South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Overseas territory of the ‌United Kingdom


Motto Leo Terram Propriam Protegat
Anthem God Save the Queen


Capital	Grytviken

Status	Overseas territory
Monarch
- From 1952	Elizabeth II
Commissioner
- From 2010	Nigel Haywood

History
- October 3, 1985	Established

Area	3,903 km²

Population
- 2006	30
Density	0/km²

Currency	Pound sterling

Falkland Islands British Antarctic Territory
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South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom located in the southern part of Atlantic Ocean (₳|₩).

Background

The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, 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. 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.^[1]

Economy

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.^[2]