Falklandsund

Falklandsund
Satellite image of the Falkland Sound
Connects waters	South Atlantic
with water
Separates land mass	East Falkland
of land mass	West Falkland
Data
Geographical location	51 ° 40 ′  S , 59 ° 20 ′  W Coordinates: 51 ° 40 ′  S , 59 ° 20 ′  W
length	90 km
Smallest width	4 km
Coastal towns	Port Howard , Port San Carlos , Fox Bay

The Falklandsund ( Spanish Estrecho de San Carlos ) is a waterway in the South Atlantic Falkland Islands . It separates the two main islands of the Ostfalkland and Westfalkland archipelago and runs from north-east to south-west. It is approx. 90 km long and at the narrowest point less than 4 km wide. The strait was discovered by John Strong in 1690 . During the Falklands War of 1982, the Sound was a theater of war. On May 21, 1982, British warships, coming from the north, entered the sound and built a beachhead in San Carlos Bay. From this point, they recaptured the East Island from Argentina.

Settlements on Falklandsund are: Port San Carlos and San Carlos on East Falkland and Port Howard and Fox Bay on West Falkland.

Islands in Falklandsund:

• Narrows Islands
• Great Islands
• Swan Islands