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 in 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force and after fierce fighting forced an Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982. With hostilities ended and Argentine forces withdrawn, UK administration resumed. In response to renewed calls from Argentina for Britain to relinquish control of the islands, a referendum was held in 2013 that resulted in 99.8% of the population voting to remain a part of the UK.

Geographic coordinates: 51 45 S, 59 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: 12,173 km²
Land: 12,173 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Country comparison total: 0 km

Land boundaries
Total: 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 60 cm in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but typically does not accumulate

Terrain: rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Elevation
Highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Natural resources: fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss

Land use
Agricultural land: 92.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 92.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 7.6% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: strong winds persist throughout the year

Geography
Note: deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season

Population
Distribution: a very small population, with most residents living in and around Stanley
Total: 3,662 (2021 est.)
Note: data include all persons usually resident in the islands at the time of the 2021 census
Growth rate: 0.01% (2014 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Falkland Islander(s)
Adjective: Falkland Island

Ethnic groups: Falkland Islander 48.3%, British 23.1%, St. Helenian 7.5%, Chilean 4.6%, mixed 6%, other 8.5%, unspecified 2% (2016 est.)
Note: data represent population by national identity

Languages: English 89%, Spanish 7.7%, other 3.3% (2006 est.)

Religions: Christian 57.1%, other 1.6%, none 35.4%, unspecified 6% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 39.8
Youth dependency ratio: 24.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 14.9
Potential support ratio: 6.7 (2021)

Population growth rate: 0.01% (2014 est.)

Birth rate: 10.9 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Death rate: 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Population distribution: a very small population, with most residents living in and around Stanley

Urbanization
Urban population: 79.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.53% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 2,000 STANLEY (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer - introduced to the islands in 2001 from South Georgia - are part of a farming effort to produce specialty meat and diversify the islands' economy; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the 1986 Chornobyl disaster; grazing threatens important habitats including tussac grass and its ecosystem with penguins and sea lions; soil erosion from fires

Sex ratio
Total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: (2017 est.) 77.9
Male: 75.6
Female: 79.6

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Unimproved rural: 21.8% of population
Unimproved total: 4.7% of population (2020)
Unimproved urban: 0% of population

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 100% of population
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020)

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Etymology: the archipelago takes its name from the Falkland Sound, the strait separating the two main islands; the channel itself was named after the Viscount of FALKLAND, who sponsored an expedition to the islands in 1690; the Spanish name for the archipelago derives from the French 'Iles Malouines,' meaning Islands of Malo, the name applied to the islands by French explorer Louis-Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1764 after the port of Saint-Malo

Government type: parliamentary democracy (Legislative Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Capital
Name: Stanley
Geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 51 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: named after Edward SMITH-STANLEY (1799-1869), the 14th Earl of Derby, a British statesman and three-time prime minister of the UK who never visited the islands

Administrative divisions: none (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)

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

National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

Constitution
History: previous 1985; latest entered into force 1 January 2009 (The Falkland Islands Constitution Order 2008)

Legal system: English common law and local statutes

Citizenship: see United Kingdom

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Alison BLAKE (since 23 July 2022)
Head of government: Chief Executive Andy KEELING (since April 2021)
Cabinet: Executive Council elected by the Legislative Council
Elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief executive appointed by the governor

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Legislative Assembly, formerly the Legislative Council (10 seats; 5 members directly elected from the Stanley constituency and 3 members from the Camp constituency, both by simple majority vote, 2 appointed non-voting ex-officio members - the chief executive, appointed by the governor, and the financial secretary; the attorney general and Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands are also invited to attend; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 4 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2025)
Elections results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 8; composition of elected members - men 6, women 2, percentage women 25% (does not include speaker)

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, the chief justice as an ex officio non-resident member, and 2 justices of appeal); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice)
Note: appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice, court of appeal president, and justices appointed by the governor; tenure specified in each justice's instrument of appointment
Subordinate courts: Magistrate's Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Political parties and leaders: none; all independents

International organization participation: UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)
From the us embassy: none (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)

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 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

National symbols: ram

National anthem
Name: 'Song of the Falklands'
Lyrics/music: Christopher LANHAM
Note: adopted 1930s; the song is the local unofficial anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, 'God Save the King' is official (see United Kingdom)

Economy overview: British South American territorial economy; longstanding fishing industry; surging tourism prior to COVID-19 and Brexit; recent offshore hydrocarbon discoveries threaten ecotourism industries; no central bank and must have British approval on currency shifts

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $206.4 million (2015 est.); $164.5 million (2014 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 25.5% (2015 est.); -1.8% (2014 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $70,800 (2015 est.); $63,000 (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 41% (2015 est.)
Industry: 20.6% (2015 est.)
Services: 38.4% (2015 est.)

Agriculture products: fodder and vegetable crops; venison, sheep, dairy products; fish, squid

Industries: fish and wool processing; tourism

Labor force: 1,850 (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate: 1% (2016 est.)

Public debt: 0% of GDP (2015 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.4% (2014 est.)

Exports: $257.3 million (2015 est.)
Partners: Spain 70%, Morocco 9%, US 8%, Namibia 5%, Germany 2% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: shellfish, fish, wool, sheep and goat meat, surveying equipment (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports
Partners: UK 73%, Spain 24%, Netherlands 1%, Ireland 0%, Switzerland 0% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, prefabricated buildings, aircraft, plastic products, iron structures (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 10,000 kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 19.957 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 900,000 kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 67.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources wind: 32.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 300 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 38,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 38,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: (2019 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 53 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 6,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 160 (2021 est.)

Military and security forces: no regular military forces

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: VP-F

Airports: 34 (2024)

Roadways
Total: 440 km
Paved: 50 km
Unpaved: 390 km (2008)