The Swan Islands ( es, Islas del Cisne) are a small group of islands in the middle of
Falkland Sound 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 ...
, and comprising Swan Island and the smaller West Swan Island and North Swan Island.
Geography and wildlife
The islands are low-lying, and mainly covered in
tussac grass, with the birdlife common to most of the Falkland Islands.
The islands lie between
West Falkland
West Falkland ( es, Isla Gran Malvina) is the second largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. It is a hilly island, separated from East Falkland by the Falkland Sound. Its area is , 37% of the total area of the islands. Its coastli ...
and
Lafonia on
East Falkland, the two largest islands of the archipelago, and which shelter them from rougher weather from the east and west.
History
Admiral
George Grey
Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Go ...
, surveying the Falkland Islands in 1836, says in his journal entry of 21 December -
:"The Swan Islands are low and covered in tussock excepting the centre of the largest one where there is some clear ground with a sort of clear water lake in it where one of the Midshipmen killed a wild swan; we had been told that there were a number of wild pigs on this island, but I did not succeed in killing any, although I landed 50 men to beat the island."
It is perhaps from this swan that the islands derive their name.
References
* Southby-Tailyour, Ewen - ''Falkland Island Shores''
Swan Island.GeoNames
GeoNames
GeoNames
Islands of the Falkland Islands
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