Compare Pacific Ocean (2004) - Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2004)

Compare Pacific Ocean (2004) z Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2004)

	Pacific Ocean (2004)	Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2004)

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 (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products
Airports	-	5 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 155.557 million sq km note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, 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	about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world	slightly smaller than Connecticut
Background	The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south.	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 (2004 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $66.2 million expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.)
Capital	-	Stanley
Climate	planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December	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	135,663 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 (2004 est.)
Debt - external	-	NA (1999 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)
Diplomatic representation in the US	-	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Disputes - international	some maritime disputes (see littoral states)	claimed by Argentina whose forces briefly occupied it in 1982, but now declares it will no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks
Economic aid - recipient	-	none (1997 est.)
Economy - overview	The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60% of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of the US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has led to fluctuations in new drillings.	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)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench -10,924 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 the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea	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 - 0.6125 (2003), 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.618 (1999), 0.6037 (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 80%, UK 9.3%, US 3.6% (2003)
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	0 00 N, 160 00 W	51 45 S, 59 00 W
Geography - note	the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean	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 62%, Spain 30.4%, Italy 2.5% (2003)
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 (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	3.6% (1998)
International organization participation	-	ICFTU, UPU
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) (2001)
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 (2004 est.)
Location	body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere	Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina
Map references	Political Map of the World	South America
Maritime claims	-	territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	-	no regular military forces
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	surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December	strong winds persist throughout the year
Natural resources	oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish	fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss
Net migration rate	-	NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	none
Population	-	2,967 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA
Population growth rate	-	2.44% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Kao-hsiung (Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)	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)
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
Telephones - main lines in use	-	2,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	0 (2001)
Television broadcast stations	-	2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service) note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002)
Terrain	surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana Trench, which is the world's deepest	rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains
Total fertility rate	-	NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
Transportation - note	Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state)	-
Unemployment rate	-	full employment; labor shortage (2001)

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