King Edward Point

{{Infobox settlement

| official_name = King Edward Point

| nickname =

| image_skyline = File:King Edward Point on South Georgia 1.jpg

| imagesize = 250px

| image_caption = King Edward Point

| image_flag =

| image_seal =

| image_map = Grytviken and KEP location.svg

| mapsize = 250px

| map_caption = Location of King Edward Point and Grytviken in South Georgia

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = {{flag|United Kingdom}}

| subdivision_type1 = Territory

| subdivision_name1 = South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

| subdivision_type2 = Operator

| subdivision_name2 = British Antarctic Survey

| established_title = Established

| established_date = {{start date|1950|df=y}}

| extinct_title = Evacuated

| extinct_date =

| leader_title =

| leader_name =

| area_magnitude =

| area_total =

| area_land =

| area_water =

| pushpin_map = #Atlantic Ocean

| pushpin_map_caption =

| pushpin_relief = yes

| population_as_of = 2018

| population_note =

| population_total =

| population_blank1_title = Summer

| population_blank1 = 22

| population_blank2_title = Winter

| population_blank2 = 12

| population_footnotes =

| population_metro =

| population_density =

| timezone = GST

| utc_offset = −02:00

| code1_name = UN/LOCODE

| code1_info = GS

| blank_name_sec1 = Active times

| blank_info_sec1 = All year-round

| blank1_name_sec1 = Status

| blank1_info_sec1 = Operational

| blank_name_sec2 = Activities

| blank_info_sec2 = Support sustainable fishing

| coordinates = {{coord|54.283333|S|36.495|W|format=dms|region:GB|display=inline,title}}

| elevation =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

File:King Edward Point (South Georgia).jpg, with Grytviken in the left background]]

King Edward Point (also known as KEP) 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-georgia-and-south-sandwich-islands/local-laws-and-customs|title=Local laws and customs - South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (British Overseas Territory) travel advice - GOV.UK|website=www.gov.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-09-28}} It is situated in Cumberland East Bay on the northeastern coast of the island.{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/54%C2%B017'00.0%22S+36%C2%B029'39.0%22W/@-54.2833318,-36.4963477,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d-54.283335!4d-36.4941592|title=Google Maps|website=54°17'00.0"S 36°29'39.0"W|language=en|access-date=2018-07-25}} The settlement is the second smallest capital in the world by population, after Ngerulmud in Palau.

History

{{main|History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands|Falklands War}}

The area was explored by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901–04 under Otto Nordenskiöld. It was named around 1906 after King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Since 1909, King Edward Point has been the residence of a British Magistrate administering the island. In 1925, the government of the United Kingdom established Discovery House, a marine laboratory for Discovery Investigations.

Research station

On 1 January 1950, the station ownership was assumed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. The station was manned from 1 January 1952 to 13 November 1969. The British Antarctic Survey provided the British presence at the station until 1982.

At the beginning of the Falklands War on 3 April 1982, Argentine forces occupied South Georgia and closed the station. They were soon expelled during Operation Paraquet later the same month and British military forces retook the point. A series of civilian Marine Officers was appointed to carry out customs and fisheries duties for the South Georgia Government from 1991, and were billeted with the small garrison.

On 22 March 2001, the British Antarctic Survey reopened the station on behalf of the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI). Most of the old, dilapidated (and arguably historic) buildings were destroyed to make way for new ones, with the exception of Discovery House (1925) and the Gaol (1912).

Currently twelve BAS personnel overwinter at the station, rising to around 22 in summer. Two Government Officers plus partners are stationed on KEP, overlapping by about three months during the busy winter fishing season. Summer staff from the Museum at Grytviken are also accommodated at KEP.

The continued occupation of the station serves a political purpose as well: it helps to maintain British sovereignty against Argentina's claim for ownership of the territory.

The chief activities of the station are applied fisheries research on behalf of the Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, to assist its policies for sustainable management of the commercial fishery, and to provide logistic support for the Government Officer(s).

Climate

King Edward Point and Grytviken have a tundra climate (Köppen ET) with long, cold winters and short, cool summers. The highest temperature ever recorded at Grytviken/King Edward Point was {{convert|28.8|C|abbr=on}} on 10 March 1922.[https://digital.nmla.metoffice.gov.uk/IO_69d70281-b736-4f51-8864-88f88597fb27/ Remarkable Temperatures in the Argentine and South Georgia]. Meteorological Magazine. 57 (6): 138. June 1922.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Grytviken/King Edward Point (normals and extremes 2006–2020)

|collapsed =

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high C = 23.0

|Feb record high C = 23.0

|Mar record high C = 21.6

|Apr record high C = 21.7

|May record high C = 17.1

|Jun record high C = 14.1

|Jul record high C = 14.9

|Aug record high C = 13.9

|Sep record high C = 16.0

|Oct record high C = 20.2

|Nov record high C = 20.4

|Dec record high C = 26.4

|year record high C =

|Jan high C = 10.0

|Feb high C = 10.8

|Mar high C = 9.4

|Apr high C = 6.1

|May high C = 3.9

|Jun high C = 2.2

|Jul high C = 1.7

|Aug high C = 2.4

|Sep high C = 4.5

|Oct high C = 6.9

|Nov high C = 8.9

|Dec high C = 9.8

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = 6.3

|Feb mean C = 6.9

|Mar mean C = 5.8

|Apr mean C = 3.2

|May mean C = 1.0

|Jun mean C = -0.4

|Jul mean C = -1.2

|Aug mean C = -0.6

|Sep mean C = 1.1

|Oct mean C = 3.3

|Nov mean C = 5.0

|Dec mean C = 6.1

|Jan low C = 2.6

|Feb low C = 3.1

|Mar low C = 2.2

|Apr low C = 0.2

|May low C = -2.0

|Jun low C = -4.6

|Jul low C = -4.0

|Aug low C = -3.7

|Sep low C = -2.3

|Oct low C = -0.3

|Nov low C = 1.0

|Dec low C = 2.3

|year low C =

|Jan record low C = -2.5

|Feb record low C = -3.0

|Mar record low C = -4.0

|Apr record low C = -7.0

|May record low C = -10.0

|Jun record low C = -11.2

|Jul record low C = -15.1

|Aug record low C = -13.0

|Sep record low C = -11.0

|Oct record low C = -9.5

|Nov record low C = -5.0

|Dec record low C = -4.0

|year record low C =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 92

|Feb precipitation mm = 114

|Mar precipitation mm = 136

|Apr precipitation mm = 139

|May precipitation mm = 137

|Jun precipitation mm = 135

|Jul precipitation mm = 149

|Aug precipitation mm = 149

|Sep precipitation mm = 92

|Oct precipitation mm = 80

|Nov precipitation mm = 93

|Dec precipitation mm = 88

|year precipitation mm = 1394

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 12

|Feb precipitation days = 13

|Mar precipitation days = 14

|Apr precipitation days = 14

|May precipitation days = 12

|Jun precipitation days = 15

|Jul precipitation days = 15

|Aug precipitation days = 14

|Sep precipitation days = 11

|Oct precipitation days = 12

|Nov precipitation days = 11

|Dec precipitation days = 11

|year precipitation days =

|Jan humidity = 72

|Feb humidity = 69

|Mar humidity = 69

|Apr humidity = 70

|May humidity = 74

|Jun humidity = 75

|Jul humidity = 74

|Aug humidity = 73

|Sep humidity = 72

|Oct humidity = 70

|Nov humidity = 69

|Dec humidity = 71

|year humidity =

|Jan sun = 152

|Feb sun = 160

|Mar sun = 127

|Apr sun = 66

|May sun = 34

|Jun sun = 12

|Jul sun = 22

|Aug sun = 74

|Sep sun = 123

|Oct sun = 171

|Nov sun = 174

|Dec sun = 167

|year sun =

|source 1 = Meteomanz{{cite web

| url = http://www.meteomanz.com/sy3?l=1&cou=3140&ind=88903&y1=2006&m1=01&y2=2020&m2=12&so=000&fm=00

| title = SYNOP/BUFR observations. Data by months

| publisher = Meteomanz

| access-date = 21 March 2024}}

|source 2 = Globalbioclimatics/Salvador Rivas-Martínez (precipitation 1901–1950){{cite web |url=http://www.globalbioclimatics.org/pdf/ar-georg.pdf |title=Temp/Rain 1901–1950 |publisher=Globalbioclimatics |access-date=10 December 2018 |date=Apr 2012 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801113052/http://www.globalbioclimatics.org/pdf/ar-georg.pdf |url-status=dead }} DMI/Danish Meteorology Institute (sun, humidity, and precipitation days 1931–1960){{cite web | last1 = Cappelen | first1 = John | last2 = Jensen | first2 = Jens | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130427173827/http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr01-17.pdf | archive-date = 27 April 2013 | url = http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr01-17.pdf | work = Climate Data for Selected Stations (1931–1960) | title = South Georgia–Grytviken | page = 242 | publisher = Danish Meteorological Institute | language = da | access-date = 10 December 2018}} Météo Climat (extremes){{cite web|url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/station-202.php|title=Weather extremes for Grytviken|publisher=Météo Climat|access-date=21 March 2024}}

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Grytviken/King Edward Point (normals and extremes 1901–1950, sunshine 1931–1960)

|collapsed = Yes

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high C = 24.5

|Feb record high C = 26.5

|Mar record high C = 28.8

|Apr record high C = 19.1

|May record high C = 17.5

|Jun record high C = 14.0

|Jul record high C = 13.6

|Aug record high C = 13.2

|Sep record high C = 17.0

|Oct record high C = 20.0

|Nov record high C = 22.5

|Dec record high C = 21.5

|year record high C =28.8

|Jan high C = 8.4

|Feb high C = 9.1

|Mar high C = 8.4

|Apr high C = 5.6

|May high C = 2.9

|Jun high C = 0.9

|Jul high C = 1.2

|Aug high C = 1.5

|Sep high C = 3.5

|Oct high C = 5.4

|Nov high C = 6.5

|Dec high C = 7.5

|year high C = 5.1

|Jan mean C = 4.6

|Feb mean C = 5.1

|Mar mean C = 4.4

|Apr mean C = 2.3

|May mean C = 0.0

|Jun mean C = -1.6

|Jul mean C = -1.5

|Aug mean C = -1.8

|Sep mean C = -0.1

|Oct mean C = 1.6

|Nov mean C = 2.7

|Dec mean C = 3.7

|year mean C = 1.6

|Jan low C = 1.4

|Feb low C = 1.7

|Mar low C = 1.0

|Apr low C = −0.8

|May low C = −3.1

|Jun low C = −4.6

|Jul low C = −4.7

|Aug low C = −4.9

|Sep low C = −3.3

|Oct low C = −1.8

|Nov low C = −0.5

|Dec low C = 0.4

|year low C = -1.6

|Jan record low C = −4.1

|Feb record low C = −3.7

|Mar record low C = −6.3

|Apr record low C = −9.8

|May record low C = −11.4

|Jun record low C = −14.6

|Jul record low C = −15.2

|Aug record low C = −19.2

|Sep record low C = −18.4

|Oct record low C = −11.0

|Nov record low C = −6.4

|Dec record low C = −5.4

|year record low C = −19.2