South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands sovereignty dispute
Politics of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands |
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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.
History of the claims
Origins of the British claim
The South Georgia archipelago was first claimed for Great Britain by
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
while the remainder – South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands – retained their previous status.Falklands War
Argentina established a base,
On 19 March 1982, a group of 50 Argentines posing as
In response to the Argentine invasion, the British launched
Current status
The United Kingdom has administered South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands separately from the Falklands since the islands were made a
Argentina considers the islands to be part of the
Current claims
Claims by Argentina
Argentina claims that:
- Argentina has, since 1927, protested every British action that it has known about that contradicted Argentine sovereignty of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.[citation needed]
Claims by the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom claims that:
- South Georgia was claimed for Great Britain under Captain Cook in 1775.[3]
- The United Kingdom annexed South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in 1908.[3]
- Whaling stations on the islands (including the CAP) operated under British licence.[3]
- The islands have been administered legally by the United Kingdom since 1908, with the exception of being "briefly occupied by Argentinean forces in 1982".[3]
See also
References
- ^ 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.
- ISBN 0-521-25274-1
- ^ a b c d e f g "About SGSSI – Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands". www.gov.gs. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022.
- ^ a b "South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands". www.worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022.
- ^ "18th Century History of South Georgia, South Atlantic Ocean". Nov 13, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-11-13. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022.
- ^ a b National Interests and Claims in the Antarctic, pp. 19–20, Robert E. Wilson
- ^ Universidad del CEMA.
- Universidad del CEMA.
- ^ "British Antarctic Territory - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022.
- ^ BBC News – Secret Falklands fleet revealed, 1 June 2005
- ^ "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
- ^ "Bahia Buen Suceso set sail for South Georgia on 11 March carrying Argentine Marines" Rowland White, Vulcan 607, London, Bantam Press, p30.
- ^ "1982: Argentine flag hoisted on S Georgia". Mar 19, 1982. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ [1], Sam Ferguson, "Argentina's 'Blond angel of death' convicted for role in dirty war", Christian Science Monitor, 27 October 2011, accessed 12 June 2013
- ^ a b "1982: Marines land in South Georgia". Apr 25, 1982. Retrieved Oct 22, 2022 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "La Cuestión de las Islas Malvinas" (in Spanish). Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.