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.

Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina

51 45 S, 59 00 W

South America

slightly smaller than Connecticut

0 km

1,288 km

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 typically does not accumulate

rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss

NA

strong winds persist throughout the year

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

deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season

British

English

Christian 67.2%, none 31.5%, other 1.3% (2006 census)

3,140 (July 2008 est.)

0.011% (2009 est.)

NA

NA

NA

STANLEY (capital) 2,000 (2009)

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

NA

none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

1 January 2009

English common law and local statutes

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Legislative Assembly (10 seats; 2 members are ex officio and 8 are elected by popular vote; members to serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor

Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction

none; all independents

Falkland Islands Association (supports freedom of the people from external causes)

UPU

none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

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

ram

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. Foreign exchange earnings come from 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. Political tensions between the UK and Argentina rose in early 2010 after a UK company began oil drilling activities in the waters around the Falkland Islands but abated somewhat when the drilling operation failed to discover commercially exploitable 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.

$105.1 million (2002 est.)

$105.1 million (2002 est.)

$35,400 (2002 est.)

1,724 (1996)

NA%

NA%

63% of GDP (FY98/99)

-1.6% of GDP (FY98/99)

3.6% (1998)

fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products; fish, squid

fish and wool processing; tourism

NA%

17 million kWh (2008 est.)

15.81 million kWh (2008 est.)

0 kWh (2009 est.)

0 kWh (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

300 bbl/day (2010 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

313 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

$125 million (2004 est.)

wool, hides, meat, fish, squid

$90 million (2004 est.)

fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing

$NA

Falkland pounds (FKP) per US dollar -

0.6388 (2010)

0.6175 (2009)

0.5418 (2006)

0.5493 (2005)

0.5462 (2004)

2,000 (2010)

3,300 (2010)

television service provided by a multi-channel service provider; radio services provided by the public broadcaster Falkland Islands Radio Service (FIRS), broadcasting on both AM and FM frequencies, and by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) (2007)

.fk

91 (2010)

2,900 (2009)

7 (2010)

Stanley

no regular military forces

NA

defense is the responsibility of the UK

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