Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003) | New Zealand (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) | 16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
0-14 years: 21.4% (male 441,836/female 421,065)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,356,095/female 1,343,728) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 206,650/female 266,087) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products | wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish |
Airports | 5 (2002) | 116 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 46
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2002) |
total: 70
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 39 (2004 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: 268,680 sq km
land: 268,021 sq km water: NA note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Connecticut | about the size of Colorado |
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. | The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | 13.9 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $66.2 million
expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.) |
revenues: $38.29 billion
expenditures: $36.12 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
Capital | Stanley | Wellington |
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 | temperate with sharp regional contrasts |
Coastline | 1,288 km | 15,134 km |
Constitution | 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998 | consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments, as well as The Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation: NZ |
Currency | Falkland pound (FKP) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $47.34 billion (2004 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina | - |
Dependent areas | - | Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) | chief of mission: Ambassador Charles J. SWINDELLS
embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034 telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000 FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490 consulate(s) general: Auckland |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) | chief of mission: Ambassador L. John WOOD
chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
Disputes - international | claimed by Argentina whose forces briefly occupied it in 1982, but now declares it will no longer seek settlement by force | asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) [see Antarctica] |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $99.7 million |
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. | Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes (but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder), broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita income has risen for six consecutive years and is now more than $23,000 in purchasing power parity terms. New Zealand is heavily dependent on trade - particularly in agricultural products - to drive growth. Exports are equal to about 20% of GDP. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output. |
Electricity - consumption | 15.19 million kWh (2001) | 35.71 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 16.33 million kWh (2001) | 38.39 billion kWh (2002) |
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: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 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 | deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation |
Ethnic groups | British | European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census) |
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 | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001), 2.2012 (2000) |
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), represented by Governor General Dame Silvia CARTWRIGHT (since 4 April 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since NA July 2002) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general |
Exports | NA (2001) | 30,220 bbl/day (2001) |
Exports - commodities | wool, hides, meat | dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery |
Exports - partners | Spain 76.2%, UK 9.2%, US 7.1% (2002) | Australia 21%, US 14.4%, Japan 11.3%, China 5.7%, UK 4.7% (2004) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 July - 30 June |
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 the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $75 million (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 4.6%
industry: 27.4% services: 68% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $23,200 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 4.8% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 51 45 S, 59 00 W | 41 00 S, 174 00 E |
Geography - note | deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season | about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world |
Highways | total: 440 km
paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km (2002) |
total: 92,382 km
paved: 59,124 km (including at least 169 km of expressways) unpaved: 33,258 km (2002) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 0.3%
highest 10%: 29.8% (1991 est.) |
Imports | NA (2001) | 119,700 bbl/day (2001) |
Imports - commodities | fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing | machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics |
Imports - partners | UK 57.9%, Spain 19.8%, Italy 16.7% (2002) | Australia 22.4%, US 11.3%, Japan 11.2%, China 9.7%, Germany 5.2% (2004) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) | 26 September 1907 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 5.9% (2004 est.) |
Industries | fish and wool processing; tourism | food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% |
total: 5.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.6% (1998) | 2.4% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | ICFTU | ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 2,850 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 | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - Judges appointed by the Governor-General |
Labor force | 1,100 (est.) | 2.05 million (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing) | agriculture 10%, industry 25%, services 65% (1995) |
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: 5.6%
permanent crops: 6.99% other: 87.41% (2001) |
Languages | English | English (official), Maori (official) |
Legal system | English common law | based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
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 House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists, all to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 17 September 2005 (next to be held not later than 15 November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NZLP 41.1%, NP 39.1%, NZFP 5.72%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.12%, UF 2.67%, ACT New Zealand 1.51%, Progressive 1.16%; seats by party - NZLP 50, NP 48, NZFP 7, Green Party 6, Maori 4, UF 3, ACT New Zealand 2, Progressive 1 note: results of 2005 election saw the total number of seats increase to 121 because the Maori Party won one more electorate seat than its entitlement under the party vote |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
total population: 78.66 years
male: 75.67 years female: 81.78 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia |
Map references | South America | Oceania |
Maritime claims | continental shelf: 200 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 77,523 GRT/108,352 DWT
by type: cargo 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1, bulk carrier 3 foreign-owned: 2 (Germany 1, Isle of Man 1) registered in other countries: 5 (2005) |
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 | New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | $1.147 billion (FY03/04) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 1% (FY02) |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 14 June (1982) | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
Nationality | noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island |
noun: New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand |
Natural hazards | strong winds persist throughout the year | earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity |
Natural resources | fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss | natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | 3.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 2,213 km; liquid petroleum gas 79 km; oil 160 km; refined products 304 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | none; all independents | ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS and Rod DONALD]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA]; National Party or NP [Don BRASH]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Party [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 2,967 (July 2003 est.) | 4,035,461 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 2.44% (2003 est.) | 1.02% (2005 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 |
Auckland, Lyttelton, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998) |
Railways | 0 km | total: 3,898 km
narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2004) |
Religions | primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist | Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 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: excellent domestic and international systems
domestic: NA international: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 1.765 million (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 2.599 million (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service)
note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002) |
41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains | predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 1.79 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | full employment; labor shortage | 4.2% (2004 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |