Port Stanley cruise port guide

The Falkland Islands are situated some 350 miles east of Tierra del Fuego, 1,000 miles north of Antarctica and, as the locals claim, a mere 8,000 miles from Britain. Port Stanley is home to the majority of the island's residents -1,990 out of a total population of 2,490. These 700 islands have long been of historical importance to scientists and seamen alike. Prior to the construction of the Panama Canal, they offered safe anchorage and provisions for sailing vessels as they headed around Cape Horn. Today, maritime interests center mostly on the British Royal Navy, fishing fleets from a variety of nations and scientific expeditions to Antarctica. In 1982, world attention was riveted on these islands when Argentine and British forces fought fiercely for the right to call them their own. A number of vessels, numerous aircraft, thousands of troops and many local residents were involved in the conflict. After heavy combat, the will of Britain, supported by the island people, prevailed and the Falkland Islands remain British to this day.