Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Standard of the Commissioner
Incumbent Alison Blake since 23 July 2022
Appointer	Charles III as King of the United Kingdom
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holder	Edwin Porter Arrowsmith First High Commissioner Merrick Baker Bates First Commissioner
Deputy	Ms Jane Rumble Deputy Commissioner

Flag of the Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, 1992–99

The Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a special representative. This person works for the British monarch (the King or Queen of the United Kingdom). They represent the monarch in a place called South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. This place is a British overseas territory. It means it's a territory that belongs to the United Kingdom but is not part of the UK itself.

The person who is the Commissioner also holds another important job. They are also the governor of the Falkland Islands. This makes sense because the Falkland Islands are the closest inhabited place to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

What is a Commissioner?

This job was created in 1985. Before that, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands were part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies. These were areas linked to the Falkland Islands. In 1985, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands became its own separate overseas territory.

The territory has no people living there permanently. Only military groups and scientists from the British Antarctic Survey visit. Because there are no permanent residents, a "governor" was not needed. Instead, the job of "commissioner" was created. This is common for places without many people.

Commissioner's Responsibilities

The Commissioner has similar powers to a governor. They are in charge of local matters within the territory. This includes things like managing resources and ensuring rules are followed.

The British Government handles bigger issues. These include defending the territory and dealing with other countries. The Commissioner has their own special flag. It is a Union Flag (the UK flag) with the territory's coat of arms on it. This coat of arms was approved in 1992.

List of Commissioners

Here is a list of the people who have served as Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands: