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Port Louis, Falkland IslandsPort Louis is a settlement on northeastern East Falkland. It was established by Louis de Bougainville in 1764 as the first French settlement on the islands, but was then transferred to Spain in 1767 and renamed Port Soledad. For a time, the town became the Spanish capital of the islands, which they claimed as part of the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata. The settlers abandoned it in 1811, but resettled in 1823 and then permanently in 1826. After a dispute, the United States declared the Falkland Islands free from any power, and the USS Lexington destroyed Port Louis in 1832. Amid the turmoil, the British took over the settlement in 1833 and renamed it Port Louis. In April of that year, Charles Darwin visited on the Beagle. After they transferred the administration to Port Stanley in 1845, it became the quiet sheep farming settlement it is today, known for its nineteenth century houses, waterfowl and wading birds.
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