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Stanley - Stanley, also known as Port Stanley, is the capital of the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory. It is the main commercial center the islands, and the hub of East Falkland's road network.

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Cultural and social hub - Many of the islands' cultural and leisure attractions are located in and around the town, including churches, war memorials, and even a golf course!

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Stanley Harbor - The busiest waterway of the Falkland Islands and frequently visited by cruise ships, freighters, and navy vessels, Stanley Harbor was originally known as Beau Port and, later, Port Jackson.

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Government House -

Government House in Stanley has been the home of the Falkland Islands' London-appointed governors since the mid-19th century. The celebrated British explorer Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) once stayed here.

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Christ Church Cathedral -

This is the southernmost Anglican church in the world. Consecrated in 1892, it's also one of the most beautiful buildings in the Falklands. A monument—a whalebone arch, made from the jaw bones of two blue whales—stands on the grounds, raised in 1933 to observe a century of British rule.

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Historic Dockyard Museum - This engaging cultural facility is worth a good hour of your time. Besides the fascinating maritime exhibits displayed, items which include historic artifacts and relics from ships stranded in the Falklands, the museum features recreations of bygone shops, homes, and buildings.

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Cartmell Cottage - Sited in Pioneer Row in central Stanley, the cottage, a National Trust property, is part of the Falkland Islands Museum. Household items from the 1840s, 1950s, and 1970s are displayed inside.

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Post a letter, make a call - The post office and red telephone boxes wouldn't look out of place in rural England. Hard to imagine this traditional-looking communications facility is 8,064 mi (12,977 km) away from the United Kingdom.

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SS Great Britain Mizzen Mast - An unusual visitor attraction, the mizzen mast of the SS Great Britain—the steamship built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1843—is mounted proudly on Victory Green in central Stanley.

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Ross Road - Characteristic red-topped houses line Ross Road, the coastal highway that snakes through Stanley.

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Vernacular architecture - The houses of Stanley and other island communities are mostly white with colored roofs, and are generally built of wood and iron.

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Gypsy Cove - Gypsy Cove is the most accessible wildlife site from the capital. Birdlife includes the black-crowned night-heron, long-tailed meadowlark, two-banded plover, and the Falkland Islands' flightless steamer duck.

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Saunders Island -

The fourth largest of the Falkland Islands, Saunders Island is, in fact, run as a sheep farm. The site is of special conservation interest, with birds such as the southern rockhopper penguin nesting here in considerable numbers.

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Volunteer Point - The largest breeding group of king penguins is found here, in the northeast of East Falkland. As this picture illustrates, it can get crowded with youngsters.

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Important Bird Areas - Best known for penguins, the Falklands  are nonetheless a haven for a wide variety of other birdlife. Several areas throughout the islands are designated Important Bird Areas. Pictured is a pair of black oystercatchers, deep in conversation it seems.

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Endangered species - A black-browed albatross prepares to depart the islands after breeding. These huge and endangered seabirds have a 79 to 94-in (200 to 240-cm) wingspan and can spend weeks at sea.

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Sea Lion Island -

Ninety-five percent of the Falklands' elephant seal population live here. Sea lions breed on the coast, and the entire island provides the perfect habitat for a range of wildlife, including Magellanic and southern rockhopper penguins and the tiny Cobb’s wren.

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Sheep shearing -

A sheep shearer at work at the Goose Green shearing sheds. During clipping season, sheep shearers travel from as far afield as Ireland and Scotland to work on large ranch-style farms.

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In the saddle - Exploring the Falkland Islands on horseback is a hugely rewarding way of discovering the destination.

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Boot Hill - Boot Hill on the outskirts of Stanley. Uncertainty surrounds the reason why people have been placing items of footwear on sticks at this location for the past few years, but one popular explanation is that people leaving the island place one piece of footwear on the hill and take the other with them so they will always have a connection with the Falklands.

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Bodie Creek Suspension Bridge -

Possibly the most bizarre visitor attraction in the entire South Atlantic, the Bodie Creek Suspension Bridge was constructed in 1925 to ease the transit of sheep farmers and their flocks. Long disused and unsafe to cross, the bridge is at risk of disintegrating into the very creek it was built to cross.

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Totem Pole - Sited en route to Surf Bay, this quirky structure signposts distances to various places around the world. Pause here and you get an idea of just how remote the Falkland Islands are.

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A unique souvenir - Don't spend all your money in the Falklands. The coins and notes are quite unique and make wonderful souvenirs of your stay.

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1982 Liberation Memorial - The war memorial in Stanley commemorates all British forces and supporting units that served in the Falklands War. Inscribed on the obelisk are the words: "In Memory of Those Who Liberated Us" and the date the war ended: "14 June 1982."

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Mount Longdon Memorial - Remembrance crosses at the summit of Longdon, near Stanley, the scene of fierce fighting between Argentine and British forces during the 1982 conflict. Tours are conducted here for visitors, including Argentine and British war veterans, wanting to learn more about the conflict.

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Argentine Military Cemetery - The eternal resting place of 237 Argentine soldiers killed during the Falklands War, the military cemetery on East Falkland, set on a hill close to the location of the Battle of Goose Green, can be visited by anyone wishing to pay their respects to the fallen combatants.

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RFA Memorial - Pictured is the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Memorial to the men killed during the Argentine air attack on RFA Sir Galahad and RFA Sir Tristram during the 1982 conflict.

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Shipwreck of Lady Elizabeth - Beached on a shallow sandbar in Whalebone Cove, the corroded hull of the Lady Elizabeth tilts mournfully towards the shore, a rusty shell of her former self. Launched from England in 1879, the cargo vessel sailed around the globe before being declared unseaworthy after striking rocks.

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Finding the Falkland Islands -

Fancy a visit? Be prepared for a long haul. The principal islands are roughly 300 mi (483 km) east of South America's southern Patagonian coast, and about 752 mi (1,210 km) from the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

See also: Patagonia: The most beautiful place on earth

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