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South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the nearby South Sandwich Islands are a British Overseas Territory. This collection of islands is located in the southern Atlantic Ocean near Antarctica. Captain Cook claimed South Georgia for Great Britain in 1775. The South Sandwich Islands were claimed by the United Kingdom in 1908. The word south was added to the description to distinguish these islands from Hawaii, formerly known as the Sandwich Islands. Having no indigenous population, the islands have served as a whaling station, a military outpost and research facility. Here are five things that you might not know about South Georgia and the South Sandwich islands:
5 Facts You Might Not Know
1
It was from Royal Bay, South Georgia that an 1882-1883 First International Polar Year, German research expedition observed the transit of Venus and recorded waves resulting from the 1883 Krakatau eruption.
2
The first permanent island inhabitants were a result of Carl Anton Larsen, a Norwegian, who established a land-based whaling station at Grytviken in 1904. All that remains of this operation is a museum and church. There are accounts that the largest blue whale ever caught was brought to land here.
3
In April 1916, Ernest Shackleton and his expedition became stranded 800-miles away on Elephant Island. Shackleton and five associates set out for help. It was at King Haakon Bay, South Georgia where they landed after their epic sea voyage. Shackleton is buried in Grytviken on South Georgia Island.
4
The Falklands War of 1982 between Britain and Argentina was precipitated when a group of Argentineans occupied the abandoned Leith Harbour whaling station. Britain established King Edward Point military base at the war's end. In 2001, it returned to civilian use as an Antarctic research station.
5
The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited. Over the years, they've been the location of research and weather stations. Currently, automatic weather stations are operating on the islands of Thule and Zavodoski. The Protector Shoal, a submerged volcano is located northwest of Zavodovski.

The capital of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is Grytviken.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands belongs to the Antarctic continent


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The Country dialling code of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is , and the TLD (Top-level domain) of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is .gs

Map of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Population

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Languages spoken in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Animals native to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands / which animals live in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands?

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Coordinates (in Latitude & Longitude) of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

54 30 S, 37 00 W

Kilometers of coastline

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Square kilometers of land

3,903 square kilometers

Square kilometers of water

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Birth rate

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Death rate

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Irrigated land

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