2024 Edition Primary

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 With hostilities ended and Argentine forces withdrawn, UK administration resumed.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

note

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

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

92.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 92.4% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

7.6% (2018 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)

44.8% (2023 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

14.9

potential support ratio

6.7 (2021)

total dependency ratio

39.8

youth dependency ratio

24.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 78.2% of population

improved: total

total: 95.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 21.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 4.7% of population (2020)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

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.)

note

note: data represent population by national identity

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

note

note: data include all persons usually resident in the islands at the time of the 2021 census

total

3,662 (2021 est.)

Population distribution

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

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

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

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)

Administrative divisions

none (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)

Capital

etymology

named after Edward SMITH-STANLEY (1799-1869), the 14th Earl of Derby, a British statesman and three-time prime minister of the UK who never visited the islands

geographic coordinates

51 42 S, 57 51 W

name

Stanley

time difference

UTC-4 (1 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 itself was named after the 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 applied to the islands by French explorer Louis-Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1764 after the 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 Alison BLAKE (since 23 July 2022)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief executive appointed by the governor

head of government

Chief Executive Andy KEELING (since April 2021)

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

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); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

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

description

unicameral Legislative Assembly, formerly the Legislative Council (10 seats; 5 members directly elected from the Stanley constituency and 3 members from the Camp constituency, both by simple majority vote, 2 appointed non-voting ex-officio members - the chief executive, appointed by the governor, and the financial secretary; the attorney general and Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands are also invited to attend; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 8; composition of elected members - men 6, women 2, percentage women 25% (does not include speaker)

elections

last held on 4 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Christopher LANHAM

name

"Song of the Falklands"

note

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

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 2019

0.783 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.78 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.727 (2021)

Exchange rates 2022

0.811 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.805 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2015

$257.3 million (2015 est.)

Exports - commodities

shellfish, fish, wool, sheep and goat meat, surveying equipment (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Spain 70%, Morocco 9%, US 8%, Namibia 5%, Germany 2% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

41% (2015 est.)

industry

20.6% (2015 est.)

services

38.4% (2015 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$206.4 million (2015 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015

36 (2015)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, prefabricated buildings, aircraft, plastic products, iron structures (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

UK 73%, Spain 24%, Netherlands 1%, Ireland 0%, Switzerland 0% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industries

fish and wool processing; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2014

1.4% (2014 est.)

Labor force

1,850 (2016 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2015

0% of GDP (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014

$164.5 million (2014 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$206.4 million (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2014

-1.8% (2014 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2015

25.5% (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2014

$63,000 (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2015

$70,800 (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

1% (2016 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

38,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

38,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

19.957 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

10,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

900,000 kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

67.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

32.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

300 bbl/day (2022 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 services provided by the public broadcaster, Falkland Islands Radio Service, broadcasting on both AM and FM frequencies, and by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) (2007)

Internet country code

.fk

Internet users

percent of population

99% (2021 est.)

total

3,762 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line subscriptions approximately 53 per 100, 160 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2021)

general assessment

the replacement of the rural internet and phone system was delayed due to COVID; upgrades started at the end of 2019, this included the replacement of all Multi Service Access Nodes (MSANs), the technology used to connect larger settlements; in early 2020 a new system to replace the WiMAX system (the technology used to connect smaller settlements and households) had been delayed as well due to COVID-19; once the equipment is received it will be installed in the largest base stations on East Falklands: Malo, Bombilla, and Mt Pleasant peak“We also have MSAN equipment and radio links due to arrive towards the end of this month, and these and will be installed at Chartres, New Island, Sea Lion Island, Onion Range, Sand Bay, and Mare Harbour enabling us to migrate additional customers from the existing WiMAX network and also releasing equipment for spares.” (2020)

international

country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

53 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

2,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

160 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

6,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

34 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-F

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, other 1

total

2 (2023)

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

5

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Ports

key ports

Stanley

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

1

total ports

1 (2024)

Roadways

paved

50 km

total

440 km

unpaved

390 km (2008)

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

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

Environment - current issues

overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer - introduced to the islands in 2001 from South Georgia - are part of a farming effort to produce specialty meat and diversify the islands' economy; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the 1986 Chornobyl disaster; grazing threatens important habitats including tussac grass and its ecosystem with penguins and sea lions; soil erosion from fires

Land use

agricultural land

92.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 92.4% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

7.6% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

79.7% of total population (2023)