Satellite image of the Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are a small group of islands 480 kilometers (about 300 miles) east of the Strait of Magellan (the straight crossing the southern point of South America). The two main islands are East Falkland and West Falkland, though some 200 small islands are also part of this British-administered colony (although Argentina maintains its claim to the islands). The islands are rocky, wet, and windswept, but are ideally suited for sheep-raising. The waters surrounding the islands are home to great whale and seal populations, and were hunted heavily in the not-too-distant past. Fish are also abundant, and besides sheep, the fishing trade is one of the mainstays of this distant island´s economy.
