East Falkland (Spanish: Isla Soledad) the largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, has an area of 6,605 square kilometres (2,550 sq mi) [1]. Its population represents a large majority of the population of the Falklands. Almost all of this is in the northern half. The southern half, joined by a narrow isthmus, is known as Lafonia. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas Lafonia is a Peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands.
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Geography
The island's highest point is Mount Usborne (705 m / 2,313 ft) in the Wickham Heights, the highest point in the whole island group. Gypsy Cove and Yorke Bay are a pair of small bays in the Falkland Islands. Mount Usborne is a mountain on East Falkland Island at 705m (2312 feet above sea level it is the highest point in the Falkland Islands. The Wickham Heights ( Spanish: Alturas Rivadavia) are a rugged chain of mountains on East Falkland in the Falkland Islands. However, much of the land has a low, rolling topography, featuring bogs and pastures. The geology is mostly sandstone, with some quartzite and slate, and the soil often poor and acidic. Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. Quartzite (from German Quarzit) not to be confused with the Mineral Quartz, is a hard Metamorphic rock which was originally Slate is a fine-grained foliated homogeneous, Metamorphic rock derived from an original Shale -type Sedimentary rock composed of Clay
The island is almost bisected by two deep fjords, Choiseul Sound and Brenton Loch-Grantham Sound which leaves the northern portion and Lafonia in the south, connected only by an isthmus a mile and a half wide. A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity. Choiseul Sound is a stretch of sea in the Falkland Islands. It runs parallel to Eagle Passage and is between Lafonia and the north of East Brenton Loch ( Spanish Bahia de Ruiz Puente 51 43 S 059 01 W is an inlet-cum-small Fjord in the Falkland Islands. Grantham Sound (Spanish Bahia de Ruiz Puente is a bay on East Falkland, Falkland Islands, which opens out into the Falkland Sound. Lafonia is a Peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands. The island contains many smaller bays, inlets and headland.
The northern portion is hilly, and is crossed by a rugged range, the Wickham Heights, running east and west, and rising in some places to a height of nearly 2,000 ft (610 m). The remainder of the island consists chiefly of low undulating ground, a mixture of pasture and morass, with many shallow freshwater tarns, and small streams running in the valleys. Two fine inlets, Berkeley Sound and Port William, run far into the land at the northeastern extremity of the island.
Other scenery includes stone runs covered with snake plant, heathland, and bogs. A stone run (called also stone river, stone stream or stone sea) is a conspicuous rock landform result of the erosion of particular rock varieties caused Sansevieria trifasciata is a species of Sansevieria, native to tropical west Africa from Nigeria east to the Democratic Heaths are Shrubland habitats characterised by open low growing woody Vegetation, found on mainly infertile Acidic soils A bog or mire is a Wetland type that accumulates Acidic Peat, a deposit of dead plant material &ndash usually Mosses but also Gypsy Cove is noted as a beauty spot. Gypsy Cove and Yorke Bay are a pair of small bays in the Falkland Islands.
Population and infrastructure
East Falkland is home to Stanley, the capital of the islands and the main seaport. "Port Stanley" redirects here For the town in Canada see Port Stanley Ontario. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo The islands' (Anglican) Christchurch cathedral is also in Stanley. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral
Port Louis, formerly the seat of government, is at the head of Berkeley Sound, but the anchorage there having been found rather too exposed, about the year 1844 a town was laid out, and the necessary public buildings were erected on Stanley Harbour, a sheltered recess within Port William.
Other settlements include Port Louis, Darwin, Port San Carlos, San Carlos, Salvador, Johnson's Harbour, Fitzroy, Mare Harbour, and Goose Green. Port Louis is a settlement on northeastern East Falkland. It was established by Louis de Bougainville in 1764 as the first French settlement on the Darwin is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland, lying on Choiseul Sound, on the east side of the island's central Isthmus, north of Port San Carlos is located on the northern bank of the San Carlos Water on the Western coast of East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands. San Carlos is a settlement in northwestern East Falkland, lying south of Port San Carlos on San Carlos Water. Salvador Settlement (-514667 -583667, also called Salvador or Salvador Settlement Corral, is a small harbour and settlement on East Falkland, Johnson's Harbour is a settlement on East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands. Fitzroy is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland. It is divided into Fitzroy North and Fitzroy South Mare Harbour ( Spanish: Puerto Yegua) is a small settlement on East Falkland, on Choiseul Sound. Goose Green ( Spanish: "Prado de Ganso" "Ganso Verde" is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland in the Falkland Islands
The island is also home to two airports with paved runways, Port Stanley Airport and RAF Mount Pleasant. An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land Port Stanley Airport is a STOLport in the Falkland Islands, two miles outside the capital Stanley. RAF Mount Pleasant (also known as Mount Pleasant Airport, Mount Pleasant Complex or MPA) is a military base for the Royal Air Force in There is a lighthouse at Cape Pembroke near Stanley. The island contains most of the archipelago's road network, which is none the less, scanty.
Economy
The main industries on the island are fishing, sheep farming, government, and tourism. Teal Inlet (Caleta Trullo is a settlement on East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands, on the south shore of Salvador Water. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of Domestic sheep, and a subcategory of Animal husbandry. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Some oats are also grown, but due to high humidity and acidic soil, the land is mainly used for grazing.
As Stanley is the capital, and East Falkland is the most populous island, it performs an economic role as the hub of the archipelago. Many cruise ships now stop there. A cruise ship or cruise liner is a Passenger ship used for pleasure voyages where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience
A large economic role is also played by RAF Mount Pleasant, which has a number of British military personnel based there. RAF Mount Pleasant (also known as Mount Pleasant Airport, Mount Pleasant Complex or MPA) is a military base for the Royal Air Force in Although these number a few hundred, their economic role in a population of under two thousand cannot be underestimated.
Smaller industries include horse and cattle farming, and there is also recent evidence to suggest possible valuable mineral deposits on the island.
Wildlife
Due to more intensive human settlement, East Falkland has the corresponding conservation problems. The warrah was one of the first casualties, as Darwin says in The Voyage of the Beagle:
- "The only quadruped native to the island is a large wolf-like fox (Canis antarcticus), which is common to both East and West Falkland. The Falkland Islands Wolf ( Dusicyon australis) also known as the Warrah and occasionally as the Falkland Islands Dog, Falkland Islands Fox Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life This is about the book For the expedition see Second voyage of HMS Beagle The Voyage of the Beagle is a title commonly given to West Falkland is the second largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, with an area of approximately 4532 km² (5413 km² including the adjacent I have no doubt it is a peculiar species. . . Their numbers have rapidly decreased; they are already banished from that half of the island which lies to the eastward of the neck of land between St. Salvador Bay and Berkeley Sound. Salvador Water or Port Salvador ( French: Baye Marville, Spanish: Bahia de la Maravilla) is a bay/inlet on the northeast coast of Berkeley Sound (Baye Accaron Spanish: Bahia de la Annunciación) is an inlet or fjord in the north east of East Falkland in the Falkland Islands Within a very few years after these islands shall have become regularly settled, in all probability this fox will be classed with the dodo, as an animal which has perished from the face of the earth. The dodo ( Raphus cucullatus) was a Flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. "
Rats have also been introduced, but despite this, the island has a great deal of marine life, including penguins of various kinds. Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless Birds living almost
Guanacos were unsuccessfully introduced in 1862 to East Falkland south of Mt Pleasant where Prince Alfred hunted them in 1871 [2]. The guanaco ( Lama guanicoe) is a Camelid animal native to South America that stands between 107 and 122 centimeters (3 Alfred Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alfred Ernest Albert 6 August 1844 &ndash 30 July 1900 was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha reigning between 1893 and 1900 They have since become extinct, but are still on Staats Island
Charles Darwin surveyed the area's wildlife, while on HMS Beagle. Staats Island is one of the Falkland Islands, lying between Beaver Island and Weddell Island, parallel to Tea Island. Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life First Voyage On 27 September 1825 Beagle docked at Woolwich for repairs and fitted out for her new duties at a total cost of £5913
History
Although there is possible evidence of Yahgan (Patagonian native) landings, such as the warrah, the first accepted settlement was during the 18th century when East Falkland was settled by the French, with Louis de Bougainville establishing Port Louis on Berkeley Sound in 1764. The Amphibious Commandos Group (Agrupación de Comandos Anfibios APCA is a special operations force of the Argentine Marine Corps, trained to perform quick "Port Stanley" redirects here For the town in Canada see Port Stanley Ontario. Government House in Stanley has been the home of the Falkland Islands ' London -appointed Governors since the mid-19th century The history of the Falkland Islands goes back at least five hundred years with active exploration and colonisation only taking place in the 18th century Fuegians are the indigenous inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. Llao LLaojpg|thumb|250px| Lake Nahuel Huapi, near Bariloche, Argentina The Falkland Islands Wolf ( Dusicyon australis) also known as the Warrah and occasionally as the Falkland Islands Dog, Falkland Islands Fox Louis-Antoine comte de Bougainville ( November 12 1729 Paris - August 31 1811 Paris) was a French navigator and military Port Louis is a settlement on northeastern East Falkland. It was established by Louis de Bougainville in 1764 as the first French settlement on the Berkeley Sound (Baye Accaron Spanish: Bahia de la Annunciación) is an inlet or fjord in the north east of East Falkland in the Falkland Islands The French settlement included a number of Bretons, and the islands became known as "Îles Malouines" (the islands of St Malo), later hispanicised as "Islas Malvinas". The Bretons are a distinct Ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. Saint-Malo ( Breton: Sant-Maloù; Gallo: Saent-Malô) is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern For years, Port Louis was the main settlement, not only on East Falkland, but the entire archipelago and a subject of controversy.
On 6 November 1820, Colonel David Jewett, an American privateer employed as captain by a Buenos Aires businessman Patrick Lynch who had obtained a corsair license for his frigate Heroina from the Buenos Aires Supreme Director Jose Rondeau, raised the flag of the United Provinces of the River Plate at Port Louis, and claimed possession of the entire archipelaho in the name of the United Provinces of the South (which later became the United Provinces of The River Plate and ultimately Argentina). Heroína was a privately owned Frigate that was operated as a Privateer under a license issued by the United Provinces of the River Plate (later Argentina The United Provinces of South America (Spanish Provincias Unidas de Sud América) was the original name of a state that would become the United Provinces of the Río de In 1823, Argentina granted fishing rights to Jorge Pacheco and Luis Vernet, who finally succeeded on establishing a permanent settlement at Puerto Soledad three years later. Luis Vernet (born Louis Vernet in 1792 - died in 1871 in San Isidro, Argentina) was a merchant from Hamburg of Huguenot Puerto Soledad ( Puerto de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, Port Solitude was a Spanish military outpost and Penal colony on the Falkland Islands "Puerto Luis" as it was renamed became a penal colony, seal hunting base and small fishing port. Port Louis is a settlement on northeastern East Falkland. It was established by Louis de Bougainville in 1764 as the first French settlement on the A penal colony is a Settlement used to detain Prisoners and generally use them for Penal labour in an economically underdeveloped part of the state's Vernet later seized the American ship, Harriet, for breaking the restrictions on seal hunting. Property on board the ship was seized and the captain was returned to Buenos Aires to stand trial. Vernet also returned for the trial. The American Consul in Argentina protested the actions by Vernet, stating that the United States did not recognise Argentine sovereignty in the Falklands.
Therefore, the consul dispatched the USS Lexington warship to the Puerto Luis to retake the confiscated property, as well as the "Superior" and "Breakwater" which had also been seized. As a result, the USS Lexington destroyed Puerto Luis in 1832, an act which was later condoned by the American ambassador in Buenos Aires, who declared the Falkland Islands free from any power.
These events provided the spur for Britain to finally and permanently return to the islands, (See Re-establishment of British rule on the Falklands (1833)), requesting that the Argentine military presence leave on 3 January 1833 (although members of the settlement were encouraged to remain). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1833 ( MDCCCXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common "Puerto Luis" was initially renamed "Ansons Harbour" before reverting to "Port Louis" in line with the original French name of the settlement Port Saint Louis, and was became a naval garrison and civilian settlement. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Puerto Soledad ( Puerto de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, Port Solitude was a Spanish military outpost and Penal colony on the Falkland Islands
Shortly after this, the second voyage of HMS Beagle surveyed the island. See also HMS Beagle The second voyage of HMS Beagle from 27 December 1831 to 2 October 1836 was the second survey expedition of HMS ''Beagle'' The names of two settlements on East Falkland, Darwin and Fitzroy, commemorate Charles Darwin and Robert FitzRoy respectively. Darwin is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland, lying on Choiseul Sound, on the east side of the island's central Isthmus, north of Fitzroy is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland. It is divided into Fitzroy North and Fitzroy South Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy ( 5 July 1805 – 30 April 1865) achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS ''Beagle'' On the 15 March 1833, an unimpressed Darwin commented that
- After the possession of these miserable islands had been contested by France, Spain, and England, they were left uninhabited. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 1833 ( MDCCCXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The government of Buenos Aires then sold them to a private individual, but likewise used them, as old Spain had done before, for a penal settlement. England claimed her right and seized them. The Englishman who was left in charge of the flag was consequently murdered. A British officer was next sent, unsupported by any power: and when we arrived, we found him in charge of a population, of which rather more than half were runaway rebels and murderers. (The Voyage of the Beagle. This is about the book For the expedition see Second voyage of HMS Beagle The Voyage of the Beagle is a title commonly given to )
This "rebellious" population would have lived on East Falkland, as there was no permanent presence on West Falkland at this time.
In 1836, the island was surveyed by Admiral George Grey, and further in 1837 by Lowcay. Admiral George Grey, conducting the geographic survey in November 1836 had the following to say about their first view of East Falkland -
- We anchored a little after sunset off a creek called 'Johnson's Harbour'. Johnson's Harbour is a settlement on East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands. The day having been cloudy with occasional showers, these islands at all times dreary enough, looked particularly so on our first view of them, the shores of sound, steep, with bare hills intersected with ravines rising from them, these hills without a tree and the clouds hanging low, gave them exactly the appearance of the Cheviots or a Scotch moor on a winter's day and considering we were in the May of these latitudes, the first impression of the climate was not favourable, the weather however, was not called, the thermometer was 63 degrees which is Howick mid-summer temperature. Berkeley Sound (Baye Accaron Spanish: Bahia de la Annunciación) is an inlet or fjord in the north east of East Falkland in the Falkland Islands The Cheviot Hills are a range of rolling hills straddling the England / Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Howick (pronounced not as commonly believed like Hawick- 'Hoick' - but as HO-wick is a village in Northumberland, between Boulmer and Craster.
In 1845 Mr Samuel Fisher Lafone, a wealthy cattle and hide merchant from Montevideo on the River Plate, obtained from the British government a grant of the southern portion of the East Falkland, which was a peninsula 600,000 acres (2,400 km²) in extent, and possession of all the wild cattle on East Falkland for a period of six years, for a payment of £10,000 down, and £20,000 in ten years from January 1, 1852. Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay. The Río de la Plata ( Spanish: " Silver River" &mdash which is often referred to in English-speaking countries as the River Plate In 1851 Mr Lafone's interest in Lafonia, as the peninsula came to be called, was purchased for £30,000 by the Falkland Islands Company, which had been incorporated by charter in the same year. Lafonia is a Peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands. Falkland Islands Holdings plc (FIH is a company which plays a key role in the economy of the Falkland Islands. Lafone himself never visited the islands. The remnants of this endeavour are the ruins at Hope Place and the stone corral at Darwin. Hope Place was a small settlement in Lafonia in East Falkland.
In 1859, Darwin was founded. Darwin is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland, lying on Choiseul Sound, on the east side of the island's central Isthmus, north of
Although used for sheep farming since the early nineteenth century, East Falkland was dominated by cattle farming until the 1850s. Sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of Domestic sheep, and a subcategory of Animal husbandry.
In 1925 the Bodie Suspension Bridge was built across a creek in Lafonia, and is said to be the southernmost in the world, and is still in pedestrian use today. The Bodie Creek Suspension Bridge in the Falkland Islands is said to be the southernmost Suspension bridge in the world
1982 invasion and Falklands War
In April, 1982, East Falkland was invaded by Argentina, which had never given up its claim. On 2 April 1982 Argentine forces mounted amphibious landings of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas following the civilian occupation of South Georgia on Governor Sir Rex Hunt was informed by the British Government of a possible Argentine invasion on Wednesday March 31. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor The Governor summoned the two senior Royal Marines officers of Naval Party 8901 to Government House in Stanley to discuss the options for defending the Falklands. The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy Major Mike Norman RM was given overall command of the Marines due to his seniority, while Major Gary Noott RM became the military advisor to Governor Hunt. The total strength was 68 Marines and 11 sailors, which was greater than would normally have been available because the garrison was in the process of changing over. But their numbers were reinforced by 25 Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF) members. The Falkland Islands Defence Force ( FIDF) is the locally maintained volunteer defence unit in the Falkland Islands. Their commanding officer, Major Phil Sommers, tasked the volunteer militiamen with guarding such key points as the telephone exchange, the radio station and the power station. In the field of Telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls This article is about radio broadcasting for other uses see Radio (disambiguation. A power station (also referred to as generating station, power plant or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of Skipper Jack Solis, onboard the civilian coastal ship Forrest operated his boat as an improvised radar screen station off Stanley.
East Falkland was also the location of the bulk of the action in the Falklands War, partly because most of the population lived there. The Falklands War (Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur also called the Falklands Conflict/Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the As a result, a number of parts of the "Camp" in East Falkland are still heavily mined. The Camp is the term used in the Falkland Islands to refer to any part of the islands outside of the islands' only significant town Stanley, and often the large Areas that saw intensive action included Goose Green, San Carlos, Mount Longdon and the Two Sisters ridge. Goose Green ( Spanish: "Prado de Ganso" "Ganso Verde" is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland in the Falkland Islands Mount Longdon is a mountain in the east of East Falkland in the Falkland Islands.
Present day
Following the Falkland War, Britain increased its military presence on the East Falkland and invested heavily in improving facilities in Stanley and transportation around the islands, tarmacking many roads. Goose Green ( Spanish: "Prado de Ganso" "Ganso Verde" is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland in the Falkland Islands The population has risen, due to the growth of Stanley, but has declined in the Camp. The Camp is the term used in the Falkland Islands to refer to any part of the islands outside of the islands' only significant town Stanley, and often the large Most of the improvements in the islands have taken place on East Falkland.
List of East Falkland battles
- Battle of Goose Green
- Battle of Mount Harriet
- Battle of Two Sisters
- Battle of Mount Longdon
- Battle of Mount Tumbledown
- Battle of Wireless Ridge
The re-establishment of British rule in 1833 involved East Falkland to a large degree. The Battle of Goose Green ( 28 &ndash 29 May 1982) was an engagement of the Falklands War between British and Argentine forces The Battle to Mount Harriet was an engagement of the Falklands War, which took place on the night of 11/ 12 June 1982 between British and Argentine forces The Battle of Two Sisters was an engagement of the Falklands War during the British advance towards the capital Stanley that took place on the 11 /12 June The Battle of Mount Longdon was an engagement of the Falklands War between British and Argentine forces which took place on the 11 / 12 June 1982 The Battle of Mount Tumbledown was an engagement in the Falklands War, one of a series of battles that took place during the British advance towards Stanley. The Battle of Wireless Ridge was an engagement of the Falklands War which took place on the night of 13 June and 14 June 1982, between
References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
- Southby-Tailyour, Ewen: Falkland Island Shores.
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