Pebble Island
| Pebble Island | |
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| Location | |
 Pebble Island
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| Pebble Island shown within the Falkland Islands. | |
| Coordinates: | 51°18′11″S 59°37′46″W / 51.30306°S 59.62944°WCoordinates: 51°18′11″S 59°37′46″W / 51.30306°S 59.62944°W |
| Names | |
| English name: | Pebble Island |
| Spanish name: | Isla Borbón |
| Meaning of names: | Spanish: Bourbon Island |
| Area and Summit | |
| Area: | 88 km2 (34 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation: | 277 m (909 ft) |
| Population | |
| Population (2001): | |
| Main settlement: | Pebble Island Settlement |
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| References: | |
| If shown, area and population ranks are for all islands and all inhabited islands in the Falklands respectively. | |
Pebble Island (Spanish: Isla Borbón) is one of the Falkland Islands, lying north of West Falkland.
The island stretches about 19 miles (30 km) from east to west and is about 4.3 miles (7 km) at its widest point, with a total area of 39.91 square miles (103.36 km2).
It has three high points: First Mountain (277 metres (909 ft)), Middle Mountain (214 metres (702 ft)) and Marble Mountain (237 metres (778 ft)) in the west of the island. The eastern part of the island has large lakes and wetlands and is of high conservation value.[1] It has been a sheep farm since 1846. The island's inhabitants live in Pebble Island Settlement.
13,500 Corriedale sheep are farmed on the island, along with 240 head of cattle (both beef and dairy).
[edit] History
The current farm was founded in 1846, by an Englishman called John Markham Dean, who bought Pebble Island and three neighbouring islands. Dean's family concern passed on to Dean Brothers Ltd, but it is currently managed locally by Raymond Evans, who is the great nephew of Johnny Evans, who introduced sheep to the island, and who also slaughtered the first feral cattle.[2]
During the Falklands War, the island was occupied by Argentine forces which create the Estación Aeronaval Calderón (naval air station Calderon) protected by elements of 2nd Naval Infantry Battalion but was assaulted successfully by the British SAS in the "Raid on Pebble Island". 300 Argentines were based here.[citation needed] HMS Coventry was sunk off the coast of Pebble Island. According to the inquiry into its loss, the ship sank "10 miles" north of Pebble Island in May 1982 [3] The co-ordinates of the sinking are 51 03.6S, 59 42.2W [4] and this is about 11.5 nautical miles (21.3 km; 13.2 mi) from the nearest point on Pebble Island. There are memorials on the island to the British destroyer HMS Coventry and to an Argentinian Lear Jet, both destroyed during the conflict.
More recently, Pebble Island Settlement became one of the first in the Falkland Islands to use wind turbines to generate most of its electricity.[2]
[edit] Geography and wildlife
The island can be divided into a marshy east, known for its waterfowl and wading birds, and a hilly west, known for its penguins. Penguin species found here include rockhopper, macaroni, king and erect-crested penguins. Waterfowl include wild duck, grebe, and black-necked swans, which live on the island's ponds.[2]
The two halves are joined by an isthmus on which the settlement is located. The island is probably named for the peculiarly spherical pebbles found at its western tip. The western half is dominated by "First Mountain" or "First Mount".
[edit] References
- Stonehouse, B (ed.) Encyclopedia of Antarctica and the Southern Oceans (2002, ISBN 0 471 9866 58)
- ^ PART II: Falkland Islands Important Bird Areas: Pebble Island Group. The source uses metric units.
- ^ a b c Wigglesworth, Angela. (1992) Falkland People. Pub. Peter Owen. ISBN 0-7206-0850-3
- ^ http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F5811078-B4DB-42B9-8D3E-47BFB86D4B50/0/boi_hms_coventry.pdf page 1
- ^ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/type-42-destroyers/hms-edinburgh/news/hms-edinburgh-commemorates-coventry-sinking/*/changeNav/00h001001004001003/outputFormat/print
