Introduction to South Georgia
The islands are a British territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. They are home to many birds and seals and are about 1,000 km from the Falkland Islands. In 1908, Britain took control of the islands, except for a few weeks in 1982 when Argentina invaded them. The islands also have a history of whaling, and Grytviken was one of the main stations in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Grytviken is a historic site that Ernest Shackleton, a renowned explorer, visited in 1914 before his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned in 1916 with some of his men in a small boat and rescued the rest of his crew, who were stranded near the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 during another expedition and was buried in Grytviken.
The British Antarctic Survey carries out scientific research at the Grytviken station. In 1993, the UK widened the exclusive fishing zone around each island from 12 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles to safeguard the marine resources nearby.
