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South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands on Yahoo!
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| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | |
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South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Geography:
Location:
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
Geographic coordinates:
54 30 S, 37 00 W
Map references:
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
Area - comparative:
Slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
total: 0 km
border countries: NA
Coastline:
NaN km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m
Natural resources:
Fish
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)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
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
Environment - current issues:
NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
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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