Summary
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Falkland Islands:
The Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) are an archipelago located in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about 310 miles (500 kilometres) east of the Patagonian coast at a latitude of about 52°S. The archipelago which has an area of 4,700 square miles (12,173 square kilometres) comprises East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 smaller islands. The islands, a British Overseas Territory, enjoy a large degree of internal self-government with the United Kingdom guaranteeing good government and taking responsibility for their defence and foreign affairs. The capital is Stanley on East Falkland.
Controversy exists over the Falklands' original discovery and subsequent colonisation by Europeans. At various times there have been French, British, Spanish, and Argentine settlements. Britain re-established its rule in 1833, though the islands continue to be claimed by Argentina. In 1982, following Argentina's invasion of the islands, the two-month-long undeclared Falklands War between both countries resulted in the surrender of all Argentine forces and the return of the islands to British administration.
The population, estimated at 2,841, primarily consists of native Falkland Islanders, the vast majority being of British descent. Other ethnicities include French, Gibraltarian, and Scandinavian. Immigration from the United Kingdom, Saint Helena, and Chile has reversed a former population decline. The predominant and official language is English. Under the British Nationality Act of 1983, Falkland Islanders are legally British citizens.
The islands lie on the boundary of the Subarctic maritime climate and Temperate maritime climate zones with both major islands having mountain ranges reaching to 2,300 feet (700 m). The islands are home to large bird populations, although many no longer breed on the main islands because of the effects of introduced species. Major economic activities include fishing, tourism, sheep farming with an emphasis on high-quality wool exports, and oil exploration. Oil exploration, licensed by the Falkland Islands Government, remains controversial as a result of maritime disputes with Argentina.
General reference edit
- Pronunciation: /ˈfɔː(l)klənd ˈfɒlk-/
- Common English country names: The Falkland Islands, the Falklands
- Official English country name: The Falkland Islands[1]
- Common endonym(s):
- Official endonym(s):
- Adjectival(s): Falkland Island
- Demonym(s): Falkland Islander, Falklander
- Etymology: Name of the Falkland Islands
- ISO country codes: FK, FLK, 238
- ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:FK
- Internet country code top-level domain: .fk
Geography of the Falkland Islands edit
Geography of the Falkland Islands
- The Falkland Islands are: a British overseas territory and archipelago consisting of East Falkland, West Falkland, and 776 smaller islands
- Location:
- Southern Hemisphere and Western Hemisphere
- Atlantic Ocean
- South Atlantic, 500 kilometres (310 mi) east of Argentina but 400 kilometres (250 mi) north east of the tip of Tierra del Fuego.
- Time zone: UTC-4, September–April UTC-3
- Extreme points of the Falkland Islands
- High: Mount Usborne 705 m (2,313 ft)
- Low: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- Land boundaries: none
- Coastline: 1,288 km
- Population of the Falkland Islands:
- Area of the Falkland Islands:
- Atlas of the Falkland Islands
Environment of the Falkland Islands edit
Natural geographic features of the Falkland Islands edit
- Islands of the Falkland Islands
- Mountains of the Falkland Islands
- Rivers of the Falkland Islands
- Valleys of the Falkland Islands
- World Heritage Sites in the Falkland Islands: None
- Patagonian Shelf
- Burdwood Bank
Regions of the Falkland Islands edit
Regions of the Falkland Islands
Ecoregions of the Falkland Islands edit
List of ecoregions in the Falkland Islands
Administrative divisions of the Falkland Islands edit
Municipalities of the Falkland Islands edit
- Capital of the Falkland Islands: Stanley
- Cities of the Falkland Islands
Demography of the Falkland Islands edit
Government and politics of the Falkland Islands edit
Politics of the Falkland Islands
- Form of government: parliamentary representative democratic dependency
- Capital of the Falkland Islands: Stanley
- Elections in the Falkland Islands
- 1949 Falkland Islands general election
- 1952 Falkland Islands general election
- 1956 Falkland Islands general election
- 1960 Falkland Islands general election
- 1964 Falkland Islands general election
- 1968 Falkland Islands general election
- 1971 Falkland Islands general election
- 1976 Falkland Islands general election
- 1977 Falkland Islands general election
- 1981 Falkland Islands general election
- 1985 Falkland Islands general election
- 1989 Falkland Islands general election
- 1993 Falkland Islands general election
- 1997 Falkland Islands general election
- 2001 Falkland Islands general election
- 2005 Falkland Islands general election
- 2009 Falkland Islands general election
- 2013 Falkland Islands general election
- 2017 Falkland Islands general election
- 2021 Falkland Islands general election
- Referendums in the Falkland Islands
- List of Falkland Islands by-elections
- Political parties in the Falkland Islands
Branches of the government of the Falkland Islands edit
Government of the Falkland Islands
Executive branch of the government of the Falkland Islands edit
- Head of state: Monarch of the United Kingdom, Charles III
- Monarch's representative: Governor of the Falkland Islands, Alison Blake
- Head of government: Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands, Andy Keeling
- Cabinet: Executive Council of the Falkland Islands
- 3 members elected by the Legislative Assembly
- 2 ex officio members
- the Chief Executive
- the Director of Finance
- the Governor
Legislative branch of the government of the Falkland Islands edit
Judicial branch of the government of the Falkland Islands edit
Court system of the Falkland Islands
Foreign relations of the Falkland Islands edit
Foreign relations of the Falkland Islands
- None - though self-governing, the Falkland Islands are an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, and therefore all foreign relations in regards to it are conducted by the UK. See also Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.
- Diplomatic missions in the Falkland Islands: none
- Diplomatic missions of the Falkland Islands: none
International organization membership edit
The government of the Falkland Islands is a member of:[2]
- Universal Postal Union (UPU)
Law and order in the Falkland Islands edit
Law of the Falkland Islands
- Constitution of the Falkland Islands
- Crime in the Falkland Islands
- Human rights in the Falkland Islands
- Law enforcement in the Falkland Islands
Military of the Falkland Islands edit
Military of the Falkland Islands
Local government in the Falkland Islands edit
History of the Falkland Islands edit
History of the Falkland Islands
- Timeline of the history of the Falkland Islands
- Current events of the Falkland Islands
- Falklands War
- Military history of the Falkland Islands
Culture of the Falkland Islands edit
Culture of the Falkland Islands
- Architecture of the Falkland Islands
- Humour in the Falkland Islands
- Languages of the Falkland Islands
- National symbols of the Falkland Islands
- People of the Falkland Islands
- Public holidays in the Falkland Islands
- Religion in the Falkland Islands
- Sikhism in the Falkland Islands
- World Heritage Sites in the Falkland Islands: None
Art in the Falkland Islands edit
Sports in the Falkland Islands edit
Economy and infrastructure of the Falkland Islands edit
Economy of the Falkland Islands
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 223rd (two hundred and twenty third)
- Falkland Islands Development Corporation
- Communications in the Falkland Islands
- Companies of the Falkland Islands
- Currency of the Falkland Islands: Pound
- ISO 4217: FKP
- Tourism in the Falkland Islands
- Transport in the Falkland Islands
Education in the Falkland Islands edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Falkland Islands Constitution Order 2006
- ^ "Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
External links edit
Wikimedia Atlas of the Falkland Islands
- Outline of the Falkland Islands at Curlie
Falkland Islands travel guide from Wikivoyage- Falkland Islands Government official site
- The Falkland Islands Tourist Board
- Falkland Islands Tourism
- Falkland Islands Development Corporation official site
- Falkland Islands News Network official site
- Falkland Islands Information Portal
- Thoughts on the Late Transactions Respecting Falkland's Islands by Samuel Johnson 1771
