Compare Arctic Ocean (2002) - Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003)

Compare Arctic Ocean (2002) z Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003)

	Arctic Ocean (2002)	Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003)

Administrative divisions	-	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Age structure	-	0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA%
Agriculture - products	-	fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products
Airports	-	5 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2002)
Area	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; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; 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); Russia is the first state to submit data to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend its continental shelf by claiming two undersea ridges in the Arctic Ocean	claimed by Argentina whose forces briefly occupied it in 1982, but now declares it will no longer seek settlement by force
Economic aid - recipient	-	none
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. 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.
Electricity - consumption	-	15.19 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	-	16.33 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
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	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
Ethnic groups	-	British
Exchange rates	-	Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.67 (2002), 0.69 (2001), 0.66 (2000), 0.62 (1999), 0.6 (1998); 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 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
Exports	-	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	-	wool, hides, meat
Exports - partners	-	Spain 76.2%, UK 9.2%, US 7.1% (2002)
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 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 - $75 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	NA%
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 (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	-	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	-	fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing
Imports - partners	-	UK 57.9%, Spain 19.8%, Italy 16.7% (2002)
Independence	-	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Industrial production growth rate	-	NA%
Industries	-	fish and wool processing; tourism
Infant mortality rate	-	total: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
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); Court of Summary Jurisdiction
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% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (1998 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 22 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8; note - 71% voter turnout
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 (2002 est.)
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	-	British Forces Falkland Islands no regular indigenous military forces; (includes Army, Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy), 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, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss
Net migration rate	-	NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Political parties and leaders	-	none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	none
Population	-	2,967 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA%
Population growth rate	-	2.44% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)	Stanley note: the primary port is located in Stanley Harbour and known locally as FIPASS (Falkland Interim Port and Storage System); the facility consists of seven permanently moored barges providing 300 meters of berthing space; it was installed by the military after 1982 and handed over to the Falkland Islands Government in 1988
Radio broadcast stations	-	AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998)
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) note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002)
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
Transportation - note	sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are important seasonal waterways	-
Unemployment rate	-	full employment; labor shortage
Waterways	-	none

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