Mount Paget in the context of "Whaler"

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⭐ Core Definition: Mount Paget

Mount Paget is a summit of Allardyce Range on the South Atlantic/Antarctic island of South Georgia. At 9,629 feet (2,935 m) above the sea level, it is the highest peak on the island, and the highest peak in any territory under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom (excluding the British Antarctic Territory, where British sovereignty is unrecognised by most countries, where Mount Hope is the highest peak). Mount Paget is more than twice the height of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain on the island of Great Britain and is ranked 23rd by topographic isolation.

It is a saddle-shaped mountain, marking the highest point of the Allardyce Range in the central part of South Georgia. This feature was known to early sealers and whalers at South Georgia, and the name has long been established through general usage. It is clearly visible from Grytviken and King Edward Point.

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Mount Paget in the context of South Georgia

South Georgia is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east–west direction, South Georgia is around 170 kilometres (106 mi) long and has a maximum width of 35 kilometres (22 mi). The terrain is mountainous, with the central ridge rising to 2,935 metres (9,629 ft) at Mount Paget. The northern coast is indented with numerous bays and fjords, serving as harbours.

Discovered by Europeans in 1675, South Georgia had no indigenous population due to its harsh climate and remoteness. Captain James Cook in HMS Resolution made the first landing, survey and mapping of the island. On 17 January 1775, Cook claimed it a British possession, naming it "Isle of Georgia" after King George III. Through its history, it served as a whaling and seal hunting base, with intermittent population scattered in several whaling bases, the most important historically being Grytviken. The main settlement and the capital today is King Edward Point near Grytviken, a British Antarctic Survey research station, with a population of about 20 people.

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