The Falkland Islands are situated in the South Atlantic, some 650 kilometres (400 miles) from the South American mainland and 1,400 kilometres (850 miles) north of the Antarctic Circle. They are located between Latitude 51° and 53°S and Longitude 57° and 62°W; approximately the same latitude south as London is north.
The archipelago consists of two main Islands (East and West Falkland) and 778 smaller islands, with a total land area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres (4,700 square miles), roughly the size of Connecticut in the USA or just over half the size of Wales in the UK.
The distance from Stanley, on the extreme east, to New Island, on the extreme west, is some 240 kilometres (150 miles). Topographically the Islands are generally hilly, with the highest points at Mount Usborne, 705 metres (2,312 ft), on East Falkland and at Mount Adam, 700 metres (2,297 ft), on West Falkland.
Unusual features include stone runs, 'rivers' of angular quartzite boulders that 'flow' from the hilltops. The main soil type is peat and natural vegetation is grassland, with some species of heath and dwarf shrubs. There are no indigenous trees, although cultivated trees do grow.
The climate is characterised by a narrow temperature range, which varies from 24°C (76°F) in January to -5°C (22°F) in July, with an average annual temperature of about 5.6°C (42°F). Temperatures can feel colder due to the wind. Rainfall is comparatively low and evenly distributed throughout the year, averaging 625 mm (24 ins) in Stanley. On average, the Islands enjoy more hours of sunshine than the south of England.
Time Zone
The clocks revert to Local Mean Time (UTC/GMT -4 hours) on the third Sunday of April at 0200hrs and advance to Summer Time (UTC/GMT -3 hours) on the first Sunday of September at 0200hrs.
