1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Coastline
1,288 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
3 nm
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
almost totally British
Labor force
1,100 (est.); est. over 95% in agriculture, mostly sheepherding
Language
English
Literacy
compulsory education up to age 14
Nationality
noun—Falkland Islander(s); adjective—Falkland Island
Population
2,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate -0.7%
Religion
predominantly Church of England
Government
Branches
Governor, Executive Council, Legislative Council
Capital
Stanley
Government leader
Governor and Commander in Chief J. R. W. PARKER (also High Commissioner for British Antarctic Colony)
Legal system
English common law
Official name
Colony of the Falkland Islands
Political subdivisions
local government is confined to capital
Suffrage
universal
Type
British crown colony
Economy
Agriculture
Colony—predominantly sheep farming
Aid
economic—(1970-79) Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF, $24 million
Electric power
1,250 kW capacity (1980); 2.5 million kWh produced (1980), 1,150 kWh per capita
Exports
Colony—$5.8 million (1978); wool, hides and skins, and other; dependencies—no exports in 1968 or 1969
Government budget
Colony—revenues, $5.1 million (FY68); expenditures, $5.3 million (1980-81)
Imports
Colony—$3.4 million (1978); food, clothing, fuels, and machinery; dependencies—$8,368 (1969); mineral fuels and lubricants, food, and machinery
Major industries
Colony—wool processing
Major trade partners
nearly all exports to the UK, also some to the Netherlands and to Japan; imports from Curacao, Japan, and the UK
Monetary conversion rate
1 Falkland Island pound=US$2.3263
Communications
Airfields
2 total, 2 usable, 1 with permanent surface runways; 1 with runways 1,200-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
510 km total; 30 km paved, 80 km gravel, and 400 km unimproved earth
Ports
1 major (Port Stanley), 4 minor
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
government-operated radiotelephone networks providing effective service to almost all points on both islands; approximately 530 telephones (est. 29.2 per 100 popl.); 1 AM station ↑ The possession of the Falkland Islands has been disputed by the UK and Argentina (which refers to them as the Islas Malvinas) since 1833. On 1 April 1982 Argentine military forces invaded the islands. The British responded by sending warships to the South Atlantic.