Introduction

 
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 Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.

Geography

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

Geographic coordinates: 51 45 S, 59 00 W

Map references: South America

Area: total: 12,173 sq km; land: 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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,288 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm; continental shelf: 200 nm; exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

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 does not accumulate

Terrain: rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m

Natural resources: fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss

Land use: arable land: 0%; permanent crops: 0%; other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2001)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: strong winds persist throughout the year

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 Chornobyl disaster

Geography - note: deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season

People

Population: 2,967 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA; 15-64 years: NA; 65 years and over: NA (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.44% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: NA; male: NA; female: NA (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA years

male: NA years

female: NA years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Falkland Islander(s); adjective: Falkland Island

Ethnic groups: British

Religions: primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist

Languages: English

Government

Country name: conventional long form: none; conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

Government type: NA

Capital: Stanley

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

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

National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Constitution: 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998

Legal system: English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); head of government: Governor Howard PEARCE (since 3 December 2002); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since NA March 2003); Financial Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA); cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor; elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor; elections: last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held November 2005); election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8; note - 71% voter turnout

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

Economy

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 Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to 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. Exports feature 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. 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.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $75 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%; industry: NA%; services: NA%

Labor force: 1,100 (est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing)

Unemployment rate: full employment; labor shortage (2001)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%; highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1998)

Budget: revenues: $66.2 million; expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.)

Agriculture - products: fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products

Industries: fish and wool processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 19.06 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - consumption: 17.72 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption: 200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA

Oil - imports: NA

Exports: $82 million (2002)

Exports - commodities: wool, hides, meat

Exports - partners: Spain 79.4%, UK 8.7%, Czech Republic 4% (2004)

Imports: $53 million (2002)

Imports - commodities: fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing

Imports - partners: UK 62.7%, Spain 29.4%, France 3.5% (2004)

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - recipient: $0 (1997 est.)

Currency (code): Falkland pound (FKP)

Exchange rates: Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000); note: the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 2,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (2001)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA; domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands; international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations: 2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service); note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002)

Internet country code: .fk

Internet users: NA; however one-half of all households are reported to have internet access (2002)

Transportation

Highways: total: 440 km; paved: 50 km; unpaved: 390 km (2002)

Ports and harbors: Stanley

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 5 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1; under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3; under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied the islands by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks.