Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2008) | Atlantic Ocean (2001) | |
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 |
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Agriculture - products | fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products; fish, squid | - |
Airports | 6 (2007) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 4
under 914 m: 4 (2007) |
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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:
76.762 million sq km note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Connecticut | slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US |
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 an Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982. | The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the St. Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south. |
Birth rate | NA | - |
Budget | revenues: $66.2 million
expenditures: $67.9 million (FY98/99 est.) |
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Capital | name: Stanley
geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 51 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends third Sunday in April |
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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 cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to November |
Coastline | 1,288 km | 111,866 km |
Constitution | 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
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Death rate | NA | - |
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 | Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks | some maritime disputes (see littoral states) |
Economic aid - recipient | $0 (1997 est.) | - |
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 Falkland Islands' exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which help 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. | The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of natural resources, e.g., fishing, the dredging of aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea). |
Electricity - consumption | 14.88 million kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - production | 16 million kWh (2005) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m |
lowest point:
Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 m highest point: sea level 0 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 1986 Chornobyl disaster | endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea |
Ethnic groups | British | - |
Exchange rates | Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5434 (2006), 0.5504 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)
note: the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound |
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Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor Alan HUCKLE (since 25 August 2006); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since March 2003); note - Dr. Tim THOROGOOD will assume the position of Chief Executive in January 2008 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 |
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Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | - |
Exports - commodities | wool, hides, meat, fish, squid | - |
Exports - partners | Spain 81.9%, US 6%, UK 4.5% (2006) | - |
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 was once 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 - composition by sector | agriculture: 95%
industry: NA% services: NA% (1996) |
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GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 51 45 S, 59 00 W | 0 00 N, 25 00 W |
Geography - note | deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season | major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | 227.9 bbl/day (2004) | - |
Imports - commodities | fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing | - |
Imports - partners | UK 72.5%, US 15.1%, Netherlands 8.5% (2006) | - |
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 |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.6% (1998) | - |
International organization participation | ICFTU, UPU | - |
Irrigated land | NA | - |
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 | 1,724 (est.) (1996) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing)
industry and services: 5% (1996) |
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Land boundaries | 0 km | - |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2005) |
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Languages | English | - |
Legal system | English common law | - |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats; 2 members are ex officio and 8 are elected by popular vote; to serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor
elections: last held 17 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
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Literacy | NA | - |
Location | Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina | body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the Western Hemisphere |
Map references | South America | World |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
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Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
Military branches | no regular military forces | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | - |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 14 June (1982) | - |
Nationality | noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island |
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Natural hazards | strong winds persist throughout the year | icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to September; hurricanes (May to December) |
Natural resources | fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss | oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones |
Net migration rate | NA | - |
Political parties and leaders | none; all independents | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | - |
Population | 3,105 (July 2007 est.) | - |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 2.44% (2007 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | - | Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service) (2006) | - |
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: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 2,400 (2002) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (2001) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to members of UK Forces as well as islanders); cable television is available in Stanley (2006) | - |
Terrain | rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains | surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin |
Total fertility rate | NA | - |
Unemployment rate | full employment; labor shortage (2001) | - |