Falkland Islands

Falkland Islands - map

 

Wikipedia article about Falkland Islands

 

Main attractions

These islands are British overseas territory under the jurisdiction of United Kingdom.

The landscape of Falkland Islands is barren, with rocks and characteristic stone runs - stone covered plains. In spite of this uninviting description islands have their special charm. This is land of wilderness and there is abundant life along its rugged coast and beaches.

Highlights of Falkland Islands are the enormous colonies of penguins, albatrosses, seals.

Natural landmarks

Animal colonies

• Colony of albatrosses on Beauchene Island - remote Beauchene Island south from East Falkland. On this small, rocky and pristine island live some 100,000 pairs of black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophrus) and more than 60 000 pairs of rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome). Second largest colony in the world for both species.
• Colony of albatrosses on Grand Jason Island - Grand Jason Island north-west from West Falkland. Enormous colony of black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophrus), with 52 7000 breeding pairs.
• Colony of albatrosses on Steeple Jason Island - remote Steeple Jason Island north-west from West Falkland. The largest colony of black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophrus) in the world with some 157 000 breeding pairs.
• Colony of southern giant petrels in Elephant Cays - Elephant Cays, at Eastern Falkland. The most important breeding site for Southern Giant Petrels (Macronectes giganteus) with some 11 000 breeding pairs.
• Colony of thin-billed prions in New Island - New Island, near West Falkland. The largest colony of thin-billed prions (Pachyptila belcheri) in the world, with more than 2 million pairs. Huge number of other bird species.
• Volunteer Beach - East Falkland. The largest colony of king penguins in Falklands, with some 750 breeding pairs. The beech has very white sand washed with bright blue sea.

Other natural landmarks

• Big Arch Island - Arch Islands in the south of West Falkland. Large natural arch in an island. Large boat can pass through it.
• Peat deposits of Beauchene island - Beauchene Island south from East Falkland. 11 m thick, extremely dense peat (lignite) layer formed by tussack-grass (Poa flabellata) over the last 12,500 years. Such speed of lignite formation some 10 times exceeds the formation of known deposits in the Northern Hemisphere. The mechanism for the formation of this lignite layer is not fully understood.
• "Princess Street" - East Falkland, north-west from Stanley. The longest stone run in Falklands - a plain covered with stones. "Princess Street" is 6 km long and 0.3 - 0.4 km wide. Formed by the weathering during the last Ice Age. Falkland Islands have the most impressive stone runs in the world.

Man made landmarks

• Body Creek Suspension Bridge - East Falkland. One of the southernmost suspension bridges in the world, built in 1925. Closed in 1997.
• Central Store, Stanley - East Falkland, Stanley. A large building from the middle of 19th century. Possibly the oldest surviving wooden building in the southern part of South America.
• Christ Church Cathedral, Stanley - East Falkland, Stanley. The southernmost Anglican cathedral, built in 1892 in the site of an earlier church. Next to it stands an interesting monument - Whalebone Arch, made from jaws of two blue whales in 1933.
• Falkland Islands Museum - East Falkland, Stanley. A museum was officially established in 1991 and protects and collects the heritage of Falkland Islands.
• Government House, Stanley - East Falkland, Stanley. Official residence of the governors of Falkland Islands, built in 1845.