Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003) | Marshall Islands (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) | 33 municipalities; Ailinginae, Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur, Bikar, Bikini, Bokak, Ebon, Enewetak, Erikub, Jabat, Jaluit, Jemo, Kili, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili, Namorik, Namu, Rongelap, Rongrik, Toke, Ujae, Ujelang, Utirik, Wotho, Wotje |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
0-14 years:
49.29% (male 17,808; female 17,101) 15-64 years: 48.61% (male 17,573; female 16,853) 65 years and over: 2.1% (male 707; female 780) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products | coconuts, tomatoes, melons, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens |
Airports | 5 (2002) | 16 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2002) |
total:
12 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
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:
181.3 sq km land: 181.3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, and Kwajalein |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Connecticut | about 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. | After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing on some of the islands between 1947 and 1962. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | 45.07 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $66.2 million
expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.) |
revenues:
$80.1 million expenditures: $77.4 million, including capital expenditures of $19.5 million (FY95/96 est.) |
Capital | Stanley | Majuro |
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 | wet season from May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt |
Coastline | 1,288 km | 370.4 km |
Constitution | 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998 | 1 May 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
conventional long form:
Republic of the Marshall Islands conventional short form: Marshall Islands former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) |
Currency | Falkland pound (FKP) | US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 6.23 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $125 million (FY96/97 est.) |
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) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Joan M. PLAISTED embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379 telephone: [692] 247-4011 FAX: [692] 247-4012 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Banny DE BRUM chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236 consulate(s) general: Honolulu |
Disputes - international | claimed by Argentina whose forces briefly occupied it in 1982, but now declares it will no longer seek settlement by force | claims US territory of Wake Island |
Economic aid - recipient | none | approximately $65 million annually from the US |
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. | US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island economy. Agricultural production is concentrated on small farms, and the most important commercial crops are coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry, now a small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10% of the labor force, remains the best hope for future added income. The islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. Under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US provides roughly $65 million in annual aid. Negotiations were underway in 1999 for an extended agreement. Government downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, and the decline in tourism and foreign investment due to the Asian financial difficulties caused GDP to fall in 1996-98. |
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) |
fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 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 | inadequate supplies of potable water |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | British | Micronesian |
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 | the US dollar is used |
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:
President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 3 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 3 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own members for a four-year term; election last held 15 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003) election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of Parliament vote - 100% |
Exports | NA (2001) | $28 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) |
Exports - commodities | wool, hides, meat | fish, coconut oil, trochus shells |
Exports - partners | Spain 76.2%, UK 9.2%, US 7.1% (2002) | US, Japan, Australia |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 October - 30 September |
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 | blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $75 million (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $105 million (1998 est.), supplemented by approximately $65 million annual US aid |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture:
15% industry: 13% services: 72% (1995) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,670 (1998 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | -5% (1998 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 51 45 S, 59 00 W | 9 00 N, 168 00 E |
Geography - note | deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season | two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range |
Highways | total: 440 km
paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km (2002) |
total:
NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA (2001) | $58 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) |
Imports - commodities | fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco |
Imports - partners | UK 57.9%, Spain 19.8%, Italy 16.7% (2002) | US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Guam, Singapore |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) | 21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | fish and wool processing; tourism | copra, fish, tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls, offshore banking (embryonic) |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% |
39.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.6% (1998) | 5% (1997) |
International organization participation | ICFTU | ACP, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 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 | Supreme Court; High Court |
Labor force | 1,100 (est.) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing) | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
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:
0% permanent crops: 60% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 40% |
Languages | English | English (universally spoken and is the official language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese |
Legal system | English common law | based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws |
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 |
unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 15 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA note: the Council of Chiefs is a 12-member body that advises on matters affecting customary law and practice |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
total population:
65.84 years male: 64.04 years female: 67.73 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93% male: 100% female: 88% (1980 est.) |
Location | Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina | Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Papua New Guinea |
Map references | South America | Oceania |
Maritime claims | continental shelf: 200 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
contiguous zone:
24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | total:
212 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,768,406 GRT/16,242,699 DWT ships by type: bulk 63, cargo 9, chemical tanker 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 29, liquefied gas 10, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 87, vehicle carrier 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cyprus 1, Germany 1, Japan 1, US 6 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | defense is the responsibility of the US |
Military branches | British Forces Falkland Islands no regular indigenous military forces; (includes Army, Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy), Police Force | no regular military forces (a coast guard may be established); Police Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | NA% |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 14 June (1982) | Constitution Day, 1 May (1979) |
Nationality | noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island |
noun:
Marshallese (singular and plural) adjective: Marshallese |
Natural hazards | strong winds persist throughout the year | occasional typhoons |
Natural resources | fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss | phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none; all independents | traditionally there have been no formally organized political parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or interest groups because they do not have party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures; the following two "groupings" have competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Kabua Party [Imata KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa TOMEING] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 2,967 (July 2003 est.) | 70,822 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.44% (2003 est.) | 3.88% (2001 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 |
Majuro |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | NA |
Railways | 0 km | 0 km |
Religions | primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist | Christian (mostly Protestant) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 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:
telex services domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 3,000 (1996) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 365 (1996) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service)
note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002) |
3 (of which two are US military stations) (1997) |
Terrain | rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains | low coral limestone and sand islands |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 6.55 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | full employment; labor shortage | 16% (1991 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |