Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

• 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 typically does not accumulate

• 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 1986 Chornobyl disaster

noun:

Falkland Islander(s)

adjective:

Falkland Island

0-14 years:

NA

15-64 years:

NA

65 years and over:

NA

total:

NA

male:

NA

female:

NA

total population:

NA

male:

NA

female:

NA

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

name:

Stanley

geographic coordinates:

51 42 S, 57 51 W

time difference:

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

• +1hr, begins first Sunday in September;
• ends third Sunday in April;
• note - DST will be observed throughout 2011 on a trial basis

chief of state:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

head of government:

Governor Nigel HAYWOOD (since 16 October 2010) is the Queen's representative; Chief Executive Dr. Tim THOROGOOD (since 3 January 2008)

cabinet:

• Executive Council;
• three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor;
• the governor must obey the rulings of the Executive Council on domestic affairs

; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• the monarchy is hereditary;
• governor appointed by the monarch;
• chief executive appointed by the governor

• Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident);
• Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions);
• Court of Summary Jurisdiction

• 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

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 Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

agriculture:

95%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA% (1996)

agriculture:

95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing)

industry and services:

5% (1996)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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

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

• television service provided by a multi-channel service provider;
• radio services provided by the public broadcaster Falkland Islands Radio Service (FIRS), broadcasting on both AM and FM frequencies, and by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) (2007)

total:

440 km

country comparison to the world: 197

paved:

50 km

unpaved:

390 km (2008)

• Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force;
• UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks