2010 Edition

Background

Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced an Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.

Area

land

12,173 sq km

total

12,173 sq km

water

0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate

cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but typically does not accumulate

Coastline

1,288 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Usborne 705 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the 1986 Chornobyl disaster

Geographic coordinates

51 45 S, 59 00 W

Geography - note

deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0%

other

100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2005)

permanent crops

0%

Location

Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

strong winds persist throughout the year

Natural resources

fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss

Terrain

rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Age structure

0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA

Birth rate

NA

Death rate

NA

Ethnic groups

British

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

NA

male

NA

total

NA

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Literacy

NA

Nationality

adjective

Falkland Island

noun

Falkland Islander(s)

Net migration rate

NA

Population

3,140 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

0.011% (2009 est.)

Religions

Christian 67.2%, none 31.5%, other 1.3% (2006 census)

Total fertility rate

NA

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

92% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends third Sunday in April

geographic coordinates

51 42 S, 57 51 W

name

Stanley

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

1 January 2009

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor; the governor must obey the rulings of the Executive Council on domestic affairs (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

elections

the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch

head of government

Governor Nigel HAYWOOD (since 16 October 2010) is the Queen's representative; Chief Executive Dr. Tim THOROGOOD (since 3 January 2008)

Flag description

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising was once the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Assembly (10 seats; 2 members are ex officio and 8 are elected by popular vote; members to serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8

elections

last held on 5 November 2009 (next to be held in November 2013)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Christopher LANHAM note: adopted 1930s; the song is the local unofficial anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

name

"Song of the Falklands""

National holiday

Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Political parties and leaders

none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders

Falkland Islands Association (supports freedom of the people from external causes)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products; fish, squid

Debt - external

$NA

Economy - overview

The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987, the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falkland Islands' exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which help support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Foreign exchange earnings come from shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date, no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Political tensions between the UK and Argentina rose in early 2010 after a UK company began oil drilling activities in the waters around the Falkland Islands but abated somewhat when the drilling operation failed to discover commercially exploitable oil reserves. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on money the government has in the bank. The British military presence also provides a sizeable economic boost.

Electricity - consumption

14.88 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

16 million kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Falkland pounds (FKP) per US dollar - 0.5302 (2008), 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004) note: the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound

Exports

$125 million (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

wool, hides, meat, fish, squid

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

95%

industry

NA%

services

NA% (1996)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$35,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

GDP (official exchange rate)

$105.1 million (2002 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$105.1 million (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$90 million (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

fish and wool processing; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.6% (1998)

Labor force

1,724 (1996) (1996)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing)

industry and services

5% (1996)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

271 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Broadcast media

television service provided by a multi-channel service provider; radio services provided by the public broadcaster Falkland Islands Radio Service (FIRS), broadcasting on both AM and FM frequencies, and by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) (2007)

Internet country code

.fk

Internet hosts

91 (2010)

Internet users

2,900 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands

general assessment

NA

international

country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries

Telephones - main lines in use

2,000 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

3,300 (2009)

Airports

7 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

5 under 914 m: 5 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Stanley

Roadways

paved

50 km

total

440 km

unpaved

390 km (2008)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Military branches

no regular military forces

Military expenditures

NA

Disputes - international

Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks page last updated on January 10, 2011 ======================================================================