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Port Stanley, also known as Stanley and called Puerto Argentino by Argentineans, is the capital and only town in the Falkland Islands, located on the isle of East Falkland. It lies on a north-facing slope, south of Stanley Harbour in one of the wettest parts of the islands and has a population of around 1,500 people. It is the world's southernmost administrative centre (due to the small population, it is not usually categorised as the world's southernmost capital city, which is held by Wellington, New Zealand).
Work on the settlement begun 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, then becoming a base for whaling and sealing in the South Atlantic, and an important coaling station for the Royal Navy. This led to ships based here being involved in the Battle of the Falkland IslandsThe Battle of the Falkland Islands was a naval engagement of the First World War, fought between units of the Royal Navy and the Kaiserliche Marine navies on 8 December 1914. The British, reeling from the defeat at the Battle of Coronel sent a large force in the First World War, and the Battle of the River PlateThe Battle of the River Plate ( December 13 1939) was the first major naval battle of World War II, which resulted in the eventual sinking of the German pocket battleship ( heavy cruiser) Admiral Graf Spee by scuttling, ending her successful three-month c in the Second World War.
LandslideThis entry refers to the geological term landslide . For the word's political usage, see landslide victory. A landslide is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes, and shallow debrs (peatslips), caused by excessive peatLewis, Scotland Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetable matter. Peat forms in wetlands or peatlands variously called bogs moors muskegs mires and fens''. Geographic distribution Peat deposits are found in many places around the world, notab cutting, destroyed part of the town in 1879Events January January 11 Anglo-Zulu War begins January 22 Zulu troops massacre British troops at the Battle of Isandlwana. At Rorke's Drift, outnumbered British soldiers drive the attackers away after hours of fighting. February February 12 At New York C and 18861886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) Events January 18 Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. January 29 Karl Benz patents the first successful gasoline-driven automobile. March, the second killing two people. Stanley Airport , used by internal flights, and connections to British bases in Antarctica was opened in 1979 (previously internal flights were by seaplane). It was held by Argentine troops for about ten weeks in 1982 and renamed Puerto Argentino. It suffered damage before being retaken by a British task force during the Falklands War. The land around it was also heavily mined, and some areas remain marked minefields.Today, Stanley lies at the centre of East Falkland's road network, and is the main shopping centre on the islands, also possessing the only swimming pool, school, hospital and library. Attractions include the Falkland Islands Museum , Government House , built in 1845 and home to the Governor of the Falkland Islands , a golf course, Christ Church Cathedral , the southernmost in the world and known for its whalebone arch, a totem pole, several war memorials and the shipwrecks in its harbour.
Stanley is also home to the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Station and greenhouses where some of the islands' vegetables are grown. Gypsy Cove , known for its Magellanic penguins, and Cape Pembroke , the easternmost point of the Falklands, lie nearby.
Falkland Islands