[6] The area away from the mountain range consists chiefly of low undulating ground, a mixture of pasture and morass, with many shallow freshwater tarns, and small streams running in the valleys.

Two inlets, Berkeley Sound and Port William, run far into the land at the north-eastern extremity of the island and provide anchorage for shipping.

However, the anchorage there was found to be rather too exposed, and about 1844 a town was laid out, and the necessary public buildings were erected, on Stanley Harbour, a sheltered recess within Port William.

A large economic role is also played by RAF Mount Pleasant, which has a number of British military personnel based there.

Smaller industries include horse and cattle farming, and there is also recent evidence to suggest possible valuable mineral deposits on the island.

The warrah was one of the first casualties, as Darwin says in The Voyage of the Beagle: Rats have also been introduced, but despite this, the island has a great deal of marine life, including penguins of various kinds.

In October 1820, Colonel David Jewett sought shelter in the islands after his ship, the frigate Heroina, was damaged in a storm.

Eyewitnesses present, such as James Weddell, felt the ceremony was designed simply to establish a salvage claim over a French wreck.

Vernet persisted with a second expedition in 1826. also ending in failure due to the combination of the Brazilian blockade of Argentina and the conditions encountered.

Prior to both expeditions, Vernet had approached the British consulate in Buenos Aires, seeking permission for his venture in the islands.

Subsequently, Vernet furnished the consulate with progress reports and urged the establishment of a permanent British garrison in the islands.

The American consul dispatched the USS Lexington to Puerto Luis to retake the confiscated property, as well as the ships "Superior" and "Breakwater", which had also been seized.

In 1832, the USS Lexington attacked Puerto Luis, an act which was later condoned by the American ambassador in Buenos Aires, who declared the Falkland Islands to be free from any ruling power.

The Argentine Government then appointed Esteban José Francisco Mestivier as governor, and sought to establish a penal colony in the islands.

These events spurred Britain to return to the islands, (See Re-establishment of British rule on the Falklands (1833)), requesting that the Argentine military presence leave on 3 January 1833 (though remaining members of the settlement were encouraged to stay).

In 1851 the Falkland Islands Company, which had been incorporated by charter in the same year, paid £30,000 for Lafone's interest in Lafonia, as the peninsula came to be called.

Hunt summoned the two senior Royal Marines officers of Naval Party 8901 to Government House in Stanley to discuss how to defend the Falklands.

Jack Solis, commanding the civilian coastal ship Forrest, operated his vessel as an improvised radar screen station off Stanley.

Areas that saw intensive combat included Goose Green, San Carlos, Mount Longdon and the Two Sisters ridge.