The Falkland Islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean between 51°S and 53°S on a projection of the Patagonian Shelf, part of the South American continental shelf. In ancient geological time this shelf was part of Gondwana, and around 400 million years ago split from what is now Africa and drifted westwards from it. Today the islands are subjected to the Roaring Forties, winds that shape both their geography and climate.
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, of which the more southerly is known as Lafonia; it is joined by a narrow isthmus where the settlement of Goose Green is located, and it was the scene of the Battle of Goose Green during the Falklands War.
Port Howard is the largest settlement on West Falkland. It is in the east of the island, on an inlet of Falkland Sound. It is on the lower slopes of Mount Maria.
The Camp is the term used in the Falkland Islands to refer to any part of the islands outside the islands' only significant town, Stanley, and often the large RAF base at Mount Pleasant. It is derived from the Spanish word campo, for "countryside".
San Carlos River is one of the larger rivers on East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands. It flows westwards, into San Carlos Water, near Port San Carlos. It begins in the Wickham Heights, with tributaries running off Jack's Mountain
Green Patch is a settlement on East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands, It is on the north east coast, on the south shore of Berkeley Sound, a few miles south east from Port Louis, on Port Louis Harbour. It looks out onto Long Island and Hog Island.
Fitzroy is a settlement on East Falkland. It is divided into Fitzroy North and Fitzroy South by a tidal river called Fitzroy River that is fed from a lake on the east side of Mount Whickham. The river was forded by Charles Darwin when he visited for a second time in 1834.
Mare Harbour is a small settlement on East Falkland, on Choiseul Sound. It is mostly used as a port facility and depot for RAF Mount Pleasant, as well as a deepwater port used by the Royal Navy ships patrolling the South Atlantic and Antarctica, which means that the main harbour of the islands, Stanley Harbour tends to deal with commercial transport.
The Malo River, is a river in East Falkland, Falkland Islands. Its name is derived from the Breton port of St Malo, due to the French settlement established at Port Louis in 1764.
The Sussex Mountains are in the west of East Falkland. They are at the south east edge of San Carlos Water, and north shore of Grantham Sound.
Mount Wickham is a mountain on East Falkland, Falkland Islands. It is the chief summit of the Wickham Heights. It stands 1,984 ft, 605 m.
Mount Kent is a mountain on East Falkland, Falkland Islands, and is 1,093 ft (333 m) high. It is located north of Mount Challenger.
Shambles Glacier is a steep glacier 4 miles (6 km) long and 6 miles (10 km) wide, with very prominent hummocks and crevasses, flowing east between Mount Bouvier and Mount Mangin into Stonehouse Bay on the east side of Adelaide Island. It is the island's largest glacier, and provides an eastern outlet from the giant Fuchs Ice Piedmont which covers the entire western two-thirds of the island. In doing so, Shambles Glacier provides the largest 'gap' in Adelaide Island's north–south running mountain chain.
Duplicate: List of Falkland Islands-related topics
Planet Heights is a series of summits running along an ice-free ridge, extending 24 nautical miles (44 km) in a north-south direction between the southernmost extremity of the LeMay Range and George VI Sound in the east part of Alexander Island, Antarctica. Many landforms and nearby features are named in association with this mountain range; some of these include landforms named after astronomers, satellites, planets and other things related to astrology and astrophysics. The mountain range was first mapped from air photos taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE), 1947–48, by Searle of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) in 1960. Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) from association with the nearby glaciers named for planets of the Solar System. The only planet that is not featured in any of these glaciers is the planet Earth, as there are no glaciers named "Earth Glacier" and this glacier does not exist.
Saturn Glacier is a glacier lying in southeast Alexander Island, Antarctica. The glacier is 15 nautical miles (28 km) long and 6 nautical miles (11 km) wide, flowing southeast into the George VI Ice Shelf of George VI Sound north of Corner Cliffs. Although the glacier is not situated within Planet Heights, its name derives from the nearby mountain range along with many other glaciers named after planets of the Solar System. The nunataks at the head of the glacier are also named after solar system features, for example the Enceladus Nunataks named for a moon of Saturn. The coast in this vicinity was first seen from the air by Lincoln Ellsworth on November 23, 1935, and roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. The glacier was surveyed in 1949 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) and named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for the planet Saturn, the sixth planet of the Solar System.
Russell East Glacier is a glacier, 6 nautical miles (11 km) long and 3 nautical miles (6 km) wide, which lies at the north end of Detroit Plateau and flows from Mount Canicula and Verdikal Gap along the south slopes of Erul Heights eastward into Smokinya Cove in Prince Gustav Channel on the south side of Trinity Peninsula. This glacier together with Russell West Glacier, which flows westward into Bone Bay on the north side of Trinity Peninsula, form a through glacier across the north part of Antarctic Peninsula. It was first surveyed in 1946 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS). Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for V.I. Russell, surveyor and leader of the FIDS base at Hope Bay in 1946.
Bertha's Beach Important Bird Area comprises 3300 ha of coastal wetlands at the entrance to Choiseul Sound, on the east coast of East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands. It lies about 8 km south-east of Mount Pleasant Airport and 40 km south-west of Stanley. It has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because of its significancer for a variety of migratory waders and other waterbirds. Overlapping it is the 4000 ha Bertha's Beach Ramsar site, recognising it as a wetland of international importance.
