) at Grytviken.[23] and 26.3 °C (79.3 °F) at
nearby King Edward point, both on the sheltered East side of the
Islands. Conversely, the highest recorded temperature at Bird Island
on the windward Western side is a mere 14.5 °C (58.1 °F).
As one might expect, the sheltered eastern side can also record lower
winter temperatures—the absolute minimum for
Grytviken
Grytviken being
−19.4 °C (−2.9 °F),
King Edward Point
King Edward Point −18.9 °C
(−2.0 °F), but Bird Island just −11.4 °C
(11.5 °F).
The seas surrounding South Georgia are cold throughout the year due to
the proximity of the
Antarctic
Antarctic Current. They usually remain free of
pack ice in winter, though thin ice may form in sheltered bays, and
icebergs are common.[24] Sea temperatures drop to 0 °C
(32 °F) in late August and rise to around 4 °C
(39.2 °F) only in early April.
The South Sandwich Islands are much colder than South Georgia, being
farther south and more exposed to cold outbreaks from the Antarctic
continent. They are also surrounded by sea ice from the middle of May
to late November (even longer at their southern end).[25] Recorded
temperature extremes at South
Thule Island
Thule Island have ranged from −29.8 to
17.7 °C (−21.6 to 63.9 °F).
Climate data for Bird Island, South Georgia, 1961–1990
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Average high °C (°F)
5.5
(41.9)
5.6
(42.1)
4.4
(39.9)
1.9
(35.4)
−0.5
(31.1)
−1.8
(28.8)
−2.4
(27.7)
−1.9
(28.6)
−0.2
(31.6)
1.6
(34.9)
3.4
(38.1)
4.5
(40.1)
1.67
(35.02)
Average low °C (°F)
0.7
(33.3)
1.4
(34.5)
0.6
(33.1)
−1
(30)
−3.8
(25.2)
−4.6
(23.7)
−5.4
(22.3)
−4.8
(23.4)
−3.4
(25.9)
−1.9
(28.6)
−1.5
(29.3)
−0.6
(30.9)
−2.02
(28.35)
Average precipitation mm (inches)
84
(3.31)
80
(3.15)
95
(3.74)
123
(4.84)
108
(4.25)
108
(4.25)
120
(4.72)
114
(4.49)
107
(4.21)
98
(3.86)
88
(3.46)
77
(3.03)
1,204
(47.4)
Source: Climatic Research Unit, UEA[26]
Climate data for Grytviken/King Edward Point, South Georgia,
1901–1950 (Sunshine 1931–1960)
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Record high °C (°F)
24.5
(76.1)
26.5
(79.7)
28.8
(83.8)
19.1
(66.4)
17.5
(63.5)
14.0
(57.2)
13.6
(56.5)
13.2
(55.8)
17.0
(62.6)
20.0
(68)
22.5
(72.5)
21.5
(70.7)
28.8
(83.8)
Average high °C (°F)
8.4
(47.1)
9.1
(48.4)
8.4
(47.1)
5.6
(42.1)
2.9
(37.2)
0.9
(33.6)
1.2
(34.2)
1.5
(34.7)
3.5
(38.3)
5.4
(41.7)
6.5
(43.7)
7.5
(45.5)
5.08
(41.13)
Average low °C (°F)
1.4
(34.5)
1.7
(35.1)
1.0
(33.8)
−0.8
(30.6)
−3.1
(26.4)
−4.6
(23.7)
−4.7
(23.5)
−4.9
(23.2)
−3.3
(26.1)
−1.8
(28.8)
−0.5
(31.1)
0.4
(32.7)
−1.6
(29.13)
Record low °C (°F)
−4.1
(24.6)
−3.7
(25.3)
−6.3
(20.7)
−9.8
(14.4)
−11.4
(11.5)
−14.6
(5.7)
−15.2
(4.6)
−19.2
(−2.6)
−18.4
(−1.1)
−11
(12)
−6.4
(20.5)
−5.4
(22.3)
−19.2
(−2.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)
92.0
(3.622)
114.0
(4.488)
136.0
(5.354)
139.0
(5.472)
137.0
(5.394)
135.0
(5.315)
149.0
(5.866)
149.0
(5.866)
92.0
(3.622)
80.0
(3.15)
93.0
(3.661)
88.0
(3.465)
1,394
(54.882)
Mean monthly sunshine hours
152
160
127
66
34
12
22
74
123
171
174
167
1,282
Source #1: Globalbioclimatics/S.Rivas-Martínez[27]
Source #2: DMI/Danish Meteorology Institute[28]
Government[edit]
Executive power is vested in the
Monarch of the United Kingdom
.svg/400px-Royal_Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom_(Both_Realms).svg.png)
Monarch of the United Kingdom and is
exercised by the Commissioner, a post held by the Governor of the
Falkland Islands. The current Commissioner is Nigel Phillips, who
became Commissioner on 12 September 2017. A Chief Executive Officer
(Martin Collins) deals with policy matters and is Director of SGSSI
Fisheries, responsible for the allocation of fishing licences. An
Executive Officer (Richard McKee) deals with administrative matters
relating to the territory. There is also an Environmental Officer
(Jennifer Lee) and a Marine & Fisheries Officer (Katherine Ross).
The Financial Secretary and Attorney General of the territory are
appointed ex officio similar appointments in the Falkland Islands'
Government.
As there are no permanent inhabitants on the islands, there is no
legislative council and no elections are held. The UK Foreign Office
manages the foreign relations of the territory. Since 1982 the
territory celebrates
Liberation Day
.jpg/440px-1982_Liberation_Memorial_in_Stanley_(5612271774).jpg)
Liberation Day on 14 June.
The constitution of the territory (adopted 3 October 1985), the manner
in which its government is directed and the availability of judicial
review were discussed in a series of litigations between 2001 and 2005
(see, in particular, Regina v. Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs (Appellant) ex parte Quark Fishing Limited [2005]
UKHL 57[29]). Although its government is entirely directed by the UK
Foreign Office, it was held that, since it was acting as an agent of
the Crown in right of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
rather than in right of the UK, its decisions under that direction
could not be challenged as if they were in law decisions of a UK
government department;[clarification needed] thus the European
Convention on Human Rights did not apply.
Economy[edit]
As there are no native inhabitants, economic activity in South Georgia
and the South Sandwich Islands is limited. The territory has revenues
of £4.5 million, 80% of which is derived from fishing licences (2011
figures).[30] Other sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps
and coins, tourism and customs and harbour dues.[31]
Fishing[edit]
Fishing takes place around South Georgia and in adjacent waters in
some months of the year, with fishing licences sold by the territory
for Patagonian toothfish, cod icefish and krill. Fishing licences
bring in millions of pounds a year, most of which is spent on fishery
protection and research. All fisheries are regulated and managed in
accordance with the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic
Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) system.
In 2001 the South Georgia government was cited by the Marine
Stewardship Council for its sustainable
Patagonian toothfish
Patagonian toothfish fishery,
certifying that South Georgia met the MSC's environmental standards.
The certificate places limits on the timing and quantity of Patagonian
toothfish that may be caught.[32]
Tourism[edit]
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section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material
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Tourism
Tourism has become a larger source of income in recent years, with
many cruise ships and sailing yachts visiting the area (the only way
to visit South Georgia is by sea; there are no airstrips on the
Islands). The territory gains income from landing charges and the sale
of souvenirs. Cruise ships often combine a
Grytviken
Grytviken visit with a trip
to the
Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula.
Charter yacht visits usually begin in the Falkland Islands, last
between four and six weeks, and enable guests to visit remote harbours
of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Sailing vessels are
now required to anchor out and can no longer tie up to the old whaling
piers on shore. One exception to this is the recently
upgraded/repaired yacht berth at Grytviken. All other jetties at
former whaling stations lie inside a 200 m (656 ft)
exclusion zone; and berthing, or putting ropes ashore, at these is
forbidden. Yachts visiting South Georgia are normally expected to
report to the Government Officer at
King Edward Point
King Edward Point before moving
round the island.
The island has featured in the Warren Miller video Storm.
Postage stamps[edit]
Main article: Postage stamps and postal history of South Georgia and
the South Sandwich Islands
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this
section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material
may be challenged and removed. (July 2010) (Learn how and when to
remove this template message)
This postage stamp depicting a fin whale was issued in 1963.
A large source of income from abroad also comes from the issue of
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands postage stamps which are
produced in the UK.
A reasonable issue policy (few sets of stamps are issued each year)
along with attractive subject matter (especially whales) makes them
popular with topical stamp collectors.
There are only four genuine first day cover sets from 16 March 1982 in
existence. They were stamped at the South Georgia Post Office; all
those in circulation were stamped elsewhere and sent out, but the only
genuine ones were kept at the Post Office on South Georgia. These four
sets were removed during the
Falklands War
Falklands War by a member of staff of the
British Antarctic Survey
British Antarctic Survey in the few moments the Argentinians allowed
them to gather their belongings. Everything else was burnt, but these
four sets were saved and brought to the UK by Robert Headland, BAS.
Currency[edit]
The pound sterling is the official currency of the islands, and the
same notes and coins are used as in the United Kingdom. For more
information on British currency in the wider region, see Pound
sterling in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic.
Flora and fauna[edit]
Southern giant petrel
Southern giant petrel on South Georgia Island
A colony of 200,000 king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on
Salisbury Plain
King penguins
–King_penguin_(Aptenodytes_patagonicus)_04.jpg/440px-SGI-2016-South_Georgia_(Fortuna_Bay)–King_penguin_(Aptenodytes_patagonicus)_04.jpg)
King penguins at
St Andrews Bay, South Georgia
St Andrews Bay, South Georgia Island, 1996
Plants[edit]
The parts of the islands that are not permanently covered in snow or
ice are part of the
Scotia Sea
Scotia Sea Islands tundra ecoregion. In total
there are 26 species of vascular plant native to South Georgia; six
species of grass, four rushes, a single sedge, six ferns, one clubmoss
and nine small forbs. There are also about 125 species of moss, 85 of
liverworts and 150 lichens, as well as about 50 species of
macrofungi.[33] A number of introduced species have become
naturalised; many of these were introduced by whalers in cattle
fodder, and some are considered invasive.[34] There are no trees or
shrubs on the islands.[35]
The largest plant is the tussock grass Poa flabellata. This grows
mostly on raised beaches and steep slopes near the shore and may reach
2 m (7 ft). Other grasses include the tufted fescue (Festuca
contracta), the Alpine cat's-tail (Phleum alpinum) and Antarctic
hair-grass (Deschampsia antarctica), and one of the commonest
flowering plants is the greater burnet (Acaena magellanica).[33]
Birds[edit]
South Georgia supports many sea birds, including albatross, a large
colony of king penguins, Macaroni penguins[36] and penguins of various
other species, along with petrels, prions, shags, skuas, gulls and
terns. Birds unique to the archipelago are the South Georgia shag,
South Georgia pipit, and the South Georgia pintail. Both South Georgia
and the South Sandwich Islands have been identified as Important Bird
Areas (IBA) by BirdLife International.[37]
Mammals[edit]
Wikispecies
Wikispecies has information related to
South Georgia Island
South Georgia Island nonmarine
fauna
Seals frequent the islands, and whales may be seen in the surrounding
waters. There are no native land mammals, though reindeer, brown rats
and mice were introduced to South Georgia through human activities.
Rats, brought to the island as stowaways on sealing and whaling ships
in the late 18th century,[38] have caused much damage to native
wildlife, destroying tens of millions of ground-nesting birds’ eggs
and chicks. While previously the island's glaciers formed a natural
barrier to the spread of rats, these glaciers are now slowly melting
as the climate warms.[39] In 2011, scientists instituted a four-year
programme to entirely eradicate the rats and mice, in what would be by
far the largest rodent eradication attempt in the world to
date.[40][41][42] The project was led by zoologist Anthony Martin of
The
University of Dundee
University of Dundee who stated, "This is a man-induced problem
and it's about time that man put right earlier errors."[43] In July
2013, the success of the main phase of the extermination of the rats,
which took place in May that year, was announced. 180 tonnes of rat
poison, brodifacoum, were dropped over 70% of the island, in what was
the world's largest ever operation of this kind.[44] Another 95t of
rat poison was planned to be dropped by three helicopters in January
2015.[45] In June 2015 the eradication programme concluded, apparently
successfully, with the island believed "very likely" to be rat free.
Monitoring will continue for a further two or three years.[46]
Reindeer
Reindeer were introduced to South Georgia in 1911 by Norwegian whalers
for meat and for sport hunting. In February 2011, the authorities
announced that due to the reindeer's detrimental effect on native
species and the threat of their spreading to presently pristine areas,
a complete cull would take place, leading to the eradication of
reindeer from the island.[47] The eradication began in 2013 with 3,500
reindeer killed. Nearly all the rest were killed in early 2014, with
the last (about 50) cleared in the 2014/15 southern summer.[48]
Marine ecosystem[edit]
The seas around South Georgia have a high level of biodiversity. In a
recent study (2009–2011), South Georgia has been discovered to
contain one of the highest levels of biodiversity among all the
ecosystems on Earth.[49] In respect to species, marine inhabitants
endemic to this ecosystem outnumber and (in respect to biodiversity)
surpass well-known regions such as the
Galápagos
Galápagos or Ecuador.[50] The
marine ecosystem is thought to be vulnerable because its low
temperatures mean that it can repair itself only very slowly.[51] On
23 February 2012, to protect marine biodiversity, the territory's
government created the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Marine Protected Area – comprising 1.07 million km2
(410,000 sq mi).[52][53][54]
Wandering albatross
Wandering albatross at South Georgia Island
Antarctic
Antarctic Pearlwort at St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia
South Georgia glacier and penguin colony
Military[edit]
HMS Protector
Main article: Military of the Falkland Islands
After the
Falklands War
Falklands War in 1982, a full-time British military presence
was maintained at
King Edward Point
King Edward Point on South Georgia. This was scaled
down during the 1990s until the last detachment left South Georgia in
March 2001, after a new station had been built and occupied by the
British
Antarctic
Antarctic Survey.[55]
The main British military facility in the region is at RAF Mount
Pleasant and the adjacent
Mare Harbour
Mare Harbour naval base on East Falkland. A
handful of British naval vessels patrol the region, visiting South
Georgia a few times each year and sometimes deploying small infantry
patrols. Flights by RAF
C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules and
Vickers VC10
Vickers VC10 (replaced by
Voyager) aircraft also occasionally patrol the territory.
A
Royal Navy
Royal Navy destroyer or frigate and a
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel
carry out the Atlantic Patrol Task (South) mission in the surrounding
area.
HMS Endurance, the
Royal Navy
Royal Navy ice-patrol ship, operated in the
South Georgia area during part of most southern summer seasons until
her near loss due to flooding in 2008. She carried out hydrological
and mapping work as well as assisting with scientific fieldwork for
the British
Antarctic
Antarctic Survey, film and photographic units, and youth
expedition group BSES Expeditions. While the final decision on the
fate of Endurance was pending, the
Royal Navy
Royal Navy chartered a Norwegian
icebreaker, renamed HMS Protector, to act as replacement for
three years.[56] In September 2013 the British Ministry of Defence
purchased the ship outright.[57] It was announced on 7 October 2013
that Endurance will be sold for scrap.[58]
See also[edit]
Geography portal
South America portal
United Kingdom
United Kingdom portal
Bibliography of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
British Overseas Territories
Index of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands-related articles
List of
Antarctic
Antarctic and subantarctic islands
Lists of islands
South Orkney Islands
South Shetland Islands
Notes[edit]
^ Tony Wheeler (2004). The Falklands & South Georgia Island.
Lonely Planet. pp. 172–. ISBN 978-1-74059-643-5.
^ "Foreign travel advice South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands". UK Government. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
^ a b "Google Maps".
^ South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, CIA World Factbook,
2002.
^ "There are no permanent residents in the Territory but the British
Antarctic
Antarctic Survey (BAS) operates two bases on South Georgia. The base
at
King Edward Point
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 on Thule from 1976 to 1982." "Current Status".
Government of
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI).
Retrieved 31 May 2016.
^
http://en.mercopress.com/2015/09/04/toothfish-day-celebration-in-south-georgia-and-south-sandwich-islands
^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlnegoEzeL0
^ Carroll, Paul. "The Living Edens --
South Georgia Island
South Georgia Island -- Ice and
Isolation". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
^ a b "Iberoamerica – Bienvenido --".
^ Wheeler (2004), pp.26–27.
^ La Infanteria de Marina en el conflicto del Atlántico Sur, Jorge
Alberto Erecaborde. The original quote in Spanish is: "La Compañia
Argentina
Argentina de Pesca SA, al amparo de las leyes argentinas y bajo su
bandera, se instala en Grytviken".
^ "On the Minds of the Whales" by Tim Flannery, NYRB, 9 February 2012
^ The Island of South Georgia, The
Whaling
Whaling Museum, Sandefjord, Norway
Archived 16 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
^ Whaling, South Georgia Heritage Trust Archived 12 December 2009 at
the Wayback Machine.
^ Headland, R. K. The Island of South Georgia, Cambridge University
Press, 1984. p. 238.
^ Mills, William James. Exploring polar frontiers: a historical
encyclopedia, Volume 2, p. 157, 2003.
^ Lawrence Freedman (2005). The Official History of the Falklands
Campaign: The origins of the Falklands war. Psychology Press.
p. 76. ISBN 978-0-7146-5206-1.
^ 2008 February 10: Magnitude 6.5 – South Sandwich Islands region:
USGS Archived 1 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
^
Earthquake
Earthquake Hazards Program Archived 16 September 2008 at the Wayback
Machine. at U.S. Geological Survey
^ Summary of earthquake 2013-07-15 14:03:43 UTC at U.S. Geological
Survey
^ Trendall, A. 1953 The Geology of South Georgia. Falkland Islands
Dependencies Survey: Scientific Reports: Number 7. pdf
^ "British
Antarctic
Antarctic Survey" (PDF). British
Antarctic
Antarctic Survey. Archived
from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 10 July
2011.
^ "Extreme Temperatures Around the World- world highest lowest
recorded temperatures".
^ "South Georgia official website – environment – ocean".
^ General Survey of Climatology V12, 2001, Edited by Landsberg,
Elsevier publishing
^ "Climate Normals". Climatic Research Unit, UEA. July 2011. Retrieved
10 July 2011.
^ "Temp/Rain 1901–1950". Globalbioclimatics. Apr 2012. Retrieved 24
April 2012.
^ "Sunshine 1931–1960 [page 242]" (PDF). DMI.DK. Apr 2012. Archived
from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 24 April
2012.
^ "Quark Fishing Ltd, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State
for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2005] UKHL 57 (13 October
2005)".
^ Commonwealth Secretariat website
^ "Healthy Surplus in South Georgia Finances, Spurred by Fishing,
Tourism
Tourism and Stamps". MercoPress. May 12, 2010. Retrieved January 19,
2017.
^
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market (2006), Welcome Back Chilean Sea Bass!, Whole
Foods Market
^ a b Headland, Robert (1992). The Island of South Georgia. CUP
Archive. pp. 195–197. ISBN 978-0-521-42474-5.
^ "South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands". Department of Plant
Sciences, University of Oxford. 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
^ "Native flora – South Georgia Heritage Trust".
^ Attenborough, D. 1998. The Life of Birds. BBC Books.
ISBN 0563-38792-0
^ "South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands". BirdLife
International. 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
^ "Eradication of Rodents". South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.
Archived from the original on 3 August 2015. Retrieved 2012.
Check date values in: access-date= (help)
^ "Climate Change – Overview". British
Antarctic
Antarctic Survey. Archived
from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 2012. Check date
values in: access-date= (help)
^ Hastings, Chris (7 March 2010). "South Georgia to poison millions of
rats". Times Online. London.
^ Connor, Steve (8 March 2010). "Ecologists turn exterminators in the
great rat hunt". The Independent. London.
^ Amos, Jonathan (4 May 2011). "'Success' in South Georgia rat
eradication". BBC.
^ Hogenboom, Melissa (4 July 2013). "South Georgia rat removal hits
milestone". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
^ Cookson, Clive (July 3, 2013). "Rats removed from South Georgia in
biggest mass poisoning". Financial Times.
^ Sarsfield, Kate (3 December 2014), "Habitat Restoration Project
gears up for final phase of airborne rodent eradication programme",
Flightglobal, Reed Business Information, retrieved 4 December
2014
^ "Rare birds return to remote South Georgia island after successful
rat eradication programme", The Independent, 25 June 2015
^ Management of introduced reindeer on South Georgia Archived 16 May
2011 at the Wayback Machine., Office of the Commissioner, 19 February
2011.
^ Doyle, Alister (March 18, 2013). "Hunters slay 3,500 reindeer on
island near Antarctica". Reuters.
^ "Which has more biodiversity, the
Galápagos
Galápagos or the sub-Antarctic
island South Georgia? Surprise, surprise". George Wright Society. 25
May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
^ Merco Press (27 May 2011). "South Georgia marine biodiversity richer
than the
Galápagos
Galápagos Islands".
^ "The
Antarctic
Antarctic island that's richer in biodiversity than the
Galapagos". 27 May 2011.
^ Marine Protected Areas Order 2012 Archived 6 May 2012 at the Wayback
Machine., South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Gazette, 29
February 2012.
^ "SGSSI Marine Protection Area (Management Plan)" (PDF).
^ Good Planet: Denmark. Archived 3 August 2012 at
Archive.is
Archive.is Largest
protected area in the world.
^ "
King Edward Point
King Edward Point Research Station, King Edward Point, Cumberland
East Bay, South Georgia".
^ Powell, Michael. HMS Protector will be Endurance replacement, The
News. Portsmouth, 11 January 2011.
^ "UK purchases Arctic patrol vessel HMS Protector". IHS Jane's 360.
26 September 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
^ "HMS Endurance: Former ice patrol ship to be scrapped". BBC News. 7
October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
References[edit]
Forster, George (1777). A Voyage Round the World in His Britannic
Majesty's Sloop Resolution Commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the
Years 1772, 3, 4 and 5 (2 vols.). London.
Headland, R. K. (1984). The Island of South Georgia. Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 0-521-25274-1.
Wheeler, Tony (2004). The Falklands & South Georgia Island. Lonely
Planet. ISBN 978-1740596435.
External links[edit]
Find more aboutSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsat
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Download coordinates as: KML · GPX
Government
South Georgia government website♠
"South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands". The World Factbook.
Central Intelligence Agency.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands at Curlie (based on DMOZ)
Wikimedia Atlas of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Map of the Argentine claim over Islas Georgias del Sur y Sandwich del
Sur
Others
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Live picture from the South Georgia webcam
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Argentine invasion of South Georgia
South Georgia Wiki
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1862–1906 Lagos
1868–1966 Basutoland
1874–1957 Gold Coast
1882–1922 Egypt
1884–1900 Niger Coast
1884–1966 Bechuanaland
1884–1960 Somaliland
1887–1897 Zululand
1890–1962 Uganda
1890–1963 Zanzibar
1891–1964 Nyasaland
1891–1907 Central Africa
1893–1968 Swaziland
1895–1920 East Africa
1899–1956 Sudan
1900–1914 Northern Nigeria
1900–1914 Southern Nigeria
1900–1910 Orange River
1900–1910 Transvaal
1903–1976 Seychelles
1910–1931 South Africa
1914–1960 Nigeria
1915–1931 South-West Africa
1919–1961 Cameroons6
1920–1963 Kenya
1922–1961 Tanganyika6
1923–1965 and 1979–1980 Southern Rhodesia7
1924–1964 Northern Rhodesia
6. League of Nations mandate.
7. Self-governing
Southern Rhodesia
.svg/250px-Flag_of_Rhodesia_(1964).svg.png)
Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared
independence in 1965 (as Rhodesia) and continued as an unrecognised
state until the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement. After recognised
independence in 1980, Zimbabwe was a member of the Commonwealth until
it withdrew in 2003.
Asia
17th and 18th century
19th century
20th century
1685–1824 Bencoolen
1702–1705 Pulo Condore
1757–1947 Bengal
1762–1764 Manila and Cavite
1781–1784 and 1795–1819 Padang
1786–1946 Penang
1795–1948 Ceylon
1796–1965 Maldives
1811–1816 Java
1812–1824 Banka and Billiton
1819–1826 Malaya
1824–1948 Burma
1826–1946 Straits Settlements
1839–1967 Aden
1839–1842 Afghanistan
1841–1997 Hong Kong
1841–1946 Sarawak
1848–1946 Labuan
1858–1947 India
1874–1963 Borneo
1879–1919 Afghanistan (protectorate)
1882–1963 North Borneo
1885–1946 Unfederated Malay States
1888–1984 Brunei
1891–1971 Muscat and Oman
1892–1971 Trucial States
1895–1946 Federated Malay States
1898–1930 Weihai
1878–1960 Cyprus
1907–1949 Bhutan (protectorate)
1918–1961 Kuwait
1920–1932 Mesopotamia8
1921–1946 Transjordan8
1923–1948 Palestine8
1945–1946 South Vietnam
1946–1963 North Borneo
1946–1963 Sarawak
1946–1963 Singapore
1946–1948 Malayan Union
1948–1957 Federation of Malaya
Since 1960
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Akrotiri and Dhekelia (before as part of Cyprus)
Since 1965
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory (before as part of Mauritius
and the Seychelles)
8 League of Nations mandate. Iraq's mandate was not enacted and
replaced by the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty
Oceania
18th and 19th centuries
20th century
1788–1901 New South Wales
1803–1901 Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania
1807–1863 Auckland Islands9
1824–1980 New Hebrides
1824–1901 Queensland
1829–1901 Swan River/Western Australia
1836–1901 South Australia
since 1838 Pitcairn Islands
1841–1907 New Zealand
1851–1901 Victoria
1874–1970 Fiji10
1877–1976 Western Pacific Territories
1884–1949 Papua
1888–1901 Rarotonga/Cook Islands9
1889–1948 Union Islands9
1892–1979 Gilbert and Ellice Islands11
1893–1978 Solomon Islands12
1900–1970 Tonga
1900–1974 Niue9
1901–1942 *Australia
1907–1947 *New Zealand
1919–1942 and 1945–1968 Nauru
1919–1949 New Guinea
1949–1975 Papua and New Guinea13
9. Now part of the *Realm of New Zealand.
10. Suspended member.
11. Now
Kiribati
Kiribati and *Tuvalu.
12. Now the *Solomon Islands.
13. Now *Papua New Guinea.
Antarctica and South Atlantic
Since 1658 Saint Helena14
Since 1815 Ascension Island14
Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha14
Since 1908 British
Antarctic
Antarctic Territory15
1841–1933 Australian
Antarctic
Antarctic Territory (transferred to the
Commonwealth of Australia)
1841–1947
Ross Dependency
Ross Dependency (transferred to the Realm of New Zealand)
14. Since 2009 part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da
Cunha;
Ascension Island
Ascension Island (1922–) and
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha (1938–) were
previously dependencies of Saint Helena.
15. Both claimed in 1908; territories formed in 1962 (British
Antarctic
Antarctic Territory) and 1985 (South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands).
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t
e
Outlying territories of European countries
Territories under European sovereignty but closer to or on continents
other than
Europe
.svg/400px-Eurasia_(orthographic_projection).svg.png)
Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information).
Denmark
Greenland
France
Clipperton Island
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern and
Antarctic
Antarctic Lands
Adélie Land
Crozet Islands
Île Amsterdam
Île Saint-Paul
Kerguelen Islands
Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Mayotte
New Caledonia
Réunion
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Wallis and Futuna
Italy
Pantelleria
Pelagie Islands
Lampedusa
Lampione
Linosa
Netherlands
Aruba
Caribbean Netherlands
Bonaire
Saba
Sint Eustatius
Curaçao
Sint Maarten
Norway
Bouvet Island
Peter I Island
Queen Maud Land
Portugal
Azores
Madeira
Spain
Canary Islands
Ceuta
Melilla
Plazas de soberanía
Chafarinas Islands
Alhucemas Islands
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
United Kingdom
Anguilla
Bermuda
British
Antarctic
Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Montserrat
Pitcairn Islands
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
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Peri-
Antarctic
Antarctic countries and overseas territories
Argentina
Australia
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Macquarie Island
Bouvet Island
Chile
Falkland Islands
French Southern and
Antarctic
Antarctic Lands
Kerguelen Islands
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand Subantarctic Islands
South Africa
Prince Edward Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
"Peri-Antarctic" (meaning "close to the Antarctic") does not include
territorial claims in Antarctica itself.
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Territorial disputes involving Argentina
Argentine Antarctica
Falkland Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Southern Patagonian Ice Field
List of violent incidents at the Argentine border
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e
Geography of the Americas
North America
South America
Sovereign states
Antigua
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela
Dependencies and
other territories
Anguilla
Aruba
Bermuda
Bonaire
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Falkland Islands
French Guiana
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Montserrat
Puerto Rico
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saba
Sint Eustatius
Sint Maarten
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
US Virgin Islands
v
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e
Climate of the Americas
North America
South America
Sovereign states
Antigua
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela
Dependencies and
other territories
Anguilla
Aruba
Bermuda
Bonaire
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Falkland Islands
French Guiana
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Montserrat
Puerto Rico
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saba
Sint Eustatius
Sint Maarten
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
US Virgin Islands
Authority control
WorldCat Identities
VIAF: 239448