South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic. The islands are only 3677 km from the South Pole. However, they are still north of the 60th parallel of south latitude, which is why they do not fall within the scope of the Antarctic Treaty. Thus true for they are not the status quo provision of Article 4 of this Agreement.

The area is from Argentina claims with reference to early Spanish sightings. Argentina sees this as a legacy of Spain.

6.1 Holidays

Geography

Islands

The island territory in the South Atlantic is 1400 km east of the Falkland Islands. It consists of the main island of South Georgia and the companies belonging to this island smaller island groups, and the thereof about 600 to 800 km southeastern South Sandwich Islands. The total land area of the region amounts to 3903 km ².

South Georgia

At South Georgia the eponymous main island include ( arg.: San Pedro) (54 ° 19 ' S, 36 ° 39' W 54.316666666667 - 36.65 ), the largest surface area of the entire overseas territory, as well as the Pickersgill Islands, the Welcome Islands and the Willi Islands, Annenkov Iceland, Iceland Bird and Cooper Iceland. The rock faces Clerke Rocks and Shag Rocks and Black Rock are some of South Georgia.

The South Sandwich Islands

To the South Sandwich Islands include (from north to south) the Traversayinseln that Candlemasinseln ( arg.: Candelaria), Saunders Iceland, Iceland Montagu ( arg.: Jorge ), Bristol Iceland ( arg.: Blanca ), and the Southern Thule Islands ( arg.: Tule del Sur ). The South Sandwich Islands are all uninhabited.

Landscape

The mountainous, rugged and mostly covered by ice landscape makes up the bulk of the islands is limited habitable. Eleven mountains of South Georgia to bring it to an altitude of about 2000 m, the highest point is Mount Paget with 2934 m. The main island of South Georgia is 160 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide. It covers an area of 3756 km ². On the island there are more than 160 glaciers, many of which reach to the sea. The southwest coast is exposed to the west winds and therefore has a colder, stürmischeres and generally very inhospitable climate. The north east coast lies in the lee of the mountains. Thus, the climate is pleasant and the sea in the bays is quiet.

Some of the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin. A part of the local volcanoes is still active.

Fauna

South Georgia is one of the main breeding grounds of the King penguin. It is estimated that there about 400,000 animals of this species live. The stock of Macaroni Penguins is estimated at about 5 million copies. In addition, Georgia is an important habitat for elephant seals and sea lions dar. In the rutting season, up to 350,000 elephant seals meet on the shores of the island, while the number of sea lions is estimated at about 2 million. Famous are the areas of St. Andrew 's Bay, Gold Harbour, Salisbury Plain and Fortuna Bay. From the people entrained mammals reindeer, rats and mice.

Population

Grytviken, the only place on Georgia, is home to only a few researchers at the British Antarctic Survey in a nearby station at King Edward Point. The only permanently residing there are inhabitants of the naval officer Pat Lurcock with his wife Sarah and their two year old son. Occasionally there make tourists stop to visit the Ernest Shackleton's grave or the small museum, which was formerly part of the whaling station. A second research station is located on the Bird Island. Tim and Pauline Carr, who ran for many years the museum with attached souvenir shop, since 2006 are no longer in Grytviken (Updated: June 16, 2012).

History

Probably Georgia was first spotted in April 1675 by British merchant Anthony de la Roché. This came at Cape Horn in bad weather and was widely blown off course. He discovered a mountainous country with deep bays. This description may be true in this area only on South Georgia.

It took another hundred years before the first man walked into South Georgia. James Cook landed on 17 January 1775 aboard the HMS Resolution in a bay, which he called ado Possession Bay. Cook charted some of the coastline. He sailed to the southern tip of the island, which he named Cape Disappointment, because now it became obvious that Georgia could not be the Antarctic continent, after Cook was really looking for. On his journey around South Georgia Cook discovered the South Sandwich Islands. He called after Lord Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, but better known as the inventor of the sandwich.

Cook mentioned in its reports that there are in Georgia and its waters rich deposits of seals. This led to the beginning of 1786 once the seal hunt, which lasted until 1909 and almost led to the extinction of these animals. In addition, a total of 175.250 whales 1904-1965 in Georgia hunted. Remnants of the whaling industry can still be seen in some places of the island today and are partially protected monument.

The first (involuntary ) exploration of the interior Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton made in 1916 when he had to cross along with two companions from King Haakon Bay from the mountainous island during a rescue mission without a map. The first scientific expedition to explore the island took place in 1928, when the German Ludwig Kohl- Larsen and his wife, and the cameraman Albert Benitz visited the island.

From 1925 rose Argentina claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which tried to enforce it during the Falklands War in 1982. Georgia came back then briefly under Argentine occupation, the South Sandwich built the Argentines with Corbeta Uruguay a military station, but the main conflict took place in the Falkland Islands from. A then at King Edward Point erected troops location existed until 2001, only to make way for a research team.

Policy

The overseas territory is administered by the Governor of the Falkland Islands as a commissioner who acts as a representative of the British queen and government. For the defense of the United Kingdom is responsible. The legal system is based on English common law, a valid condition exists since 3 October 1985.

The Governor of the Falkland Islands also sent a naval officer as a representative on the island, which performs tasks on site.

Infrastructure

The zip code SIQQ 1ZZ applies to the entire territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Due to the extremely low population density is not necessary a further differentiation of this guide number.

Culture

Holidays

National Day since 1982 June 14 as a so -called "Liberation Day".

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