Compare Arctic Ocean (2001) - Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2001)

total:
14.056 million sq km

note:
includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies

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 less than 1.5 times the size of the US

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Background

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.

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.

Birth rate

-

NA births/1,000 population

Budget

-

revenues:
$66.2 million

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

Capital

-

Stanley

Climate

polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow

cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate

Coastline

45,389 km

1,288 km

Constitution

-

3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998

Country name

-

conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Currency

-

Falkland pound (FKP)

Death rate

-

NA deaths/1,000 population

Debt - external

-

$NA

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)

Disputes - international

some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

claimed by Argentina

Economic aid - recipient

-

$1.7 million (1995)

Economy - overview

Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.

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. To encourage tourism, the Falkland Islands Development Corporation has built three lodges for visitors attracted by the abundant wildlife and trout fishing. 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.

Electricity - consumption

-

11.2 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

-

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

-

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

-

12 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

-

fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)

Elevation extremes

lowest point:
Fram Basin -4,665 m

highest point:
sea level 0 m

lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Mount Usborne 705 m

Environment - current issues

endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack

NA

Ethnic groups

-

British

Exchange rates

-

Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound

Executive branch

-

chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

head of government:
Governor Donald LAMONT (since NA May 1999); Chief Executive A. M. GURR (since NA); Financial Secretary D. 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 monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch

Exports

-

$7.6 million (1995)

Exports - commodities

-

wool, hides, meat

Exports - partners

-

UK, Japan, Chile, NZ

Fiscal year

-

1 April - 31 March

Flag description

-

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms in a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising is 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

GDP

-

purchasing power parity - $52 million (FY95/96 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

-

agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
NA%

GDP - per capita

-

purchasing power parity - $19,000 (FY95/96 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-

1% (FY95/96 est.)

Geographic coordinates

90 00 N, 0 00 E

51 45 S, 59 00 W

Geography - note

major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months

deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season

Highways

-

total:
440 km

paved:
50 km

unpaved:
390 km

Household income or consumption by percentage share

-

lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%

Imports

-

$24.7 million (1995)

Imports - commodities

-

fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing

Imports - partners

-

UK, Japan, Chile, NZ

Independence

-

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

Industrial production growth rate

-

NA%

Industries

-

wool and fish processing; sale of stamps and coins

Infant mortality rate

-

NA deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-

3.6% (1998)

International organization participation

-

ICFTU

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

-

2 (2000)

Irrigated land

-

NA sq km

Judicial branch

-

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

Labor force

-

1,100 (est.)

Labor force - by occupation

-

agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing)

Land boundaries

-

0 km

Land use

-

arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
99%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
1% (1993 est.)

Languages

-

English

Legal system

-

English common law

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 9 October 1997 (next to be held NA October 2001)

election results:
percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8

Life expectancy at birth

-

total population:
NA years

male:
NA years

female:
NA years

Location

body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle

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

Map references

Arctic Region

South America

Maritime claims

-

continental shelf:
200 NM

exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM

Merchant marine

-

none (2000 est.)

Military - note

-

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Military branches

-

British Forces Falkland Islands (includes Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and Royal Marines), Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

-

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

-

NA%

National holiday

-

Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Nationality

-

noun:
Falkland Islander(s)

adjective:
Falkland Island

Natural hazards

ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May

strong winds persist throughout the year

Natural resources

sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales)

fish, wildlife

Net migration rate

-

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Political parties and leaders

-

none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders

-

none

Population

-

2,895 (July 2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

-

NA%

Population growth rate

-

2.43% (2001 est.)

Ports and harbors

Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)

Stanley

Radio broadcast stations

-

AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

-

1,000 (1997)

Railways

-

0 km

Religions

-

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

Suffrage

-

18 years of age; universal

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:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries

Telephones - main lines in use

-

NA

Telephones - mobile cellular

-

NA

Television broadcast stations

-

2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service) (1997)

Terrain

central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that averages about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure ridges may be three times that size; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)

rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Total fertility rate

-

NA children born/woman

Unemployment rate

-

full employment; labor shortage

Waterways

-

none