 .GS - South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Registration · Transfer · Renewal
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Payable by
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Special Requirements:
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.GS anyone can register.
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1 Year at 34.95
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| Map |
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands |
| Introduction |
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands |
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Background: |
The islands lie approximately
1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British
administration since 1908, except for a brief period in 1982 when
Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early
20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped
there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on
foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small
boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded
off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition
and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the
British Antarctic Survey. The islands have large bird and seal
populations, and, recognizing the importance of preserving the marine
stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing
zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island. |
| Geography |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands |
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Location: |
Southern South America, islands
in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America |
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Geographic coordinates: |
54 30 S, 37 00 W |
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Map references: |
Antarctic Region |
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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 some nine islands
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Area - comparative: |
slightly larger than Rhode
Island |
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Land boundaries: |
0 km |
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Coastline: |
NA km |
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
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Climate: |
variable, with mostly westerly
winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all
precipitation falls as snow |
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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 |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic
Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m
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Natural resources: |
fish |
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Land use: |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by
permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass,
moss, and lichen) (2001) |
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Irrigated land: |
0 sq km (1998 est.) |
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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 |
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Environment - current issues: |
NA |
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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
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| People |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands |
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Population: |
no indigenous inhabitants
note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in
March 2001, to be replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the
British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on Bird
Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited (July 2005 est.)
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| Government |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands |
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short
form: none |
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Dependency status: |
overseas territory of the UK,
also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a
commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands,
representing Queen ELIZABETH II; Grytviken, formerly a whaling station on
South Georgia, is a scientific base |
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Legal system: |
the laws of the UK, where
applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland Islands
presides over the Magistrates Court |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none (overseas territory of the
UK, also claimed by Argentina) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none (overseas territory of the
UK, also claimed by Argentina) |
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Flag description: |
blue, with the flag of the UK
in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the
coat of arms features a shield with a golden lion centered; the shield is
supported by a fur seal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer
appears above the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM
PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land) |
| Economy |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands |
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Economy - overview: |
Some fishing takes place in
adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting
finfish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced
in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from
tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing
rapidly. |
| Communications |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone
station at Grytviken |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
0 (2003) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
0 (2003) |
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Internet country code: |
.gs |
| Transportation |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands |
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Ports and harbors: |
Grytviken |
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Airports: |
none (2004 est.)
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| Military |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands |
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Military - note: |
defense is the responsibility
of the UK |
| Transnational Issues |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands |
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Disputes - international: |
Argentina, which claims the
islands in its constitution and briefly occupied the islands by force in
1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force |
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