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South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Geography 1996
(dependent territory of the UK)
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip
of South America
slightly larger than Rhode Island
includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island
administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina
variable, 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 is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered
mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some
active volcanoes
100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation
consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)
the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally
make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active
volcanism
international agreements:
the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good
anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia
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