South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
From Free net encyclopedia
| |||||
| Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat (Latin: The Lion shall protect his own land) | |||||
| Image:Location of SGSSI.png | |||||
| Official language | English | ||||
| Capital | Grytviken | ||||
| Commissioner | Howard Pearce | ||||
| Area - Total - % water | not ranked 3,093 km² - | ||||
| Population - Total (2006 E) - Density | not ranked ~20 n/a; | ||||
| Currency | GBP | ||||
| Time zone | UTC/GMT -2 | ||||
| National anthem | God Save the Queen | ||||
| Internet TLD | .gs | ||||
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The territory was formed in 1985; previously they were governed as part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies. The territory consists of the island of South Georgia, which is the largest island in the territory, and a group of smaller islands known as the South Sandwich Islands. There is no native population on any of the islands, and the only inhabitants are the British Government Officer, scientists and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey who maintain a base at the capital, King Edward Point, and museum staff at nearby Grytviken.
The British sovereignty of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands has been disputed by Argentina since 1927 and 1938 respectively. The Argentine claim of SGSSI contributed to the 1982 Falklands War and has remained unresolved until today. Argentina maintained a naval station on the South Sandwich Islands from 1976 until 1982, and briefly occupied South Georgia during the Falklands War.
Contents |
History
Template:Main Image:Grytvikenchurch.jpg
South Georgia
The Island of South Georgia was first said to have been sighted in 1675 by Anthony de la Roche, a London merchant, and was named Roche Island on some early maps. It was rediscovered in 1775 by Captain James Cook, who after dismissing his find as "not worth the discovery," went on to survey and map the island, make the first landing, claim the territory for Britain, and name it "the Isle of Georgia" in honour of King George III.
Throughout the 19th century it was a sealers' base and, in the following century, a whalers' base until whaling ended mid-century. The first land-based whaling station, Grytviken, was set up in 1904 and was in operation until 1965. The seven whaling stations, all on the North coast with its sheltered harbours, starting in the West are:
- Prince Olav Harbour (from 1911 factory-ship, land-based station 1916 to 1934)
- Leith Harbour (1909 to 1965)
- Stromness (from 1907 factory-ship, land-based station 1912-1931, repair yard to 1960/1961)
- Husvik (from 1907 factory-ship, land-based station 1960 to 1960, out of operation 1930 to 1945)
- Grytviken (1904 to 1965)
- Godthul (1908 to 1929, only a rudimentary land base, main operations on factory-ship)
- Ocean Harbour (1909 to 1920)
During WW2, a small garrison force of Norwegian soldiers were stationed at South Georgia to protect against a possible invasion by Japanese forces. But due to the remote location of the island, the cold was a worse enemy than the Japanese.<ref name="japan">Fritt Norge, Oslo 1995</ref>
The Falklands War was precipitated on 19 March 1982 when a group of Argentineans, posing as scrap metal merchants, occupied the abandoned whaling station at Leith Harbour on South Georgia. On April 3 the Argentine troops attacked and occupied Grytviken. Among the commanding officers of the Argentinian Garrison was Alfredo Astiz, a Captain in the Argentine Navy who, years later, was convicted of felonies committed during the Dirty War in Argentina. The island was recaptured by British forces on 25 April (Operation Paraquat).
The research station at King Edward Point, near the former Norwegian whaling station of Grytviken, was originally established as an administrative centre and residence of the British Magistrate in 1909, then expanded as a research facility in 1949/1950 by the British Antarctic Survey (until 1962 called Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey), became a small military garrison after the Falklands war. This returned to civilian use in 2001 and is operated by the British Antarctic Survey.
South Sandwich Islands
The islands were initially named "South" Sandwich Islands to distinguish them from the then "Sandwich Islands" now known as "Hawaii". The southern eight islands were discovered by James Cook in 1775. The northern three by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen in 1819. They were named after the 4th Earl of Sandwich, 1st Lord of the Admiralty.
The United Kingdom claimed South Georgia in 1775 and formally annexed both South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in 1908, grouping them with other British held territory in Antarctica as the Falkland Islands Dependencies. Argentina later claimed the islands in dispute with the UK (See Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands).
Argentina challenged British sovereignty in the Islands on several occasions. From January 25, 1955 through summer of 1956 Argentina maintained the summer station Teniente Esquivel at Ferguson Bay on the Southeastern coast of Thule Island. From 1976 to 1982, Argentina maintained a naval base named Corbeta Uruguay, at Port Faraday, in the lee (southern East coast) of the same island. Although the British discovered the presence of the Argentine base in 1978, no effort was made to remove them until after the Falklands War. The base was eventually removed on June 20, 1982.
Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands consist of two main groups of islands:
- South Georgia and its associated islands, which consist of the island of South Georgia Island, which is by far the largest island in the territory, the islands that immediately surround the main island of South Georgia and some remote and isolated islets west and east-southeast of the main island of South Georgia Island.
- The South Sandwich Islands
For a more detailed list of the islands of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands than the list provided below, see List of sub-antarctic islands:
South Georgia and its associated islands:
- South Georgia Island, the big main island (Template:Coor dms)
- Shag Rocks 185 km west-northwest of South Georgia Island
- Black Rock 169 km west-northwest of South Georgia Island and 16 km southeast of the Shag Rocks
- Clerke Rocks 56 km east-southeast of South Georgia Island
South Sandwich Islands (Template:Coor dms): Image:Orthographic projection centred on the South Sandwich Islands.png
Politics
Executive power is vested in The Queen, and is exercised by the Commissioner, a post held by the Governor of the Falkland Islands. The current Commissioner is Howard Pearce. An Assistant Commissioner deals with policy matters and is also Director of SGSSI Fisheries, responsible for the issue of fishing licenses. An Operations Manager deals with administrative matters relating to the territory. The Financial Secretary and Attorney General of the territory are appointed and hold similar appointments in the Falkland Islands' Government.
As there are no permanent inhabitants on the islands, there is no legislative council and no elections are held. The UK Foreign Office manages the foreign relations of the territory. Since 1982, the territory celebrates Liberation Day on June 14.
The constitution of the territory, the manner in which its government is directed, and the availability of judicial review were discussed in a series of litigations in 2001 to 2005; see in particular Regina v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Appellant) ex parte Quark Fishing Limited [2005] UKHL 57. Although its government is entirely directed by the UK Foreign Office, it was held that its decisions under that direction could not be challenged as if they were in law decisions of a UK government department; thus the European Convention on Human Rights did not apply.
Geography
South Georgia Group
Image:SouthGeorgiaIsland-EO.JPG South Georgia is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 1390 km east-southeast of the Falkland Islands, in 54-55°S, 36-38°W. It has a land area of 3756 km², including satellite islands, but excluding the South Sandwich Islands which form a separate island group. The main island itself, also called Pepys Island (San Pedro in Spanish), has an area of 3528 km². It is mountainous, with 11 peaks over 2,000 m high, their slopes furrowed with deep gorges filled with glaciers (Fortuna Glacier being the largest). Geologically, it consists of gneiss and argillaceous schists, with no trace of fossils, showing that the island is, like the Falkland Islands, a surviving fragment of some greater land-mass now vanished, most probably indicating a former extension of the Andean system. The German expedition sent out to observe the transit of Venus was stationed at Royal Bay, on the south-east side of the island in 1882.
The climate in the islands is variable and harsh, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow. Most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia (Pepys Island) is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes. Mount Paget on South Georgia is 2,934 m high. The islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism. 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.
South Sandwich Islands
Image:250px-South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.png There are 11 mostly volcanic islands (not counting tiny satellite islands and rocks nearby those main islands) forming an island arc, from north to south. As a group, the South Sandwich Islands are located at approximately Template:Coor dms:
| No. | Island (Spanish Name) | Area (km2) | Height (m) | Highest Peak | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zavodovski | 25 | 550 | Mount Curry | Template:Coor dm |
| 2 | Leskov | 0.3 | 190 | Rudder Point | Template:Coor dm |
| 3 | Visokoi | 35 | 915 | Mount Hodson | Template:Coor dm |
| 4 | Candlemas (Candelaria) | 14 | 550 | Mount Andromeda | Template:Coor dm |
| 5 | Vindication (Vindicación) | 5 | 430 | Quadrant Peak | Template:Coor dm |
| 6 | Saunders | 40 | 805 | Mount Michael | Template:Coor dm |
| 7 | Montagu (Jorge) | 110 | 1370 | Mount Belinda | Template:Coor dm |
| 8 | Bristol (Blanca) | 46 | 1100 | Mount Darnley | Template:Coor dm |
| 9 | Bellingshausen | 1 | 255 | Basilisk Peak | Template:Coor dm |
| 10 | Cook | 20 | 1115 | Mount Harmer | Template:Coor dm |
| 11 | Thule or Morrell Island (Tule del Sur) | 14 | 710 | Mount Larsen | Template:Coor dm |
| South Sandwich Islands (Islas Sandwich del Sur) | 310 | 1370 | Mount Belinda | 56°18' to 59°27'S, 26°20° to 28°08'W |
Subgroups
- Islands 1 through 3 are collectively known as Traversay Islands
- Islands 4 and 5 are collectively known as Candlemas Islands
- Islands 1 through 5 are collectively known as Traversay Islands (wider sense)
- Islands 9 through 11 are collectively known as Southern Thule
Islands 6 through 8, which are also the three largest islands, are not part of any subgroup.
The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited, although Thule Island used to have a permanently manned Argentinian research station from 1976 to 1982 (for details, see paragraph on History above).
There are automatic weather stations on Thule (Morrell) Island and Zavodovski.
To the northwest of Zavodovski Island is the Protector Shoal, a submarine volcano.
Economy
Image:Stamp South Georgia 1963 4d.jpg As there are no native inhabitants, economic activity in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is limited. The territory has revenues of less than $300,000 against expenditures of nearly $500,000. The main sources of income for the territory include fishing, tourism and sale of postage stamps.
Fishing
Fishing takes place around South Georgia and in adjacent waters in some months of the year, with fishing licences sold by the territory for Patagonian Toothfish, finfish and krill. There is a potential source of income from harvesting fin fish and krill. Fishing licenses bring in a handful of million pounds a year, most of which is spent on fishery protection and research. The three currently exploited commercial fisheries are Patagonian Toothfish, Icefish, and Krill. All fisheries are regulated and managed in accordance with the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources(CCAMLR) system.
Tourism
Tourism has become a bigger source of income in recent years, with many cruise ships visiting the islands. The territory gains income from landing charges.
Postage Stamps
A large source of income from abroad also comes from the issue of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands postage stamps which are produced in the UK.
A reasonable policy (few sets of stamps are issued each year) along with attractive subject matter (especially whales) makes them very popular with topical stamp collectors. The author sells all such sets he can get on eBay very easily.
See also
External links
- South Georgia official website
- Live picture from the South Georgia webcam
- South Georgia Heritage Trust
- Detailed map of South Georgia
- King Edward Point research station
- Bird Island research station
- CIA World Factbook entry
- A Postcard from South Georgia by Roderick Eime
- Photos from South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands from Pbase.com
- Gazetteer: Geographic Names of Antarctica and Subantarctic (with coordinates and heights)
- Gazetteer: Geographic Names of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
- Information on the whaling stations
- Operation Paraquat
- Argentine invasion of South Georgia
- Argentine Government website with a map of SGSSI
- Virtual visitors guide to the cemeteries of South Georgia
- South Georgia photos
- South Georgia images
- Seventeenth Century Map featuring Roché Island
- Eighteenth Century Map featuring Roché Island
- George Forster, A Voyage Round the World in His Britannic Majesty's Sloop Resolution Commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the Years 1772, 3, 4 and 5 (2 vols.) , London, 1777.
- James Cook, Chart of the Discoveries made in the South Atlantic Ocean, in His Majestys Ship Resolution, under the Command of Captain Cook, in January 1775, W. Strahan and T. Cadel, London, 1777.
- R.K. Headland, The Island of South Georgia, Cambridge University Press, 1984.
References
<references/> Template:British dependenciesca:Illes Geòrgia del Sud i Sandwich del Sud cs:Jižní Georgie a Jižní Sandwichovy ostrovy da:Sydgeorgien og Sydsandwichøerne de:Südgeorgien und die Südlichen Sandwichinseln es:Islas Georgias del Sur y Sandwich del Sur eo:Sud-Georgio kaj Sud-Sandviĉinsuloj fr:Géorgie du Sud et les îles Sandwich du Sud gl:Xeorxia do Sur - South Georgia ko:사우스조지아 사우스샌드위치 제도 kw:Jeorji Dheghow ha Ynysow Sandwich Deghow id:Georgia Selatan dan Kepulauan Sandwich Selatan is:Suður-Georgía og Suður-Sandvíkureyjar it:Georgia del Sud e isole Sandwich meridionali he:איי דרום ג'ורג'יה ואיי דרום סנדוויץ hu:Déli-Georgia és Déli-Sandwich-szigetek nl:Zuid-Georgië en de Zuidelijke Sandwicheilanden ja:サウスジョージア・サウスサンドウィッチ諸島 no:Sør-Georgia og Sør-Sandwichøyene nn:Sør-Georgia og Sør-Sandwichøyane pl:Wyspy Georgia Południowa i Sandwich Południowy pt:Geórgia do Sul ru:Южная Георгия и Южные Сандвичевы острова sl:Južna Georgija in Južno Sandwichevo otočje sr:Јужна Џорџа и Јужна Сандвич острва fi:Etelä-Georgia ja Eteläiset Sandwichsaaret sv:Sydgeorgien och Sydsandwichöarna tr:South Georgia ve South Sandwich Adaları zh:南乔治亚岛和南桑威奇群岛