From the world’s smallest capital city, to whaling “artillery,” to the Earl who gave the islands their name — and inspired a famous food!
The Falkland Islands lie about 500 kilometers off the coast of Argentina. But if you kept heading east and slightly south, deeper into the cold waters of the Antarctic, for a long while you’d see nothing but the South Atlantic Ocean… until, finally, after about 1,400 kilometers, you’d reach them — South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Where are we? In a very remote and inaccessible part of the world. This is a British Overseas Territory, but in fact, no one really lives on these islands, except for a small group of researchers (about 30 people) who aren’t there permanently. They mostly stay on South Georgia, while the South Sandwich Islands are completely uninhabited — although home to plenty of cheerful wildlife that doesn’t mind the lack of humans!
Let’s begin with the geography, which is quite fascinating. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are often mentioned together, and technically form a single British overseas territory — somewhat like a country, but not officially. They even have a capital: King Edward Point, which is actually just a research station and the largest settlement. So if we consider them a “country,” then King Edward Point would be the smallest capital city in the world! Its population varies between 22 in the summer and 18 in the winter.
However, mentioning them together makes it sound like all the islands are grouped close together, which is far from true. South Georgia is by far the largest island, while the South Sandwich Islands are a chain of small islands located another 750 kilometers (!) southeast of South Georgia.
Since when has this been British territory? That depends on which part. Britain took control of South Georgia in 1775, but only claimed the South Sandwich Islands in 1908. They were officially grouped into a single territory in 1985. It’s worth noting that Argentina claims sovereignty over the entire territory.
In fact, Argentina had a naval station on Thule Island (one of the eight South Sandwich Islands) from 1976 until 1982, when the British Navy closed it down — as expected. Argentina’s claims to South Georgia were also one of the sparks that ignited the Falklands War in 1982, during which Argentina briefly occupied South Georgia.
But there’s no need to go all the way to Antarctic waters just to talk about politics and war — we’ve got enough of that closer to home. Let’s talk instead about Patagonian toothfish, which are abundant in these waters. In fact, September 4 is celebrated as Toothfish Day, and this delicious fish is the mainstay of the islands’ economy.
South Georgia was first sighted by English merchant Anthony de la Roché (yes, he was English despite the name) in 1675. But the island got its name a full 100 years later when James Cook sailed around it in 1775 and named it South Georgia in honor of King George III — who ruled for 60 years (longer than any monarch before Queen Victoria and the recently deceased Elizabeth II).
There were only animals on the islands — they’ve never been inhabited by humans.
In the late 18th and 19th centuries, seal hunting began in the area. The only thing that sometimes saved the seals were the treacherous waters around the islands, which sank or smashed several British ships on the rocks.
As if seal hunting wasn’t enough, the 20th century brought even worse times for the whales living in the region. Several nations — primarily Britain, Argentina, and Norway — set up whaling stations on South Georgia. By then, ships were advanced enough that rough seas were no longer much of a deterrent. But life for the whalers wasn’t exactly pleasant. Whales were processed right on the island, creating an overwhelming stench that was barely tolerable. Working in such conditions was extremely difficult. Some bizarre incidents were recorded — for example, whale carcasses left on shore would fill with gas and sometimes explode, launching whale fetuses the size of vehicles with enough force to kill a person. It’s unclear whether anyone ever died from this “whale artillery.”
Eventually, the whaling industry collapsed. The stations were simply abandoned, and their crumbling remains can still be seen today. Only two buildings remain in use in the old whaling town of Grytviken: the Norwegian Lutheran churchand the South Georgia Museum. Yes, a church and a museum are still operating in this remote location!
The museum is housed in what was once a villa built by a wealthy whaler for his family. When the industry collapsed, it was converted into a museum. Notably, two famous polar explorers, Ernest Shackleton and Frank Wild, are buried in its yard.
And the South Sandwich Islands? There’s far less “activity” there, as mentioned — no one lives there currently. They were discovered by Captain James Cook, who named them after John Montagu, the First Lord of the Admiralty and Earl of Sandwich — a noble title referring to the town of Sandwich in Kent, southeastern England.
Does the Earl have anything to do with the sandwiches we eat today? Oh yes! It’s believed the food is named after him. He was a dedicated gambler who would spend hours, sometimes days, at the gaming table. Needing to eat without leaving the table, he ordered his servants to bring him meat between two slices of bread. Other players noticed the practicality and started ordering “the same as Sandwich” — and the name stuck.
Interestingly, the Hawaiian Islands were once called the Sandwich Islands as well. So to differentiate these new islands, Cook named them the South Sandwich Islands.
What’s the climate like? As you’d expect — cold and harsh. The islands rise steeply from the ocean and look quite intimidating, with high mountains always covered in snow and ice. The highest recorded temperature was 28°C, but the lowest wasn’t as extreme as one might think: “only” −18.9°C.
Seals frequently visit, and whales can be spotted in surrounding waters. There are no native land mammals, though humans introduced reindeer, brown rats, and mice to South Georgia. Rats, which came aboard ships in the 18th century, caused major ecological problems by eating bird eggs. Reindeer were introduced by Norwegians in 1911, mainly for food and sport hunting.
However, it was later discovered that the reindeer also seriously disrupted the local ecosystem. So, a decision was made to eradicate them. A large-scale cull was carried out over three summers, from 2013 to 2015, and about 4,000 reindeerwere ultimately killed.
And how are things today? Quiet. There used to be a British military presence here, especially after the Falklands War. But in the 1990s, troop numbers were reduced, and by 2001, the military was completely withdrawn. Since then, only a British Antarctic research station remains — along with the seals, penguins, whales, and other wildlife that now live there in relative peace. At least until unrest in the world finds its way even to such distant corners of the Earth!
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