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, 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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget 2,915 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some
sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
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: NA
Environment—international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography—note: the north coast of South Georgia has several
large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early
in this century, live on South Georgia