Location:
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America

Geographic coordinates:
54 30 S, 37 00 W

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 3,903 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 3,903 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 177

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
NA
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive fishing zone country ranks ]

Climate:
variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow

Terrain:
most of the islands are rugged and mountainous rising steeply from the sea; South Georgia is largely barren with steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes

Elevation:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
agricultural land: 0% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 0% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 0% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 100% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (2011)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism

Environment - current issues:
reindeer - introduced to the islands in the 20th century - devastated the native flora and bird species; some reindeer were translocated to the Falkland Islands in 2001, the rest were exterminated (2013-14); a parallel effort (2010-15) eradicated rats and mice that came to the islands as stowaways on ships as early as the late 18th century

Geography - note:
the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage