New Island
Isla de Goicoechea Former names: Isla San Felipe, Isla Nueva | |
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  New Island New Island shown within the Falkland Islands | |
| Coordinates: 51°43′18″S 61°18′01″W / 51.72167°S 61.30028°W | |
| Country | Falkland Islands |
| Area | |
| • Total | 22.7 km2 (8.8 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 226 m (741 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC−3 (FKST) |
| If shown, area and population ranks are for all islands and all inhabited islands in the Falklands respectively. | |
New Island (Spanish: Isla de Goicoechea) is one of the Falkland Islands, lying north of Beaver Island. It is 238 km (148 mi) from Stanley and is 13 km (8.1 mi) long with an average width of 750 m (820 yd). The highest point is 226 metres (741 ft). The northern and eastern coasts have high cliffs but the eastern coasts are lower lying, with rocky shores and sandy bays. There are several smaller offshore islands in the group; North Island and Saddle Island have high cliffs but Ship Island and Cliff Knob Island are lower lying.[1]
Long used as a base for whaling, as a sheep farm and for occasional attempts to collect guano, New Island is considered by some to be one of the most beautiful islands in the Falklands archipelago, as well as having possibly the most diverse range of wildlife in the region. It is a nature reserve, established by Ian Strange in 1972.
A settlement lies in the middle of the east coast of the island, some distance north of an airstrip.