West Falkland
578023
225837340
2008-07-15T17:04:58Z
MacRusgail
238113
{{Infobox Falkland island
|Image=
|Map=Falkland Islands - West Falkland.PNG
|MapCaption=
|latitude= -51.7975
|longitude= -60.1319
|coordinates= {{coor dms|51|47|51|S|60|07|55|W|display=inline,title}}
|island group=
|english name=West Falkland
|spanish name=Gran Malvina
|meaning of name=Spanish: Large Falkland Island
|area={{Unit sq km|4532|0}}
|area rank=2
|highest elevation= [[Mount Adam, Falkland Islands|Mount Adam]], {{Unit m|700|0}}
|Population=144
|population rank=2
|main settlement=[[Port Howard]]
|references=<ref name=Census>2001 Falkland Islands Census per [http://www.falklands.info/background/census2001t.html]. Figure exclude persons aboard visiting vessels or the estimated number of people temporarily absent. It excludes serving military and their families, but not civilian staff at military bases.</ref>
}}
'''West Falkland''' is the second largest of the [[Falkland Islands]] in the [[South Atlantic]], with an area of approximately 4,532 km² (5,413 km² including the adjacent small islands). It is a hilly [[island]], separated from [[East Falkland]] by the [[Falkland Sound]].
==Population==
The island has a population of fewer than 200 people, scattered around the coastline. The largest settlement is [[Port Howard]] on the east coast, which has an [[airstrip]]. Other settlements include [[Albermarle, Falkland Islands|Albemarle]], [[Chartres, Falkland Islands|Chartres]], [[Dunnose Head]], [[Fox Bay]], [[Fox Bay West]], [[Hill Cove]], [[Port Stephens, Falkland Islands|Port Stephens]], and [[Roy Cove]], most of which are linked by road and also have airstrips and [[harbour]]s. In 1986, the population was 265, in 2001, it had atrophied to 144<ref name=Census/>.
As such it considered part of the "[[Camp (Falkland Islands)|camp]]", a Falklander term meaning any area outside [[Stanley, Falkland Islands|Stanley]] (and often [[RAF Mount Pleasant]]) on [[East Falkland]]
==Geography and wildlife==
[[Image:West-Falkland.jpg|right|thumb|300px|<small>West Falkland from near Keppel Island
</small>]]
[[Image:FalklandIslandFox2.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The last known [[Falkland Island Fox]] was killed on West Falkland]]
West Falkland is more hilly near the [[East Falkland|east island]]; the principal mountain range, the [[Hornby Hills]], runs north and south parallel with [[Falkland Sound]]. [[Mount Adam, Falkland Islands|Mount Adam]], the highest hill in the islands, is 2315 ft. high.
The major industry on the island is [[sheep farming]], while it is also known for its [[penguin]] and [[cormorant]] colonies. Fishing is also popular in the two main rivers, the [[Warrah River|Warrah]] and the [[Chartres river|Chartres]].
In the 19th century as today, indigenous land fauna was very scanty. A small wolf, the [[warrah]], the ''loup-renard'' of [[Louis Antoine de Bougainville]], is extinct, the last having been seen about 1875 on the West Falkland. It is commemorated in the name of one of the island's rivers, the "Warrah". Some herds of cattle and horses ran wild; but these were, of course, introduced, as were also the wild hogs, the numerous rabbits and the less common hares. All these have greatly declined in numbers, being profitably replaced by sheep.
The southernmost point of West Falkland is [[Cape Meredith]], and the most south-westerly [[Calm Head]]. On the southerly side lie high cliffs with an abundance of seabirds and to the west are some white sandy beaches with beautiful clean water and rolling sand dunes with tall grass. Set just back from the top of the cliffs is a single wooden hut locally referred to as Uncle Tom's Cabin. The beaches are a favourite haunt for [[elephant seal]]s and are unpolluted save for the occasional piece of wreckage and the odd washed-up tree trunk.
===Geology===
Most of the layers of West Falkland and its surrounding islands are slightly inclined from the horizontal. This inclination shows different types from rocks in different places. The quartzites of [[Port Stephens, Falkland Islands|Port Stephens]] and [[Stanley, Falkland Islands|Stanley]] are more resistant than the arenaceous sediments of the formation at [[Fox Bay]]. The [[Hornby Mountains]], near [[Falkland Sound]] have experienced tectonic forces of uplift and folding by which the quartzite beds of Stanley are inclined to the vertical.
In West Falkland there are several dykes that cut the rocks of the western islands, but these dykes, unlike the previous ones, are chemically more unstable and have been eroded and the only indication of their existence is the aligned linear depressions. In the margins of these depressions there is evidence of contact baking or [[hornfels]] formation adjacent to the once molten basalt dyke.
==History==
[[Image:Falkland Islands topographic map-en.svg|thumb|250px|Map of the Falkland Islands]]
Despite the first recorded landing on the (main islands) of the Falklands taking place on West Falkland, it was settled remarkably late.
Early explorers reported the remains of canoes on West Falkland, and while the [[warrah]] provides compelling evidence of a native American discovery it is unclear whether it was a one way trip, or indeed if the canoes were not swept in from [[Patagonia]].
Captain [[John Strong]] of the ''Welfare'' made the first recorded landing on either of the main islands (West and East Falkland) on 29th January, 1690, at [[Bold Cove]] on the other side of the headland from [[Port Howard]]. He said:
:"Wednesday this morning we weighed and stood unto an harbour on ye west side and there came to ane anchor and sent our boat on shoar for fresh water and did kill abundance of geese and ducks but as far as wood there is none."
The lack of wood is somewhat surprising, since while there were no trees growing there, driftwood frequently washes up on Falkland beaches, although this may be accounted for by the sheltered nature of Bold Cove. Strong ended up giving his name to the islands, by naming [[Falkland Sound]] which gave its name to all the islands.
In 1867 there were no settlers on the west island, and the government issued a proclamation offering leases of grazing stations on very moderate terms. In 1868 all the available land was occupied.
West Falkland saw some activity during the [[Falklands War]] in 1982; [[Fox Bay]], [[Port Howard]] and [[Pebble Island]] were all occupied by Argentine troops during the hosilities and where subjected to occasional British Naval bombardment and air attacks. [[Shag Cove]] saw several Argentine aircraft downed after British Harrier jump jets attacked them. [[Operation Canbelow]] took place to the west of the island and the [[raid on Pebble Island]] has gone down in British Special Forces history.
These days it is also home to two [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] Reporting Posts: [[Mount Alice]], which is near [[Port Albermarle]] in the south of the island, and [[Mount Byron]] in the north. These military units are openly listed in the RAF document "RAF Today" (see below).
In early 2007 the Falkland Islands Government awarded a contract to supply an East-West ferry to Workboat Services Ltd. This is due to start in late 2007 and will run between [[Port Howard]] and New Haven.
==External links==
*[http://www.raf.mod.uk/downloads/documents/raftoday2004.pdf RAF Today]
==References==
* {{1911}}
<references/>
{{Template group
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{{Falkland Islands topics}}
{{coor title dms|51|47|51|S|60|07|55|W|region:FK_type:isle}}
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[[category:West Falkland| ]]
[[Category:Islands of the Falkland Islands]]
[[de:Westfalkland]]
[[es:Isla Gran Malvina]]
[[fr:Falkland occidentale]]
[[gl:Illa Gran Malvina]]
[[he:אי פוקלנד המערבי]]
[[hu:Nyugat-Falkland]]
[[nl:West-Falkland]]
[[ja:西フォークランド島]]
[[fi:Länsi-Falkland]]