King George Island Antarctica

King George Island is the largest island in the archipelago of the Southern Shetland Islands in the Antarctic, with a surface area of 1260 km² (Spanish Isla Rey Jorge, German "King George Island"). The archipelago lies between the Southern Ocean and Bransfield Street. In Argentina, the island is called 25 Mayo 25th Mayo after its national holiday, May 25th. In Russia, whose most important Antarctic research station is located on the island, it is also called Waterloo (Ватерлоо) in addition to its official name. The only civilian settlement on Isla Rey Jorge is the Chilean village of Villa Las Estrellas. The island is part of the Antarctic Territory, which is also claimed by Chile, Argentina and the UK.

King George Island is located approximately 120 kilometers off the coast of the Antarctic mainland. The island is 80 km long, up to 30 km wide and reaches the Rose Peak a height of 700 m above the sea. Three large bays in the south of the island characterize King George Bay, Admiralty Bay and Maxwell Bay. Over 92% of the island's surface is glaciated. On the ice-free areas of King George Island, mainly in the south-west of the island, a number of Antarctic research stations from different countries are concentrated. It is the most densely populated area of Antarctica.

The two species of flowering plants in Antarctica are found on King George Island: the Antarctic pearl (Colobanthus quitensis) and the Antarctic (Deschampsia antarctica). On the island there are also different penguin and seal species, such as the Pygoscelis antarctica, the Southern Lake Elephant (Mirounga leonina) and the Antarctic Sea Bear (Arctocephalus gazella).