South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

The British Overseas Territory of the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands It is a dependent and non-autonomous territory, administered by the United Kingdom and claimed by Argentina, which includes the entire South Georgia archipelago and the South Sandwich archipelago, located in the Southern Antilles Arc. of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

The sovereignty of all the islands is disputed with Argentina. These archipelagos were part of the war scenario of the Falklands War.

History

South Georgia Islands

South Georgia is located in the South Atlantic Ocean, 1,390 km southeast of the Malvinas Islands.

It has an area of 3903 km², including the satellite islands. The main island, in Spanish San Pedro, has an area of 3,528 km². It is mountainous, with 11 peaks over 2000 m high, and covered by several glaciers (the Fortuna glacier is the largest).

According to the Argentine position (and several external sources), San Pedro Island, and its adjacent areas, were discovered by the crew of the Spanish ship León between June 28 and 29, 1756, who located them perfectly in latitude and longitude. The main island was baptized and cartographically registered with that name, because the day June 29, when it was explored, corresponded to the religious festival of San Pedro.

According to the British position, it was sighted for the first time in 1675 by Anthony de la Roché, to whom different versions attribute British or Spanish nationality (acting under the orders of the British crown under the name of Antonio de la Roca). The island appeared as "Roché Island" on old maps. It was rediscovered in 1775 by Captain James Cook, who later rejected the search for it as "an unvalued discovery." He named it "Georgia Island" in honor of King George III of England. Captain Cook landed on the island and claimed it for the United Kingdom on January 17, 1775.

During the 19th century it was a seal hunting base and in the following century, a whaling base until the middle of it. The first land-based whaling station, Grytviken, was established in 1904 by the Compañía Argentina de Pesca and was in operation until 1965.

On March 19, 1982, an Argentine tactical operation occupied an abandoned whaling station in Port Leith in South Georgia. The commander of the Argentine garrison, Luis Lagos, proclaimed Argentine authority on April 3. The island was recaptured by British forces on April 25 of the same year in Operation Paraquat, as part of British actions during the Falklands War.

Near the old whaling station of Grytviken, British Antarctic Research had established a research station between 1949 and 1950 at King Edward Point, known in Argentina as Punta Coronel Zelaya, which, After the Falklands War, it became a small military garrison, returning to civilian hands in 2001.

South Sandwich Islands

The islands were named in honor of the 4th Earl of Sandwich and 1st Lord of the British Admiralty, adding "Southern" to distinguish them from the "Sandwich Islands", now known as Hawaii. The three southern islands were discovered by James Cook in 1775. The eight northern ones were discovered by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen in 1819.

The United Kingdom declared sovereignty over the South Sandwich Islands in 1908, grouping them along with other British territories in the South Atlantic as the Falkland Islands Dependencies. The Argentine Republic claimed sovereignty over the islands in 1938.

From January 25, 1955 until the summer of 1956, Argentina maintained the Teniente Esquivel Shelter in Ferguson Bay, on the southeast coast of Thule Island. From 1976 to 1982 it maintained the Corbeta Uruguay Scientific Station, in the Caldera Gulf, on the southeast coast of the same island. Although the British discovered the presence of the Argentine base and formally protested in January 1977, the removal of the base did not take effect until after the Malvinas War, on June 20, 1982.

Government and politics

The Executive Power of this British Overseas Territory resides in Charles III of the United Kingdom, but in practice it is represented by the Governor of the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands, who is simultaneously the Commissioner of South Georgia and South Sandwich, acting "in the name of and on behalf of Her Majesty", as de facto head of state in the absence of the British monarch.

An Assistant Commissioner is in charge of police matters and is also Director of Fisheries for the islands, responsible for fishing licenses. Two operations managers are in charge of the administrative affairs of the territory. The Secretary of Finance and the Attorney General of the state of the territory have the same positions in the government of the Malvinas Islands. There is no Legislative body nor have elections been held. The Foreign Office of the United Kingdom controls the territory's international relations.

The current local administrator of the islands is based at King Edward Point, and carries the title of Government Officer (formerly Marine Officer). He handles administrative matters on behalf of the commissioner, and his duties include being harbor master, immigration officer, and fisheries officer. There is also a postmaster.

The judicial function is carried out by the commander of the British Antarctic Survey base at King Edward Point.

There is no official administrative subdivision of the territory, neither in terms of the British administration, nor the Argentine claim, although for geographical reasons this territory is informally subdivided into South Georgia, South Sandwich, and Aurora Islands.

Geography

The territory of the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands covers a number of islands located in one of the most remote parts of the South Atlantic Ocean. Most of these islands are mountainous, and the highest peaks are covered by snow for most of the year.

South Georgia Islands

The South Georgia Islands are located about 1,390 km southeast of the Falkland Islands. This group comprises San Pedro Island, also known as South Georgia, which is the largest of this group, along with the surrounding islands and islets, located mainly in the west and southeast. The total area of this group of islands reaches 3,903 km².

South Georgia is made up of the following islands:

• San Pedro Island
• Annenkov Island
• Cooper Island
• Grass Island
• Bird Island
• Trinity
• Pickersgill Islands
• Welcome
• Willis Islands
• Black Rocks

The following are also considered part of the South Georgia Islands archipelago, despite being more than 50 km from the main island:

• Aurora Islands
• Rocks Clerke

South Sandwich Islands

The South Sandwich Islands comprise eleven islands, most of them volcanic, which form an island arc that extends from north to south, 805 km from the southeastern tip of South Georgia Island. Its total area does not exceed 320 km. The northernmost groups are the Candelaria and Marqués de Traverse archipelagos, while the Southern Tule Islands are the southernmost. The three largest islands are located between these three groups (Saunders, Blanco and Jorge). The highest point in the South Sandwich Islands is Mount Belinda (1370 m asl), on Jorge Island.

The following table shows, from north to south, the main islands belonging to the South Sandwich Islands archipelago:

This archipelago is the easternmost of the South Antilles, its geological base being the Scotia Ridge, an underwater continuation of the Andes mountain range that reappears on the Antarctic continent under the name of Antartandes. This mountain range has important seismic and volcanic activity in the South Sandwich since almost immediately to the east of the archipelago is the underwater subduction zone known as the South Sandwich trench with depths of approximately 8,325 meters below sea level. To the west the islands mark the limit of the Scotia Sea and, likewise, practically that of the Scotia tectonic plate.

Extreme points of the archipelago:

• North: 56°16′S 27°30′O / -56.267, -27,500 (Best Point, on Zavodovski Island);
• South: 59°28′S 27°09′O / -59.467, -27.150 (Mar Tendido Point, Cook Island);
• This: 58°26′S 26°13′O / -58.433, -26.217 (punta Matías, on Jorge Island);
• West: 58°38′S 28°08′O / -58.633, -28.133 (West Point, Leskov Island);

Climate

The climate is classified as polar, and the weather is highly variable and harsh; established as tundra (ET) in the Köppen climate classification. Typical daily maximum temperatures in South Georgia at sea level are around 0 °C (32 °F) in winter (August) and 8 °C (46.4 °F) in summer (January). Minimum winter temperatures are typically around -5 °C (23 °F) and rarely drop below -10 °C (14 °F). Annual precipitation in South Georgia is about 1,500 mm (59.1 in), much of which falls as sleet or snow, which is possible year-round. Inland, the summer snow line is at an altitude of about 300 m (984 ft).

Westerly winds blow throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; In fact, in 1963, 25% of the winds were in the calm category at King Edward Point, and the average wind speed of about 8 knots (9.2 mph; 15 km/h) is approximately half of that of the Falkland Islands. This gives the eastern side of South Georgia (leeward side) a more pleasant climate than that exposed on the western side. The prevailing weather conditions generally make it difficult to approach the islands by boat, although the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays that provide good anchorage.

Sunshine, as on many South Atlantic islands, is low, with a maximum of just 21.5%. This is equivalent to about 1000 hours of sunshine per year. The local topography, however, also contributes significantly to the low insolation. A study published in the early 1960s indicated that sunlight recording instruments remained significantly obscured throughout the year and completely obscured during the month of June. The theoretical sun exposure minus obstructions was estimated to be about 14% at Bird Island and 35% at King Edward Point - or, in time terms, ranging from about 650 hours in the west to 1500 hours in the east. This illustrates the effect that the Allardyce Range has on breaking up cloud cover.

Mountain winds blow directly to the western side and down the eastern side of the mountains and become much warmer and drier due to the Föhn effect; This produces the most pleasant conditions when temperatures can occasionally rise above 20 °C (68 °F) on summer days. The highest temperature recorded was 28.8 °C (83.8 °F) at Grytviken and 26.3 °C (79.3 °F) at nearby King Edward Point, both on the protected east side of the mountains. islands. By contrast, the highest temperature recorded on Bird Island on the west windward side is just 14.5 °C (58.1 °F). As might be expected, the sheltered eastern side can also see lower winter temperatures, the absolute minimum for Grytviken is -19.4°C (-2.9°F), at King Edward's Point -18.9° C (-2.0 °F), but on Bird Island only -11.4 °C (11.5 °F).

The seas surrounding South Georgia are cold all year round due to the proximity of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. They generally remain ice-free in winter, although thin ice may form in sheltered bays, and pack ice is common. Sea temperatures drop to 0 °C (32 °F) in late August and rise to around 4 °C (39.2 °F) only in early April.

The South Sandwich Islands are much colder than South Georgia, as they are further south and more exposed to cold outbreaks from the Antarctic continent. They are also surrounded by sea ice from mid-May to late November (even longer at their southern tip). Records of extreme temperatures on South Thule Island have ranged from -29.8 to 17.7 °C (-21.6 and 63.9°F).

Economy

The human population on the islands is isolated, and is not stable due to the lack of sustained economic activities. Within South Georgia, the main inhabited establishment is the British Antarctic Survey base, located at King Edward Point, near Grytviken, with a capacity of 18 people, although in winter the population is reduced to an average of eight. There are more establishments, such as the base in Jordan Cove on Bird Island, 4 km from the western end of the main island, which can accommodate eight people but is not permanently inhabited, as is the case in other places. The population in summer is on average 30 people, with fluctuations, while in winter it can decrease to a single figure.

As there are no native inhabitants, economic activity on South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is limited. The territory has income of $300,000 for expenses of nearly $500,000. The main sources of income in the territory include fishing, tourism, and the sale of postage stamps.

Fishing

Fishing takes place around South Georgia and adjacent waters in some months of the year, with fishing licenses for fish and krill. There is a potential source of income in fish and krill farms. South Georgia's maritime area covers more than one million square kilometers. The Government oversees all commercial fishing within the area and has a dedicated fishing patrol vessel to ensure that illegal fishing is not practiced.

Tourism

Tourism has become the main source of income in recent years, with many cruise ships visiting the islands. The territory derives revenue from docking charges.

Postage stamps

A large source of income (also external) comes from postage stamps from South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which are produced in the United Kingdom.

Over time, the denomination on postage stamps changed its name several times:

South Georgia (South Georgia): 1944, 1962-1979.

Falkland Islands Units (Malvinas Dependencies): 1946-1961, 1980-1985

Georgias and South Sandwich (South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands): 1986 - present.

Demography

There is no native population on the islands. A small military garrison on San Pedro Island, at King Edward Point, left in March 2001 to be replaced by a group of scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, who have another base on Bird Island., also in the South Georgia island group. The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited. Among the abandoned towns on the main island are Puerto del Príncipe Olav, Godthul and Puerto Nueva Fortuna.

In the past, when the island was a base for whaling, the population of San Pedro Island reached more than 2,000 people. Currently, the fixed population among scientists and administrators does not exceed four people.

Solveig Gunbjörg Jacobsen was born in Grytviken on October 8, 1913, being the first person born south of the Antarctic Convergence. He lived and died in Buenos Aires.

Communications

There is a radio telephone station in Grytviken. The territory's Internet domain is.gs, and despite its isolation there are 320 Internet servers in the archipelago.

Ecology

In February 2012, the British colonial government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands announced the establishment of a marine protection zone of more than one million square kilometers in the waters surrounding the islands. It includes 20,000 km² in which fishing is completely prohibited, to protect the rich biodiversity of the archipelagos and the natural habitat of several threatened species. The then Argentine Minister of Defense, Arturo Puricelli, said that the British decision "was motivated to seek and generate a space that, hidden within the framework of ecology and care for the environment, allows them to determine a space of greater usurpation." The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Henry Bellingham, congratulated the action.

Sports

The oldest record of a football game in South Georgia dates back to January 1914 when in New Fortuna Bay, Southeast of Fortuna Bay. AS Ocean Harbor beat Grytviken 9 to 2, in a curious match that ended with a dance among all those present on the playing field, as reported by the media at the time.

A football field was created in Grytviken at the end of the 1920s, thanks to efforts made by the Grytviken Idroesfering, which together with the Grytviken Sport Club, which was the first sports club on the islands, founded in 1928, were those in charge of organizing football and athletics meetings in the months of February of each year. It was inaugurated on February 23, 1928 with a tournament called 'Fishing Cup', which included a parade ceremony of delegations and a sports event presented by the governor. Some time later, the largest football and athletics tournament on the islands in the area was also held in Grytviken, a competition held between February 14 and 15, 1931 under the name 'Falklands Islands Government Cup', which, as its name indicates, was organized by the Falklands government and included the participation of teams from 5 stations (Grytviken, Leith Harbour, Husvik, Stromness and Prince Olav Harbour).

Within the Grytviken Sports Meeting, there are some records of the islands' champions. In 1928 Grytviken was the winner, while in 1930 they lost in the final against Leith Harbor 4-1, and in 1932 they lost to the same rival 4-3. In turn, until the beginning of 1960 the 'South Georgia Inter Whaling Football Championship' was held, with the participation of different teams from the four whaling stations of the islands: Grytviken, Leith, Stromness and Husvik. In the last editions, in 1958-59 the winner was Leith with a 4-1 victory in the final against Grytviken, in 1959-60 they repeated the victory with a 3-1 victory against Husvik and in the last edition Leith triumphed 7-4 against the STRØMNES.

Although the population is small, it is not an impediment for sports tournaments to be held. Currently, the most common matches are held on the Grytviken football field, when the members of the local King Edward Point station, of the British Antarctic Survey, face the different vessels that arrive at the place, including their formations, both men and women, to try to reach 11 players on each side. For some portals, these matches are carried out by the islands' national football team, while in other sites the amateur and non-regulatory nature of the matches organized at the local base of King Edward Point is highlighted for the occasional visitors who arrive (for example, HMS Endurence, HMS James Clark Ross, HMS Shackleton, Rhotera, HMS York, HMS Clyde, among others).

Marine protected area

The South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area is one of the largest in the world, with an area of 1.24 million km². It was created in 2012 to conserve the rich biodiversity of the area's seas and create the appropriate framework for research and management of the territory. The No Fishing Zone (NTZ) covers 283,000 km2 and includes all coastal waters less than 100 m deep, as well as unique habitats of hydrothermal vents, seamounts and trenches, including the deepest part of the Southern Ocean (more than 8000 m deep in the South Sandwich Trench). Trawling is prohibited throughout the area, as is the exploitation of hydrocarbons. Since 2021, all transportation of heavy fuel is prohibited to avoid spills. Longline fishing is restricted to depths between 700 and 2250 m, less than 6% of the protected area (MPA). In areas where fishing can be done, it is restricted to four months a year in winter, to avoid accidental capture of albatrosses. Catching krill is also limited to winter, when the species that feed on it, penguins, seals and whales, are far away or few in number.