George Island () is the second largest of the Speedwell Island Group in the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

with a land area of . It lies south of

Speedwell Island Speedwell Island (formerly Eagle Island; Spanish ''Isla Águila'') is one of the Falkland Islands, lying in the Falkland Sound, southwest of Lafonia, East Falkland. The island has an area of , measuring approximately from north to south and ac ...

and south west of

East Falkland East Falkland ( es, Isla Soledad) is the largest island of the Falklands in the South Atlantic, having an area of or 54% of the total area of the Falklands. The island consists of two main land masses, of which the more southerly is known as La ...

, and is separated from

Lafonia Lafonia is a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands. Geography and geology Shaped like the letter "E", it is joined to the northern part of the island by an isthmus that is almost wide. Were ...

Eagle Passage Eagle Passage ( es, Canal Águila) is a strait in the Falkland Islands, between Lafonia in the southwest of East Falkland, and the smaller islands of Speedwell, Barren and George Island. George Island and Speedwell Island form the stretch of la ...

. The island is generally flat, rising no more than above sea level, and there are several ponds and there is severe

soil erosion Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and ...

in the central section. However, the island is free of rats. George and Barren Islands together are run as a

sheep farm Sheep farming or sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin an ...

, the most southerly in the Falkland Islands. There is also tourism that is well managed.

References

* Stonehouse, B (ed.) ''Encyclopedia of Antarctica and the Southern Oceans'' (2002, ) Islands of the Falkland Islands {{Falklands-geo-stub