The islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America, approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands, from which they are administered. In addition to South Georgia Island and the nine South Sandwich Islands, the island group includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, and Bird Island. A small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March 2001 and was replaced by a permanent group of scientists from the British Antarctic Survey.