Falkland Islands

Falkland Islands 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.

Falkland Islands Information

• Population: 2,967 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Falkland Islander(s) adjective: Falkland Island
• Location:: Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina
• Religions:: primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist
• Ethnic Groups:: British
• Land Boundaries:: 0 km
• Area: total: 12,173 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands water: 0 sq km land: 12,173 sq km
• Coast Line: 1,288 km
• 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
• Terrain: rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2001)
• Environmental 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
• Natural Resources: fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss
• Highways: total: 440 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km (2002)
• Railways:
• Ports & Harbours: 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 m
• Airports: 5 (2003 est.)