Pebble Island Settlement
Encyclopedia
Pebble Island Settlement (Spanish
/Argentine name: Puerto Calderón http://www.pcgn.org.uk/Falkland%20Islands-July2006.pdf) is on Pebble Island
in the northwest Falkland Islands
, United Kingdom
. It is the headquarters of the Pebble Island farm, and is located on the island's isthmus
.
There is a shop (open three days a week), a one classroom school
, an airstrip, a hotel
and a golf course
,
Most of the population is of British descent, although one Chilean family lives there.
[or vat]") reflects the area's early history in sealing, and hunting penguins for oil.
The settlement was established in 1846 by an Englishman called John Henry Dean, whose family company still runs the island.
During the Falklands War
, 300 Argentine personnel were stationed there as part of an airbase, but the base was effectively put out of action by a British Raid on 14-15 May 1982
.
More recently, Pebble Island Settlement became one of the first in the Falkland Islands to use wind turbine
s to generate most of its electricity.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
/Argentine name: Puerto Calderón http://www.pcgn.org.uk/Falkland%20Islands-July2006.pdf) is on Pebble Island
Pebble Island
Pebble Island is one of the Falkland Islands, lying north of West Falkland.The island stretches about 19 miles from east to west and is about 4.3 miles at its widest point, with a total area of square miles .It has three high points: First Mountain , Middle Mountain and...
in the northwest Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is the headquarters of the Pebble Island farm, and is located on the island's isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
.
There is a shop (open three days a week), a one classroom school
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
, an airstrip, a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
and a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
,
Most of the population is of British descent, although one Chilean family lives there.
History
The settlement's Spanish name "Puerto Calderón" (meaning "port of the cauldronCauldron
A cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger.- Etymology :...
[or vat]") reflects the area's early history in sealing, and hunting penguins for oil.
The settlement was established in 1846 by an Englishman called John Henry Dean, whose family company still runs the island.
During the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, 300 Argentine personnel were stationed there as part of an airbase, but the base was effectively put out of action by a British Raid on 14-15 May 1982
Raid on Pebble Island
The Raid on Pebble Island took place on 14-15 May 1982 during the Falklands War. Pebble Island is part of the Falkland Islands.-Background:Immediately after the Argentines had seized the Falkland Islands they established a small airbase on Pebble Island using the local airstrip on which were based...
.
More recently, Pebble Island Settlement became one of the first in the Falkland Islands to use wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s to generate most of its electricity.