2020 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 in 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force and after fierce fighting forced an Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982. With hostilities ended and Argentine forces withdrawn, UK administration resumed. In response to renewed calls from Argentina for Britain to relinquish control of the islands, a referendum was held in 2013 that resulted in 99.8% of the population voting to remain a part of the UK.

Area

land

12,173 sq km

total

12,173 sq km

water

0 sq km

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 60 cm in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but typically does not accumulate

Coastline

1,288 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Usborne 705 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

93.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 93.2% (2023 est.)

forest

0% (2022 est.)

other

6.8% (2023 est.)

Location

Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km 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

Population distribution

a very small population, with most residents living in and around Stanley

Terrain

rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Birth rate

10.9 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

47.7% (2016 est.)

Death rate

4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

16.6 (2021)

potential support ratio

6 (2021)

total dependency ratio

38.4 (2021)

youth dependency ratio

21.8 (2021)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 21.8% of population

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

Falkland Islander 48.3%, British 23.1%, St. Helenian 7.5%, Chilean 4.6%, mixed 6%, other 8.5%, unspecified 2% (2016 est.)

Languages

English 89%, Spanish 7.7%, other 3.3% (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.6

male

75.6

total population

(2017 est.) 77.9

Major urban areas - population

2,000 STANLEY (capital) (2018)

Nationality

adjective

Falkland Island

noun

Falkland Islander(s)

Population

female

1,497

male

1,645

total

3,142 (2021)

Population growth rate

0.01% (2014 est.)

Religions

Christian 57.1%, other 1.6%, none 35.4%, unspecified 6% (2016 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

total population

1.12 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.53% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

79.7% of total population (2023)

Capital

etymology

named in 1844 after Edward SMITH-STANLEY, the 14th Earl of Derby

geographic coordinates

51 42 S, 57 51 W

name

Stanley

time difference

UTC-3 (2 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

history

previous 1985; latest entered into force 1 January 2009 (The Falkland Islands Constitution Order 2008)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

etymology

the archipelago takes its name from the Falkland Sound, the strait separating the two main islands; the channel was named after the Fifth Viscount of FALKLAND, who sponsored an expedition to the islands in 1690; the Spanish name for the archipelago derives from the French "Iles Malouines," meaning Islands of Malo, the name French explorer Louis-Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE gave the islands in 1764 in honor of the French port of Saint-Malo

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council elected by the Legislative Council

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Colin MARTIN-REYNOLDS (since 29 July 2025)

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; monarch appoints the governor, who appoints the chief executive

head of government

Chief Executive Andrea Patricia CLAUSEN (since 1 April 2025)

Flag

description: blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the right half of the flag; the coat of arms has a white ram above the ship "Desire" (whose crew discovered the islands), with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Legislative Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Independence

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

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, the chief justice as an ex officio non-resident member, and 2 justices of appeal); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice, court of appeal president, and justices appointed by the governor; tenure specified in each justice's instrument of appointment

subordinate courts

Magistrate's Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Legal system

English common law and local statutes

Legislative branch

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

November 2025

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Legislative Assembly

most recent election date

12/11/2025

number of seats

10 (8 directly elected, 2 appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

25% note: does not include the speaker

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

official anthem, as a UK territory

lyrics/music

unknown

title

"God Save the King"

National coat of arms

the Falkland Islands adopted its coat of arms in 1948; the shield highlights the national symbol, the ram, which represents the country’s agricultural industry and stands on native tussock grass; English navigator John Davis’s sailing vessel, the Desire, is shown, referencing his sighting of the islands in 1592; below the shield is the national motto, “Desire the Right”

National color(s)

red, white, blue

National holiday

Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

National symbol(s)

ram

Political parties

none; all independents

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

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

Economic overview

British South American territorial economy; longstanding fishing industry; surging tourism prior to COVID-19 and Brexit; recent offshore hydrocarbon discoveries threaten ecotourism industries; no central bank and must have British approval on currency shifts

Exchange rates

Currency

Falkland pounds (FKP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

0.78 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.727 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.811 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.805 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.78 (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

shellfish, fish, wool, sheep and goat meat (2023)

Exports - partners

Spain 68%, Morocco 10%, USA 8%, Namibia 3%, Germany 2% (2023)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$206.4 million (2015 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, aircraft parts, prefabricated buildings, plastic products, surveying equipment (2023)

Imports - partners

UK 68%, Greece 19%, Spain 11%, Netherlands 1%, NZ 0% (2023)

Industries

fish and wool processing; tourism

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2014

$63,000 (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2015

$70,800 (2015 est.)

Electricity

consumption

18.257 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

10,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

900,000 kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

73.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

26.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

200 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

33 (2020 est.)

total

1,000 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

TV service provided by a multi-channel service provider; radio provided by public broadcaster Falkland Islands Radio Service and the British Forces Broadcasting Service (2007)

Internet country code

.fk

Internet users

percent of population

99% (2021 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

53 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

2,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

184 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

6,420 (2022 est.)

Airports

34 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-F

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, other 1

total

2 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Stanley

large

0

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

1

small

0

total ports

1 (2024)

very small

0

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK, which maintains a military presence on the islands

Military and security forces

no regular military forces

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

36,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

36,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

overfishing by unlicensed vessels; grazing threatens important habitats; soil erosion from fires