South Georgia Island

South Georgia Island Latest News

The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, is drifting toward South Georgia Island, a remote and ecologically vital wildlife haven, after having been freed from the Filchner Ice Shelf in Antarctica.

About South Georgia Island

• It is a mountainous, barren island in the South Atlantic Ocean.
• It is part of the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
• It has an area of 3,756 sq.km. 
• Over 160 glaciers and high peaks like Mount Paget (2,935 m / 9,629 ft) dominate the landscape.
• Climate: Sub Antarctic climate with cold, wet, and windy conditions year-round, though it is slightly milder than Antarctica.
• It has no native or permanent human residents, only temporary researchers, government officials, and visitors.
• Biodiversity:
  • The island’s bleak Antarctic climate, with perpetual snow covering three-fourths of the island, supports only hardy grasses and other tundra plants.
  • It is home to millions of seabirds, including king penguins, albatrosses, and petrels, as well as large populations of seals (fur seals, elephant seals) and whales.

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South Georgia Island FAQs

Q1. What country owns South Georgia Island?

Ans. South Georgia Island is a British Overseas Territory, specifically part of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which is under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom.

Q2. What is special about South Georgia Island?

Ans. South Georgia is often called an Antarctic oasis, or “the Galapagos of the Poles,” because of the huge numbers of penguins and seals that breed there.

Q3. Where is the largest penguin colony in the world?

Ans. Zavodovski Island in Antarctica is home for one and a half million Chinstrap Penguins, the largest penguin colony on earth.

Source: ET