Swan Islands, Falkland Islands

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Swan Islands
Islas de Cisne
Island
Falkland Islands - The Swan Islands.svg
Location of the Swan Islands within the Falkland Islands
Coordinates: 51°47′33″S59°35′03″W / 51.79250°S 59.58417°W / -51.79250; -59.58417 Coordinates: 51°47′33″S59°35′03″W / 51.79250°S 59.58417°W / -51.79250; -59.58417
Country Falkland Islands
Island group Falkland Sound
Time zone FKST (UTC−3)
If shown, area and population ranks are for all islands and all inhabited islands in the Falklands respectively.

The Swan Islands (Spanish : Islas del Cisne) are a small group of islands in the middle of Falkland Sound in the Falkland Islands, and comprising Swan Island and the smaller West Swan Island and North Swan Island.

Spanish language Romance language

Spanish or Castilian, is a Western Romance language that originated in the Castile region of Spain and today has hundreds of millions of native speakers in the Americas and Spain. It is a global language and the world's second-most spoken native language, after Mandarin Chinese.

Falkland Sound sound between the Falkland Islands

The Falkland Sound is a sea strait in the Falkland Islands. Running southwest-northeast, it separates West and East Falkland.

Falkland Islands archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean

The Falkland Islands is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about 300 miles east of South America's southern Patagonian coast, and about 752 miles from the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, at a latitude of about 52°S. The archipelago, with an area of 4,700 square miles, comprises East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 smaller islands. As a British overseas territory, the Falklands have internal self-governance, and the United Kingdom takes responsibility for their defence and foreign affairs. The Falkland Islands' capital is Stanley on East Falkland.

Contents

Geography and wildlife

The islands are low-lying, and mainly covered in tussac grass, with the birdlife common to most of the Falkland Islands.

The islands lie between West Falkland and Lafonia on East Falkland, the two largest islands of the archipelago, and which shelter them from rougher weather from the east and west.

West Falkland Island in Falkland Islands, Atlantic Ocean

West Falkland is the second largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. It is a hilly island, separated from East Falkland by the Falkland Sound. Its area is 4,532 square kilometres, 37% of the total area of the islands. Its coastline is 1,258.7 kilometres long.

Lafonia peninsula of the Falkland Islands

Lafonia is a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands.

East Falkland Island in Falkland Islands, Atlantic Ocean

East Falkland is the largest island of the Falklands in the South Atlantic having an area of 6,605 km2 or 54% of the total area of the Falklands. The island consists of two main land masses, the more southerly of which is known as Lafonia, joined by a narrow isthmus that was the scene of the Battle of Goose Green during the Falklands War.

History

Admiral George Grey, surveying the Falkland Islands in 1836, says in his journal entry of 21 December -

George Grey Premier of New Zealand (1877–1879)

Sir George Grey, KCB was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony, and the 11th Premier of New Zealand.

"The Swan Islands are low and covered in tussock excepting the centre of the largest one where there is some clear ground with a sort of clear water lake in it where one of the Midshipmen killed a wild swan; we had been told that there were a number of wild pigs on this island, but I did not succeed in killing any, although I landed 50 men to beat the island."

It is perhaps from this swan that the islands derive their name.

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Weddell Island island of the Falkland Islands

Weddell Island is one of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, lying off the southwest extremity of West Falkland. It is situated 1,545 km (960 mi) west-northwest of South Georgia Island, 1,165 km (724 mi) north of Livingston Island, 606 km (377 mi) northeast of Cape Horn, 358 km (222 mi) northeast of Isla de los Estados, and 510 km (320 mi) east of the Atlantic entrance to Magellan Strait.

Lively Island Island in Lively Island Group, Falkland Islands

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Carcass Island Island in Falkland Islands

Carcass Island is the largest of the West Point Island Group of the Falkland Islands.

Saunders Island, Falkland Islands Island in Falkland Islands

Saunders Island is the fourth largest of the Falkland Islands, lying north west of West Falkland. The island is run as a sheep farm.

Jason Islands island in the Falkland Islands

The Jason Islands are an archipelago in the Falkland Islands, lying to the far north-west of West Falkland. Three of the islands, Steeple Jason, Grand Jason and Clarke's Islet, are private nature reserves owned by the Wildlife Conservation Society of New York City. Other islands in the group are National Nature Reserves owned by the Falkland Islands Government.

Pebble Island Island in Falkland Islands

Pebble Island is one of the Falkland Islands, lying north of West Falkland. It is probably named after the peculiarly spherical pebbles found at its western tip.

Passage Islands Island in Falkland Islands

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Tyssen Islands Island in Falkland Sound, Falkland Islands

The Tyssen Islands lie in Falkland Sound, between West Falkland and East Falkland. They lie off Lafonia in East Falkland, and between the Swan Islands and Great Island, Falkland Islands.

Sedge Island Island in Falkland Islands

Sedge Island is one of the Falkland archipelago. Something of an outlier, it is due north of the large island of West Falkland and to the east of the Jason Islands. It is north east of Carcass Island and north west of Saunders Island. It is low-lying and covered in grass and tussock, including the sedges which give it its name.

Swan Point, Weddell Island

Swan Point is the point on the southwest side of the entrance to Queen Charlotte Bay, forming the northeast extremity of Weddell Island in the Falkland Islands.

Weddell Settlement

Weddell Settlement is the only settlement on Weddell Island in the Falkland Islands, situated on the east coast of the island at the head of the sheltered Gull Harbour, part of Queen Charlotte Bay. It is located at 51°53′46″S60°54′27″W, which is 12.15 kilometres (7.55 mi) northeast of Race Point, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south by west of Swan Point, 212 kilometres (132 mi) west-southwest of Stanley and 56.6 kilometres (35.2 mi) west of Fox Bay on West Falkland.

Chatham Harbour, Weddell Island

Chatham Harbour is the large bay indenting the central part of Weddell Island in the Falkland Islands. It is entered east of Beacon Point and west of Loop Head. The 3 km wide bay extends 5 km in southeast direction, this part of the feature forming an anchorage named Bald Road, and north of Clay Point turning for 10 km in southwest direction. Chatham Harbour is centred at 51°50′16″S60°57′32″W.

Gull Harbour

Gull Harbour is the 1.3 km wide bay indenting for 2.8 km the east coast of Weddell Island in the Falkland Islands. It is entered north of Gull Point and south of Mark Point, and is centred at 51°53′56″S60°53′20″W. The principal settlement of the island, Weddell Settlement, is situated at the head of the bay. Until the mid-nineteenth century Gull Harbour was known as Great Harbour.

Barclay Island Island in Falkland Islands

Barclay Island is an uninhabited island of the Weddell Island Group in the Falkland Islands. It lies north of Weddell Island, east of Penn Island and west of Quaker Island.

Quaker Island, Falkland Islands Island in Falkland Islands

Quaker Island is an uninhabited island of the Weddell Island Group in the Falkland Islands. It lies north of Weddell Island and east of Barclay Island.

Quaker Harbour

Quaker Harbour is the irregularly shaped bay indenting for 3.7 km the north coast of Weddell Island in the Falkland Islands. It is centred at 51°49′00″S61°04′35″W, and has its head fed by Pitt Creek. The bay takes its name from nearby Quaker Island.

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