Located in the south Atlantic Ocean, approximately 400 miles (644 kilometers) off of the extreme southeast coast of South America, the Falkland Islands consists of roughly 200 small islands plus the two much larger islands of East and West Falkland Island. As seen in this view of northeast East Falkland Island, the coastline is deeply indented and the terrain is generally rocky and hilly, with low mountains and some boggy, undulating plains. The islands have a cold, marine climate characterized by strong westerly winds and an average of 25 inches (635 mm) of precipitation distributed evenly throughout the year. The Falklands were the object of the 1982 military conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina.

Photo and caption thanks to:
Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center. 18 Mar. 2005. "Earth from Space - Image Information." (8 Aug. 2005). Send questions or comments to the NASA Responsible Official at earthweb@jsc.nasa.gov Curator: Earth Sciences Web Team
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Last Update: 18 Mar. 2005

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