South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands sovereignty dispute

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Map of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.png
Map of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

British sovereignty of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is disputed by Argentina. The United Kingdom claimed South Georgia in 1775 (at the time it was the United Kingdom of Great Britain), [1] [2] annexed the islands in 1908, and has exercised de facto control with the exception of a brief period during the Falklands War in 1982, when the islands were partially controlled by Argentina. [3] The dispute started in 1927 when Argentina claimed sovereignty over South Georgia, and subsequently expanded in scope with Argentina claiming the South Sandwich Islands in 1938. [4] The islands have no indigenous population, [3] and currently only have about 30 inhabitants.

Contents

History of the claims

Origins of the British claim

The South Georgia archipelago was first claimed for Great Britain by James Cook in January 1775, having been previously discovered by Anthony de la Roché. [5] However, the British did little to enforce this claim until 1843, when Letters Patent was issued to provide for the government of the islands, which were to be governed as a Falkland Islands Dependency. These were revised in 1876 and 1892.

In 1908, following inquiries regarding the sovereignty of the area currently covered by the British Antarctic Territory from the Norwegian government, the British government stated that the islands were British, and issued Letters Patent to include "South Orkney, South Georgia and South Shetland islands, and Graham Land situated in the South Atlantic Ocean to the south of the 50th parallel of south latitude and lying between the 20th and 80th degrees of west longitude" as Falkland Islands Dependencies. It was made clear at this time that the association with the Falkland Islands was intended as an administrative convenience. [6]

As it had been observed within the British government that a literal interpretation of this claim would include parts of the South American mainland, the letters patent were clarified on 28 March 1917, redefining the limits to exclude all territories north of 58°S and west of 50°W, but to otherwise include all land in this region. Though the Argentine government was given details of the 1908 letters patent (at their request), neither Argentina nor Chile objected to either claim. [6]

Origins of the Argentine claim

The Compañía Argentina de Pesca (CAP), an Argentine-registered whaling company run by Norwegian Carl Anton Larsen, was the first company to set up operations on South Georgia in 1904. This company founded the settlement of Grytviken and its employees (including Larsen himself) became the first permanent residents of the island. In 1905, the Argentine government authorised a weather station on the island. [7]

In 1906, the CAP signed a lease with the Falkland Islands government, [7] and following the 1908 annexation the company started to use British whaling licences and leases for land at Grytviken and Jason Harbour.[ citation needed ] Also in 1908, the CAP started looking to the South Sandwich Islands for the expansion of their business. [8] Larsen adopted British citizenship in 1910. Argentina's first explicit claim to South Georgia was made in 1927 and to the South Sandwich Islands in 1938. [4]

Later developments

Following the Argentine claims, the UK offered (in 1947, 1951, 1953 and 1954) to take the matter to the International Court of Justice in The Hague but this was turned down by Argentina. When the United Kingdom took the issue to the court unilaterally in 1955, Argentina declined to cooperate, citing a lack of jurisdiction.[ citation needed ] The British divided the Falkland Islands dependencies in 1962, in accordance with the newly signed Antarctic Treaty. Those areas south of 60°S became the British Antarctic Territory, [9] while the remainder – South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands – retained their previous status.

Falklands War

Argentina established a base, Corbeta Uruguay, on Thule Island at the far south of the South Sandwich Islands in November 1976. When this base was discovered by the British that December, the British protested diplomatically, and sent a task force (Operation Journeyman) to protect the Falkland Islands from potential invasion. [10]

On 19 March 1982, a group of 50 Argentines posing as scrap metal merchants landed at Leith Harbour on South Georgia aboard the ARA Bahía Buen Suceso and hoisted the Argentine flag. [11] [12] [13] The British government responded by sending HMS Endurance with 22 Royal Marines to expel the Argentines, but they were held off to avoid increasing the tension. Further Argentine troops, led by Lieutenant Alfredo Astiz (known as the "blond angel of death") [14] were landed and the British set up a station to monitor the activities there. Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands on 2 April 1982 and took Grytviken the following day, leaving 44 marines. [15] Despite seizing Grytviken and Leith, the Argentines were not able to take the entire island and several British Antarctic Survey field camps remained in the hands of the United Kingdom throughout the length of the war.

In response to the Argentine invasion, the British launched Operation Corporate (the recapture of the Falkland Islands) of which Operation Paraquet was part. Royal Marines retook Grytviken in two hours on 25 April 1982 using intelligence from the SBS who had infiltrated the island, following an attack on the ARA Santa Fe by Royal Naval helicopters. [15] The garrison at Leith Harbour surrendered the following day, and Corbeta Uruguay surrendered on 20 June 1982. It was demolished that December.

Current status

Grytviken in 1989 Grytviken hg.jpg
Grytviken in 1989

The United Kingdom has administered South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands separately from the Falklands since the islands were made a British dependent territory in their own right in 1985. [3] The status of the territory was altered by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, and the terminology now used is British overseas territory.

Argentina considers the islands to be part of the Islas del Atlántico Sur Department of Tierra del Fuego Province. The claim to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is written into the 1994 Argentine constitution alongside the claim to the Falkland Islands. [16]

Current claims

Claims by Argentina

Argentina claims that:

Claims by the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom claims that:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands</span> British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the South Sandwich Islands. South Georgia is 165 kilometres (103 mi) long and 35 kilometres (22 mi) wide and is by far the largest island in the territory. The South Sandwich Islands lie about 700 kilometres (430 mi) southeast of South Georgia. The territory's total land area is 3,903 km2 (1,507 sq mi). The Falkland Islands are about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) west from its nearest point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Sandwich Islands</span> Island chain in South Atlantic Ocean

The South Sandwich Islands are a chain of uninhabited volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. They are administered as part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The chain lies in the sub-Antarctic region, about 700 kilometres (430 mi) southeast of South Georgia and 1,700 kilometres (1,100 mi) northeast from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grytviken</span> Place in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, United Kingdom

Grytviken is a hamlet on South Georgia in the South Atlantic and formerly a whaling station and the largest settlement on the island. It is located at the head of King Edward Cove within the larger Cumberland East Bay, considered the best harbour on the island. The location's name, meaning "pot bay", was coined in 1902 by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition and documented by the surveyor Johan Gunnar Andersson, after the expedition found old English try pots used to render seal oil at the site. Settlement was re-established on 16 November 1904 by Norwegian Antarctic explorer Carl Anton Larsen on the long-used site of former whaling settlements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Georgia</span> Island in the South Atlantic Ocean

South Georgia is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east–west direction, South Georgia is around 170 kilometres (106 mi) long and has a maximum width of 35 kilometres (22 mi). The terrain is mountainous, with the central ridge rising to 2,935 metres (9,629 ft) at Mount Paget. The northern coast is indented with numerous bays and fjords, serving as good harbours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Edward Point</span> Place in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, United Kingdom

King Edward Point is a permanent British Antarctic Survey research station on South Georgia island and is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It is situated in Cumberland East Bay on the northeastern coast of the island. The settlement is the smallest capital in the world by population. It is sometimes confusingly referred to as Grytviken, which is the site of the disused whaling station, nearby at the head of King Edward Cove.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corbeta Uruguay base</span> Former Argentine military outpost in the South Sandwich Islands (1976–1982)

Corbeta Uruguay base was an Argentine military outpost established in November 1976 on Thule Island, Southern Thule, in the South Sandwich Islands. It was vacated and mostly demolished in 1982 following Britain's victory against Argentina in the Falklands War.

Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands is disputed by Argentina and the United Kingdom. The British claim to sovereignty dates from 1690, when they made the first recorded landing on the islands, and the United Kingdom has exercised de facto sovereignty over the archipelago almost continuously since 1833. Argentina has long disputed this claim, having been in control of the islands for a few years prior to 1833. The dispute escalated in 1982, when Argentina invaded the islands, precipitating the Falklands War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands</span>

The history of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is relatively recent. When European explorers discovered the islands, they were uninhabited, and their hostile climate, mountainous terrain, and remoteness made subsequent settlement difficult. Due to these conditions, human activity in the islands has largely consisted of sealing, whaling, and scientific surveys and research, interrupted by World War II and the Falklands War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leith Harbour</span> Place in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, United Kingdom

Leith Harbour, also known as Port Leith, was a whaling station on the northeast coast of South Georgia, established and operated by Christian Salvesen Ltd, Edinburgh. The station was in operation from 1909 until 1965. It was the largest of seven whaling stations, situated near the mouth of Stromness Bay.

There were many events leading to the 1982 Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina over possession of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Georgia Museum</span> Institution centered around British South Atlantic history; Shackletons resting place

The South Georgia Museum is situated in Grytviken, near the administrative centre of the UK overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Polar explorers Ernest Shackleton and Frank Wild are buried in Grytviken's graveyard. The museum was established in 1991 by Nigel Bonner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compañía Argentina de Pesca</span>

Compañía Argentina de Pesca was initiated by the British-Norwegian whaler and Antarctic explorer Carl A. Larsen, and established on 29 February 1904 by three foreign residents of Buenos Aires: the Norwegian consul P. Christophersen, H.H. Schlieper, and E. Tornquist. Larsen was the company's Manager, in which capacity he organized the building of Grytviken, the first land-based whaling station in Antarctica put into operation on 24 December 1904.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falkland Islands Dependencies</span> Constitutional arrangement regarding the administration of various British dependencies

The Falkland Islands Dependencies was the constitutional arrangement from 1843 until 1985 for administering the various British territories in Sub-Antarctica and Antarctica which were governed from the Falkland Islands and its capital Port Stanley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Territorial claims in Antarctica</span> Land claims of the continent

Seven sovereign states – Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom – have made eight territorial claims in Antarctica. These countries have tended to place their Antarctic scientific observation and study facilities within their respective claimed territories; however, a number of such facilities are located outside of the area claimed by their respective countries of operation, and countries without claims such as China, India, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa (SANAE), Ukraine, and the United States have constructed research facilities within the areas claimed by other countries. There are overlaps among the territories claimed by Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom.

The sole official language of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is English, which is used for nearly all administrative functions in the territory, and is also widely spoken amongst islanders presently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands–related articles</span>

Articles related to the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invasion of South Georgia</span> April 1982 battle during the Falklands War

The invasion of South Georgia, also known as the Battle of Grytviken or Operation Georgias, took place on 3 April 1982, when Argentine Navy forces seized control of the east coast of South Georgia after overpowering a small group of Royal Marines at Grytviken. Though outnumbered, the Royal Marines shot down a helicopter and hit the Argentine corvette ARA Guerrico several times before being forced to surrender. It was one of the first episodes of the Falklands War, immediately succeeding the invasion on the Falkland Islands the day before.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Atlantic conflict</span> Period of military tensions in the South Atlantic Ocean

The South Atlantic conflict was a series of crises, undeclared wars, and other conflicts between Argentina, the United Kingdom, and later Chile in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. It was incited by the Argentine navy's prevention of the UK's reoccupation of its territories on the Antarctic Peninsula, and included the Falklands War and Invasion of South Georgia. The conflict, despite a large number of stalemates, ultimately ended in British victory.

References

  1. ↑ George Forster. A Voyage Round the World in His Britannic Majesty's Sloop Resolution Commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the Years 1772, 3, 4 and 5 (2 vols.). London, 1777.
  2. ↑ R.K. Headland, The Island of South Georgia, Cambridge University Press, 1984. ISBN   0-521-25274-1
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "About SGSSI – Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands". www.gov.gs. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands". www.worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022.
  5. ↑ "18th Century History of South Georgia, South Atlantic Ocean". Nov 13, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-11-13. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022.
  6. 1 2 National Interests and Claims in the Antarctic, pp. 19–20, Robert E. Wilson
  7. 1 2 "Historia General de las Relaciones Exteriores de la República Argentina: Georgias del Sur" (in Spanish). Universidad del CEMA.
  8. ↑ "Historia General de las Relaciones Exteriores de la República Argentina: Sandwich del Sur" (in Spanish). Universidad del CEMA.
  9. ↑ "British Antarctic Territory - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022.
  10. ↑ BBC News – Secret Falklands fleet revealed, 1 June 2005
  11. ↑ "infiltrated on board, pretending to be scientists, were members of an Argentine naval special forces unit" Nick van der Bijl, Nine Battles to Stanley, London, Leo Cooper P.8 as reported in Lawrence Freemdman, The Official History of the Falklands Campaign: Vol I The Origins of the Falklands War
  12. ↑ "Bahia Buen Suceso set sail for South Georgia on 11 March carrying Argentine Marines" Rowland White, Vulcan 607, London, Bantam Press, p30.
  13. ↑ "1982: Argentine flag hoisted on S Georgia". Mar 19, 1982. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022– via news.bbc.co.uk.
  14. ↑ , Sam Ferguson, "Argentina's 'Blond angel of death' convicted for role in dirty war", Christian Science Monitor, 27 October 2011, accessed 12 June 2013
  15. 1 2 "1982: Marines land in South Georgia". Apr 25, 1982. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022– via news.bbc.co.uk.
  16. ↑ "La Cuestión de las Islas Malvinas" (in Spanish). Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.
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