Lafonia is apeninsula forming the southern part ofEast Falkland, the largest of theFalkland Islands.
Shaped like the letter "E", it is joined to the northern part of the island by anisthmus that is almost 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) wide.[1] Were this isthmus to be severed, Lafonia would be the third largest of the Falkland Islands.Falkland Sound runs to the west between Lafonia andWest Falkland.Choiseul Sound divides Lafonia from the northern part of East Falkland, which is still unnamed.
Barren Island,Bleaker Island,George Island,Lively Island,Sea Lion Island andSpeedwell Island are all off Lafonia.
The geology of north west Lafonia isPermian, and similar to that of parts ofEcca Pass inSouth Africa.[2] The plain of Lafonia is constituted by arenaceous sediments of the Lafonia Group. Depressions in the sediments formed where they were cut vertically by basalt dikes.
In the 21st century, Lafonia has seen gold prospecting by Falkland Gold and Minerals Ltd.[3]
The land is gentle and low-lying, but almost uninhabited, falling into the "camp" category. Most of its settlement occurred in the mid 19th century.
In 1845, MrSamuel Fisher Lafone, a British-born wealthy cattle and hide merchant on theriver Plate, obtained from government a grant of the southern portion of the East Falkland, which was a peninsula 600,000 acres (2,400 km2) in extent, and possession of all the wild cattle on the island for a period of six years, for a payment of £10,000 down, and £20,000 in ten years from January 1, 1852. In 1851, Mr Lafone's interest in Lafonia, as the peninsula came to be called, was purchased for £30,000 by theFalkland Islands Company, which had been incorporated by charter in the same year.
Lafonia has been used forsheep farming since the early nineteenth century. It is run fromDarwin (founded 1859) andGoose Green, both of which are located on the narrow isthmus that separates Lafonia from the rest of East Falkland.North Arm Settlement is the only substantial settlement in Lafonia (not counting offshore islands), along withWalker Creek. Attractions include theBodie Suspension Bridge, built in 1925 and said to be the southernmost in the world. There is also a shop here.Listed buildings in Lafonia include The Galpon and Stone Corral in Darwin, The Stone Cottage and Goose Green Hall (owned by Falklands Landholdings) in Goose Green and Paragon House.[4]
The first battles on land during theFalklands War took place on Lafonia (seeBattle of Goose Green), where over a thousandArgentine personnel were stationed and around one-hundred locals were imprisoned in the community hall. The area is now home to anArgentine Military Cemetery. Parts of Lafonia, especially near Darwin and Goose Green, are still heavily mined.
Other settlements includePort King,Egg Harbour, and the abandonedHope Place.
Charles Darwin surveyed the area'swildlife during his now-famous voyage onHMSBeagle.
Lafonia's wildlife includes theChiloé wigeon,silver teal andyellow-billed pintail. Introducedbrown trout are found in at least one stream flowing intoChoiseul Sound.[5] There is also a population ofzebra trout.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Falkland Islands".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 153.52°00′28″S59°23′38″W / 52.00778°S 59.39389°W /-52.00778; -59.39389
