| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
| Capital: |
Stanley |
| Location: |
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
51 45 S, 59 00 W |
| 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 |
| Area
Comparative: |
slightly smaller than Connecticut |
| Land
Boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
1,288 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| 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 |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
NA (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Independence |
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| National
Holiday: |
Liberation Day, 14 June (1982) |
| Constitution: |
3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998 |
| Legal
System; |
English common law |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age; universal |
| 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 |
| 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 November 2005)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8; note - 71% voter turnout |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
none; all independents |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
2,967 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2005 est.) |
| Median age: |
|
| Nationality: |
noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island |
| Ethnic groups: |
British |
| Religions: |
primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Languages: |
English |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
2,400 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
0 (2001) |
| 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 |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service)
note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002) |
| Internet country
code: |
.fk |
| Internet hosts: |
|
| Internet users: |
NA; however one-half of all households are reported to have internet access (2002) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
|
| Highways: |
total: 440 km
paved: 50 km
unpaved: 390 km (2002) |
| Waterways: |
|
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
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 |
| Merchant marine: |
|
| Airports: |
5 (2004 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.) |
| Heliports: |
|
