Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 1,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

TV service provided by a multi-channel service provider; radio provided by public broadcaster Falkland Islands Radio Service and the British Forces Broadcasting Service (2007)

Internet country code

.fk

Internet users

percent of population: 99% (2021 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 2,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 53 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 6,420 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 184 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

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

Economic 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

Exchange rates

Falkland pounds (FKP) per US dollar - 0.78 (2024 est.) 0.805 (2023 est.) 0.811 (2022 est.) 0.727 (2021 est.) 0.78 (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

shellfish, fish, wool, sheep and goat meat (2023) note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

Exports - partners

Spain 68%, Morocco 10%, USA 8%, Namibia 3%, Germany 2% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$206.4 million (2015 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, aircraft parts, prefabricated buildings, plastic products, surveying equipment (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

UK 68%, Greece 19%, Spain 11%, Netherlands 1%, NZ 0% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industries

fish and wool processing; tourism

Real GDP per capita

$70,800 (2015 est.) $63,000 (2014 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 10,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 18.257 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 900,000 kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 73.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 26.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 200 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

36,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 36,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

Environmental issues

overfishing by unlicensed vessels; grazing threatens important habitats; soil erosion from fires

Land use

agricultural land: 93.2% (2023 est.) arable land: 0% (2022 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.) permanent pasture: 93.2% (2023 est.) forest: 0% (2022 est.) other: 6.8% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

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

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

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

Coastline

1,288 km

Elevation

highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

51 45 S, 59 00 W

Geography - note

deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 93.2% (2023 est.) arable land: 0% (2022 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.) permanent pasture: 93.2% (2023 est.) forest: 0% (2022 est.) other: 6.8% (2023 est.)

Location

Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km east of southern Argentina

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

strong winds persist throughout the year

Natural resources

fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss

Population distribution

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

Terrain

rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Capital

name: Stanley geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 51 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: named in 1844 after Edward SMITH-STANLEY, the 14th Earl of Derby

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

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

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 was named after the Fifth 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 French explorer Louis-Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE gave the islands in 1764 in honor of the French port of Saint-Malo

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: none (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)

Executive branch

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Colin MARTIN-REYNOLDS (since 29 July 2025) head of government: Chief Executive Andrea Patricia CLAUSEN (since 1 April 2025) cabinet: Executive Council elected by the Legislative Council election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; monarch appoints the governor, who appoints the chief executive

Flag

description: blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the right half of the flag; the coat of arms has a white ram above the ship "Desire" (whose crew discovered the islands), with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT

Government type

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

Independence

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

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

highest court(s): 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) 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 note: appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

Legal system

English common law and local statutes

Legislative branch

legislature name: Legislative Assembly legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 10 (8 directly elected, 2 appointed) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 12/11/2025 percentage of women in chamber: 25% note: does not include the speaker expected date of next election: November 2025

National anthem(s)

title: "Song of the Falklands" lyrics/music: Christopher LANHAM history: adopted unknown _____ title: "God Save the King" lyrics/music: unknown history: official anthem, as a UK territory

National coat of arms

the Falkland Islands adopted its coat of arms in 1948; the shield highlights the national symbol, the ram, which represents the country s agricultural industry and stands on native tussock grass; English navigator John Davis s sailing vessel, the Desire , is shown, referencing his sighting of the islands in 1592; below the shield is the national motto, Desire the Right

National color(s)

red, white, blue

National holiday

Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

National symbol(s)

ram

Political parties

none; all independents

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK, which maintains a military presence on the islands

Military and security forces

no regular military forces

Birth rate

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

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

47.7% (2016 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 38.4 (2021) youth dependency ratio: 21.8 (2021) elderly dependency ratio: 16.6 (2021) potential support ratio: 6 (2021)

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0% of population (2022 est.) rural: 21.8% of population

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.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: (2017 est.) 77.9 male: 75.6 female: 79.6

Major urban areas - population

2,000 STANLEY (capital) (2018)

Nationality

noun: Falkland Islander(s) adjective: Falkland Island

Population

total: 3,142 (2021) male: 1,645 female: 1,497 note: data include all persons usually resident in the islands at the time of the 2021 census

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.01% (2014 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.) rural: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 100% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0% of population (2022 est.) total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Urbanization

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

Airports

34 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-F

Merchant marine

total: 2 (2023) by type: general cargo 1, other 1

Ports

total ports: 1 (2024) large: 0 medium: 1 small: 0 very small: 0 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Stanley