by Colin Morley

Created on: September 05, 2008

Picture a land whose population is a little over three thousand (that's one fifth of the population of Johnston, Iowa) yet has its own currency and its own flag.

Picture an archipelago whose nearest land mass is Argentina, yet which once belonged to France and which is now a self governing UK territory, with Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State.

Picture a land where penguins and sheep outnumber humans, where winter winds howl at gale force eight and above for much of the time and the average temperature for the whole year is only a shade above forty degrees.

Welcome to the Falklands!

Unsurprisingly, the Falklands are not very high on the world's favourite holiday destination list, but for those who are interested in spectacular landscapes and a huge range of wildlife, the Falklands are most definitely a travel destination worthy of some serious thought.

The territory of the Falkland Islands comprises two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, divided by the Falkland Sound. Other islands in the archipelago include Weddell Island, which has a small population, George Island and Saunders Island, both of which are sheep farms. In total there are over seven hundred islands.

The islands' capital is Stanley, on East Falkland, Stanley is the home of FIGAS (Falkland Islands Government Air Service) which operates nine-seater Britten Norman Islander aircraft as the principal means of inter-island travel. The inter-island air trip affords some very spectacular views of the islands. The tiny aeroplanes do not run to a strict timetable, but are available on request, and fly to all accessible parts of the islands.

So, if you can brave the cold and the wind (oh and the rain, too) but are keen to see some unspoiled coastline, experience virtually unpolluted air and view rare penguins, dolphins, seals, whales, seabirds and a plethora of flora and fauna, take a trip to the Falkland Islands.

To get there you can contact the Royal Air Force, Brize Norton, England who will accommodate civilians on their military flights to the Island. There is no commercial booking for these flights, which are subject to availability and whose frequency is therefore variable. Alternatively you can travel to Santiago, Chile, where there is a commercial air service to Stanley via Punta Arenas (total flying time 4hrs 55 min)

Did I mention the war? Don't panic all the landmines left by Argentina have been cleared up or fenced off and there is now a history museum in Stanley and a National Holiday for liberation day on 14th June each year.

Oh and don't worry too much about Falklands Pounds. They are worth the same as British Pounds and the two currencies are each in circulation and are interchangeable.

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