The British Overseas Territory of South Georgia Island and the South Sandwich Islands includes the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean. It's located around 870 miles (1,400 km) east of the Falkland Islands. South Georgia, which stretches from east to west, is around 170 kilometers (106 miles) long and up to 35 kilometers wide (22 mi). The area is mountainous, with Mount Paget's primary ridge reaching a height of 2,935 meters (9,629 feet) above sea level. Many bays and fjords carved along the northern shore act as good harbors.
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South Georgia had no native inhabitants when it was discovered by Europeans in 1675 because of its harsh climate and isolation. The island was initially explored, mapped, and explored by Captain James Cook in HMS Resolution on January 17, 1775, when he declared it a British possession and gave it the name "Island of Georgia" in honor of King George III. It was used as a whaling and seal hunting station throughout its history, with sporadic populations dispersed across numerous whaling sites, the most significant of which was Grytviken. King Edward Point, a British Antarctic Survey research station next to Grytviken, which has a population of roughly 20 people, serves as the major community and the capital today.