Geography
Climate: variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South AmericaBalanced Profile
As a steady and stable territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands balances many priorities. Explore the balanced data behind South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
As a steady and stable territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands balances many priorities. It occupies a middle ground that many overlook. Explore the balanced data behind South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
-54.5, -37.0 - South America
Area
4K km²
Pop.
Known
Stats
9
Reality brief
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a country in South America an area of 3,903 km².
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Highest Elevation
2.9K m#73globally
Highest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Lowest Elevation
0 m#96globally
Lowest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Capital Elevation
106 m#97globally
Elevation in meters of the country's Wikidata-listed capital city; countries with multiple listed capitals use the highest listed capital elevation.
Official Languages Count
1.0#154globally
Count of official languages listed for the country in Wikidata.
Land Border Length
0 km#189globally
Total length of land borders with neighboring countries from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
0 sites#198globally
Count of Wikidata World Heritage Site records credited to the country, root-normalized by UNESCO ID to avoid counting component records as separate sites.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Context
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 -- except for…
CIA 2026
Identity
Name origin: Captain James COOK originally named it "the Isle of Georgia" in 1775 in honor of British King GEORGE III.
CIA 2026
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Irrigated Land
0 km²#188globally
Irrigated land area from CIA World Factbook.
Factbook notes
About South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Country briefing
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 -- except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them.
Read the full Factbook note
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 -- except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th- and early 20th-century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, which was stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK extended the exclusive fishing zone in 1993, from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
- 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
- Natural Resources
- fish
- 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
- Size Comparison
- slightly larger than Rhode Island
Government & History2 facts
- Official Name
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- Name Origin
- Captain James COOK originally named it "the Isle of Georgia" in 1775 in honor of British King GEORGE III; the word "South" was later added to distinguish these islands from the other Sandwich Islands, now known as the Hawaiian Islands
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Land & Sea3 statsBest: #73
Highest Elevation
2.9K m#73
Lowest Elevation
0 m#96
Land Border Length
0 km#189
Environment1 statsBest: #188
Irrigated Land
0 km²#188
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South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
#73 in Highest Elevation
Highest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Top third globally
2.9K m
Frequently Asked Questions about South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
What continent is South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in?
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is located in South America. It has an area of 3,903 km².
What is South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands known for in global statistics?
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ranks particularly high in Highest Elevation (#73), Lowest Elevation (#96), Capital Elevation (#97).