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Stanley, Falkland Islands

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Geography

   Stanley, Falkland Islands

                 Official flag of Stanley, Falkland Islands

   Official seal of Stanley, Falkland Islands
   Flag Seal
   Map of the Falkland Islands showing position of Stanley.
   Map of the Falkland Islands showing position of Stanley.
   Country United Kingdom
   British Overseas Territory Falkland Islands
   Area
    - City km²
   Population
    - City (2001) 1,989
   Time zone FKT ( UTC-4)
    - Summer ( DST) FKST ( UTC-3)
   Website: http://www.falklandislands.com/
   Stanley, from the air
   Enlarge
   Stanley, from the air

   Stanley (formerly known as Port Stanley) is the capital and only town
   in the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on
   a north-facing slope, south of Stanley Harbour, in one of the wettest
   parts of the islands. Its population is around 1,500 people. It is the
   world's southernmost administrative centre; however, as the Falklands
   are not a sovereign state, it is not usually categorised as the world's
   southernmost capital city— that status is generally given to
   Wellington, New Zealand.

History

   Work on the settlement began in 1843, with it becoming the capital in
   July 1845. It was named for Lord Stanley, Secretary of State for War
   and the Colonies at the time.

   The settlement soon grew as a deep water port, specialising at first in
   ship repairs, indeed, prior to the construction of the Panama Canal,
   Port Stanley was a major repair stop for boats traveling through the
   Straits of Magellan. The rough waters and intense storms found at the
   tip of the continent forced many ships to Stanley Harbour, and the ship
   repair industry helped to drive the island economy. Later, then
   becoming a base for whaling and sealing in the South Atlantic and
   Antarctic.

   It later an important coaling station for the Royal Navy. This led to
   ships based here being involved in the Battle of the Falkland Islands
   in the First World War, and the Battle of the River Plate in the Second
   World War.
   The church, and whalebone arch
   Enlarge
   The church, and whalebone arch

   Landslides (peatslips), caused by excessive peat cutting, destroyed
   part of the town in 1879 and 1886, the second killing two people.

   Stanley Airport, used by internal flights, and providing connections to
   British bases in Antarctica was opened in 1979 (previously, internal
   flights were by seaplane).

   Stanley was occupied by Argentine troops for about ten weeks during the
   Falklands War in 1982 and renamed Puerto Argentino (the name gained
   some support in Spanish-speaking countries. Nowadays, its acceptance is
   not unanimous at all). It suffered some damage, with three civilians
   killed by British shelling, but after the British secured the high
   ground around the town the Argentines surrendered with no fighting in
   the town itself. The land around it was also heavily mined, and some
   areas remain marked minefields.
   Retrieved from "
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley%2C_Falkland_Islands"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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