South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Flag Coat of arms
Motto:  "Leo Terram Propriam Protegat"  (Latin) "Let [or May] the Lion protect his own land"
Anthem: "God Save the Queen"
Location of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean.
Status	British Overseas Territory
Capital	King Edward Point 54°17′S 36°30′W / 54.283°S 36.500°W / -54.283; -36.500
Largest settlement	Grytviken
Official languages	English
Demonym	South Georgian South Sandwich Islander
Government	Dependency under a constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Elizabeth II
• Commissioner	Colin Roberts
• Responsible Ministera (UK)	Baroness Anelay
Area
• Total	3,903 km2 (1,507 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	30
Currency	Falkland Islands pound (FKP)
Time zone	GST (UTC−2)
Drives on the	left
Calling code	+500
ISO 3166 code	GS
Internet TLD	.gs
For the Overseas Territories. ^ Fixed to the pound sterling (GBP). The only place visitors can spend money is the museum shop in Grytviken, which accepts UK pounds sterling (GBP), US Dollars (USD) and Euros (EUR).

South Georgia Island

Central South Georgia Cumberland Bay – 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

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 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 total land area of the territory is 3,903 square kilometres (1,507 sq mi).

There is no permanent population on the islands. The present inhabitants are the British Government Officer, Deputy Postmaster, scientists, and support staff from the 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 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 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.

The Island of South Georgia is said to have been first sighted in 1675 by Anthony de la Roché, a London merchant, and was named Roche Island on a number of early maps. It was sighted by the commercial Spanish ship León operating out of Saint-Malo on 28 June or 29 June 1756. 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.