EAST FALKLAND

East Falkland accounts for over half the area of the Falkland Islands (6,605 sq. km, 2,550 sq. mi). It is made up of two distinct land masses about equal in size. The southern section is joined to the northern half by a narrow isthmus, a waist 2.2 km (1.4 mi) wide that separates Choiseul Sound and Brenton Loch Sound from each other.
The northern section has a mountain range curving NE to SW, the ‘Wickham Heights’ with the Falklands highest mountain Mount Usborne at 705m (2313ft). The landscape has underlying Palaeozoic quartzite and slate resulting in rugged landscapes and coastlines and poor acidic soils. There are many 'stone runs'. Away from the mountain ranges there is low undulating ground with pasture and morass, freshwater ponds, and small streams in valleys.
‘Lafonia’, shaped rather like the letter ‘E’, is the southern section and based on younger Mesozoic sandstone rocks leaving the landscape flatter. It is gently rolling and rarely rises to over 60m (196ft) above sea level. Stanley the only town is on East Falkland.

Sources include: The Falkland Islands- Ian J. Strange

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