South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands : Profile

Facts

South Georgia lies 800 miles ESE of the Falkland Islands, while the South Sandwich Islands are 470 miles SE of South Georgia.
Argentina made claims to the islands and in 1982 invaded South Georgia, site of a British Antarctic Survey Base; three weeks later British forces recaptured it, also expelling the Argentinians who had lived on the previously uninhabited South Sandwich Islands from 1976.
In 1985 all the islands ceased to be governed as dependencies of the Falklands and are now administered by the Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, based in Stanley. The British government extended its territorial jurisdiction from 12 to 200 miles offshore in 1993 to conserve fishing stocks.
Argentina still maintains its claim to the islands and British naval forces patrol the islands regularly. The military base at Grytviken, the administrative centre of South Georgia has been replaced by a science crew from the British Antarctic Survey.
See useful document Information for Visitors to South Georgia

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