Compare Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)

Compare Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)

	Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003)	British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)

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)	1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2002)	-
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	total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut	about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
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.	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
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	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	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline	1,288 km	698 km
Constitution	3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998	-
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
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	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	claimed by Argentina whose forces briefly occupied it in 1982, but now declares it will no longer seek settlement by force	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient	none	-
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.	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
Electricity - consumption	15.19 million kWh (2001)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - production	16.33 million kWh (2001)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
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	NA
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	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator 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	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
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	51 45 S, 59 00 W	6 00 S, 71 30 E
Geography - note	deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Highways	total: 440 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km (2002)	total: NA km paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km
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)	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	NA sq km	0 sq km (1998 est.)
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	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (1998 est.)	arable land: NEGL permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Languages	English	-
Legal system	English common law	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
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	Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina	Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references	South America	Political Map of the World
Maritime claims	continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)	-
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
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	strong winds persist throughout the year	NA
Natural resources	fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss	coconuts, fish, sugarcane
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.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	-
Population growth rate	2.44% (2003 est.)	-
Ports and harbors	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	Diego Garcia
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios	-	NA
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	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	NA	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	NA	-
Television broadcast stations	2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service) note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002)	1 (1997)
Terrain	rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains	flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate	NA children born/woman	-
Unemployment rate	full employment; labor shortage	-
Waterways	none	none

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