| West Falkland Island |
| 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 Albemarle, Chartres, Dunnose Head, Fox Bay, Fox Bay West, Hill Cove, Port Stephens, and Roy Cove, most of which are linked by road and also have airstrips and harbours. |
| See main article: Camp Settlements |
| |
| Geography and Wildlife |
West Falkland is more hilly near the east island; the principal mountain range, the Hornby Hills, runs north and south parallel with Falkland Sound. 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 and the 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 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; though 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 seals and are unpolluted. |
|
| |
| Calm Head |
| Calm Head is the most south westerly point of the Falkland Islands, and is on West Falkland. It is to the south west of Port Stephens, and shelters it. |
| |
| Cape Meredith |
| Cape Meredith is the southern extreme of West Falkland in the Falkland Islands. About nine miles north west is the town of Port Stephens. |
| |
| Chartres River |
| Chartres River is one of the two largest watercourses on West Falkland, along with the Warrah River. It is fairly popular with anglers. |
| |
| Hornby Mountains |
| The Hornby Mountains are a mountain range on West Falkland. Mount Maria is a mountain in this range. The range runs in a group of ridges parallel to Falkland Sound. The Hornby Mountains, have experienced tectonic forces of uplift and folding by which the quartzite beds of Argentine Port are inclined to the vertical. |
| |
| Warrah River |
| Warrah River is one of the two largest watercourses on West Falkland. It is named after the Falkland Island Fox (Dusicyon australis, formerly Canis antarcticus) or "Warrah". The last Warrah was shot on this island in 1876. It starts in Muffler Jack Mountain and runs for twenty miles to the sea. It is fairly popular for fishing. It has one main tributary, Green Hills/Green Hill Stream. |
| |
| 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 and 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 |
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 West Falkland, 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 where all occupied by Argentine troops during the hosilities and where subjected to occasional British Naval bombardment and air attacks. Operation Canbelow took place to the west of the island and the raid on Pebble Island has gone down in British Special Forces history. Today it is also home to two RAF Reporting Posts: Mount Alice, which is near Port Albermarle in the south of the island, and Mount Byron in the north.
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. |
|
|