Falkland Islands

{{see also|List of Falkland Islands placenames}}

The name "Falkland Islands" comes from Falkland Sound, the strait that separates the two main islands.{{sfn|Jones|2009|p=73}} The name "Falkland" was applied to the channel by John Strong, captain of an English expedition that landed on the islands in 1690. Strong named the strait in honour of Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland, the Treasurer of the Navy who sponsored his journey.See:

• {{harvnb|Dotan|2010|p=165}},
• {{harvnb|Room|2006|p=129}}. The Viscount's title originates from the town of Falkland, Scotland—the town's name probably comes from a Gaelic term referring to an "enclosure" ({{Lang|gd|lann}}),{{efn-ua|According to researcher Simon Taylor, the exact Gaelic etymology is unclear as the "falk" in the name could have stood for "hidden" (falach), "wash" (failc), or "heavy rain" (falc).{{sfn|Taylor|Márkus|2005|p=158}}}} but it could less plausibly be from the Anglo-Saxon term "folkland" (land held by folk-right).{{sfn|Room|2006|p=129}} The name "Falklands" was not applied to the islands until 1765, when British captain John Byron of the Royal Navy claimed them for King George III as "Falkland's Islands".See:
• {{harvnb|Paine|2000|p=45}},
• {{harvnb|Room|2006|p=129}}. The term "Falklands" is a standard abbreviation used to refer to the islands.

The common Spanish name for the archipelago, Islas Malvinas, derives from the French Îles Malouines—the name given to the islands by French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville in 1764.{{sfn|Hince|2001|p=121}} Bougainville, who founded the islands' first settlement, named the area after the port of Saint-Malo (the point of departure for his ships and colonists).See:

• {{harvnb|Hince|2001|p=121}},
• {{harvnb|Room|2006|p=129}}. The port, located in the Brittany region of western France, was named after St. Malo (or Maclou), the Christian evangelist who founded the city.{{sfn|Balmaceda|2011|loc=Chapter 36}}

In 1965, at the 20th session{{cite web |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/745657?ln=en |title=United Nations General Assembly Twentieth Session |publisher=United Nations Digital Library |date=1967 |access-date=24 January 2023 }} of the United Nations General Assembly, the Fourth Committee determined that, in all languages other than Spanish, all UN documentation would designate the territory as Falkland Islands (Malvinas). In Spanish, the territory was designated as Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands).{{sfn|Foreign Office|1961|p=80}} The nomenclature used by the United Nations for statistical processing purposes is Falkland Islands (Malvinas).{{cite web |url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49alpha.htm |title=Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications |publisher=United Nations Statistics Division |date=13 February 2013 |access-date=3 July 2013 |archive-date=28 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628144412/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49alpha.htm |url-status=live }}

{{Main|History of the Falkland Islands|Timeline of the history of the Falkland Islands}}

Although Fuegians from Patagonia may have visited the Falkland Islands in prehistoric times,{{cite journal |last1=Hamley |first1=Kit M. |last2=Gill |first2=Jacquelyn L. |last3=Krasinski |first3=Kathryn E. |last4=Groff |first4=Dulcinea V. |last5=Hall |first5=Brenda L. |last6=Sandweiss |first6=Daniel H. |last7=Southon |first7=John R. |last8=Brickle |first8=Paul |last9=Lowell |first9=Thomas V. |date=29 October 2021 |title=Evidence of prehistoric human activity in the Falkland Islands |journal=Science Advances |volume=7 |issue=44 |pages=eabh3803 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abh3803 |pmid=34705512 |pmc=8550247 |bibcode=2021SciA....7.3803H |issn=2375-2548}}{{cite journal |author=G. Hattersley-Smith |date=June 1983 |title=Fuegian Indians in the Falkland Islands |journal=Polar Record |volume=21 |issue=135 |pages=605–06 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/S003224740002204X|bibcode=1983PoRec..21..605H |s2cid=129083566 |issn = 0032-2474}} the islands were uninhabited when Europeans first explored them.{{sfn|Carafano|2005|p=367}} European claims of discovery date back to the 16th century, but no consensus exists on whether early explorers sighted the Falklands or other islands in the South Atlantic.{{cite news |first=Michael |last=White |title=Who first owned the Falkland Islands? |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/blog/2012/feb/02/who-first-owned-falkland-islands? |date=2 February 2012 |access-date=3 July 2013 |archive-date=10 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210011353/http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2012/feb/02/who-first-owned-falkland-islands |url-status=live }}{{sfn|Goebel|1971|pp=xiv–xv}}{{efn-ua|Based on his analysis of Falkland Islands discovery claims, historian John Dunmore concludes that "[a] number of countries could therefore lay some claim to the archipelago under the heading of first discoverers: Spain, Holland, Britain, and even Italy and Portugal – although the last two claimants might be stretching things a little."{{sfn|Dunmore|2005|p=93}}}} The first undisputed landing on the islands is attributed to English captain John Strong, who, en route to Peru and Chile's littoral in 1690, explored the Falkland Sound and noted the islands' water and game.See:

• {{harvnb|Gustafson|1988|p=5}},
• {{harvnb|Headland|1989|p=66}},
• {{harvnb|Heawood|2011|p=182}}.

The Falklands remained uninhabited until the 1764 establishment of Port Louis on East Falkland by French captain Louis Antoine de Bougainville and the 1765 foundation of Port Egmont on Saunders Island by Captain John Byron; the latter settlement being expanded by British captain John MacBride a year later.{{efn-ua|In 1764, Bougainville claimed the islands in the name of Louis XV of France. In 1765, British captain John Byron claimed the islands in the name of George III of Great Britain.{{sfn|Gustafson|1988|pp=9–10}}{{sfn|Dunmore|2005|pp=139–40}}}} Whether or not the settlements were aware of each other's existence is debated by historians.See:

• {{harvnb|Goebel|1971|pp=226, 232, 269}},
• {{harvnb|Gustafson|1988|pp=9–10}}. In 1766, France surrendered its claim on the Falklands to Spain, which renamed the French colony Puerto Soledad the following year.{{sfn|Segal|1991|p=240}} Problems began when Spain detected and captured Port Egmont in 1770. War was narrowly avoided by its restitution to Britain in 1771.{{sfn|Gibran|1998|p=26}}

The British and Spanish settlements coexisted in the archipelago until 1774, when Britain's new economic and strategic considerations led it to withdraw the garrison from the islands, leaving a plaque claiming the Falklands for King George III.{{sfn|Gibran|1998|pp=26–27}} Spain's Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata became the only formal presence in the territory. West Falkland was left abandoned, and Puerto Soledad became a penal colony.{{sfn|Gibran|1998|p=27}} Amid the British invasions of the Río de la Plata during the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, the islands' governor evacuated the archipelago in 1806; Spain's remaining colonial garrison followed suit in 1811, except for gauchos and fishermen who remained voluntarily.{{sfn|Gibran|1998|p=27}}

Thereafter, the archipelago was visited only by fishing ships; its political status was undisputed until 1820, when Colonel David Jewett, an American privateer working for the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, informed anchored ships about Buenos Aires' 1816 claim to Spain's territories in the South Atlantic.See:

• {{harvnb|Gibran|1998|p=27}},
• {{harvnb|Marley|2008|p=714}}.{{efn-ua|According to Argentine legal analyst Roberto Laver, the United Kingdom disregards Jewett's actions because the government he represented "was not recognised either by Britain or any other foreign power at the time" and "no act of occupation followed the ceremony of claiming possession".{{sfn|Laver|2001|p=73}}}} Since the islands had no permanent inhabitants, in 1823 Buenos Aires granted German-born merchant Luis Vernet permission to conduct fishing activities and exploit feral cattle in the archipelago.{{efn-ua|Before leaving for the Falklands Vernet stamped his grant at the British Consulate, repeating this when Buenos Aires extended his grant in 1828.{{sfn|Cawkell|2001|pp=48–50}} The cordial relationship between the consulate and Vernet led him to express "the wish that, in the event of the British returning to the islands, HMG would take his settlement under their protection".{{sfn|Cawkell|2001|p=50}}}} Vernet settled at the ruins of Puerto Soledad in 1826, and accumulated resources on the islands until the venture was secure enough to bring settlers and form a permanent colony.See:
• {{harvnb|Gibran|1998|pp=27–28}},
• {{harvnb|Sicker|2002|p=32}}. Buenos Aires named Vernet military and civil commander of the islands in 1829,{{sfn|Pascoe|Pepper|2008|pp=540–46}} and he attempted to regulate sealing to stop the activities of foreign whalers and sealers.{{sfn|Gibran|1998|p=27}} Vernet's venture lasted until a dispute related to fishing and hunting rights led to a raid by the American warship USS Lexington in 1831,{{sfn|Pascoe|Pepper|2008|pp=541–44}}{{efn-ua|The log of the "Lexington" only reports the destruction of arms and a powder store, but Vernet made a claim for compensation from the US Government stating that the entire settlement was destroyed.{{sfn|Pascoe|Pepper|2008|pp=541–44}}}} when United States Navy commander Silas Duncan declared the dissolution of the island's government.{{sfn|Peterson|1964|p=106}}

File:Edward Gennys Fanshawe, Mount William, Falkland Islands, May 1849 (Portion B).png, shepherds and sheep in 1849 (painting by Royal Navy Admiral Edward Fanshawe)]]

Buenos Aires attempted to gain influence over the settlement by installing a garrison in October 1832, which mutinied within a month and was followed the next year by the arrival of British forces, who reasserted Britain's rule.{{sfn|Graham-Yooll|2002|p=50}} The Argentine Confederation (headed by Buenos Aires Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas) protested against Britain's actions,{{sfn|Reginald|Elliot|1983|pp=25–26}}{{efn-ua|As discussed by Roberto Laver, not only did Rosas not break relations with Britain because of the "essential" nature of "British economic support", but he offered the Falklands "as a bargaining chip ... in exchange for the cancellation of Argentina's million-pound debt with the British bank of Baring Brothers".{{sfn|Laver|2001|pp=122–23}} In 1850, Rosas' government ratified the Arana–Southern Treaty, which put "an end to the existing differences, and of restoring perfect relations of friendship" between the United Kingdom and Argentina.{{sfn|Hertslet|1851|p=105}}}} and Argentine governments have continued since then to register official protests against Britain.{{sfn|Gustafson|1988|pp=34–35}}{{efn-ua|Argentina protested in 1841, 1849, 1884, 1888, 1908, 1927 and 1933, and has made annual protests to the United Nations since 1946.{{sfn|Gustafson|1988|p=34}}}} The British troops departed after completing their mission, leaving the area without formal government.{{sfn|Graham-Yooll|2002|pp=51–52}} Vernet's deputy, the Scotsman Matthew Brisbane, returned to the islands that year to restore the business, but his efforts ended after, amid unrest at Port Louis, gaucho Antonio Rivero led a group of dissatisfied individuals to murder Brisbane and the settlement's senior leaders; survivors hid in a cave on a nearby island until the British returned and restored order.{{sfn|Graham-Yooll|2002|pp=51–52}} In 1840, the Falklands became a Crown colony and Scottish settlers subsequently established an official pastoral community.{{sfn|Aldrich|Connell|1998|p=201}} Four years later, nearly everyone relocated to Port Jackson, considered a better location for the government, and merchant Samuel Lafone began a venture to encourage British colonisation.See:

• {{harvnb|Bernhardson|2011|loc=Stanley and Vicinity: History}},
• {{harvnb|Reginald|Elliot|1983|pp=9, 27}}.

Stanley, as Port Jackson was soon renamed, officially became the seat of government in 1845.{{sfn|Reginald|Elliot|1983|p=9}} Early in its history, Stanley had a negative reputation due to cargo-shipping losses; only in emergencies would ships rounding Cape Horn stop at the port.{{sfn|Bernhardson|2011|loc=Stanley and Vicinity: History}} Nevertheless, the Falklands' geographic location proved ideal for ship repairs and the "Wrecking Trade", the business of selling and buying shipwrecks and their cargoes.{{sfn|Strange|1987|pp=72–74}} Aside from this trade, commercial interest in the archipelago was minimal due to the low-value hides of the feral cattle roaming the pastures. Economic growth began only after the Falkland Islands Company, which bought out Lafone's failing enterprise in 1851,{{efn-ua|There were continual tensions with the colonial administration over Lafone's failure to establish any permanent settlers, and over the price of beef supplied to the settlement. Moreover, although his concession required Lafone to bring settlers from the UK, most of the settlers he brought were gauchos from Uruguay.{{sfn|Strange|1987|p=84}}}} successfully introduced Cheviot sheep for wool farming, spurring other farms to follow suit.See:

• {{harvnb|Bernhardson|2011|loc=Stanley and Vicinity: History}},
• {{harvnb|Reginald|Elliot|1983|p=9}}. The high cost of importing materials, combined with the shortage of labour and consequent high wages, meant the ship repair trade became uncompetitive. After 1870 it declined as the replacement of sail ships by steamships was accelerated by the low cost of coal in South America; by 1914, with the opening of the Panama Canal, the trade effectively ended.{{sfn|Strange|1987|pp=72–73}} In 1881, the Falkland Islands became financially independent of Britain.{{sfn|Reginald|Elliot|1983|p=9}} For more than a century, the Falkland Islands Company dominated the trade and employment of the archipelago; in addition, it owned most housing in Stanley, which greatly benefited from the wool trade with the UK.

File:Cfbattlepainting (Retouched).jpg (painting by William Lionel Wyllie)]]

In the first half of the 20th century, the Falklands served an important role in Britain's territorial claims to subantarctic islands and a section of Antarctica. The Falklands governed these territories as the Falkland Islands Dependencies starting in 1908 and retained them until their dissolution in 1985.{{sfn|Day|2013|p=129–30}} The Falklands also played a minor role in the two world wars as a military base aiding control of the South Atlantic. In the First World War Battle of the Falkland Islands in December 1914, a Royal Navy fleet defeated an Imperial German squadron. In the Second World War, following the December 1939 Battle of the River Plate, the battle-damaged HMS Exeter steamed to the Falklands for repairs.{{sfn|Carafano|2005|p=367}} In 1942, a battalion en route to India was redeployed to the Falklands as a garrison amid fears of a Japanese seizure of the archipelago.{{sfn|Haddelsey|Carroll|2014|loc=Prologue}} After the war ended, the Falklands economy was affected by declining wool prices and the political uncertainty resulting from the revived sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina.{{sfn|Bernhardson|2011|loc=Stanley and Vicinity: History}}

Simmering tensions between the UK and Argentina increased during the second half of the century, when Argentine President Juan Perón asserted sovereignty over the archipelago.{{sfn|Zepeda|2005|p=102}} The sovereignty dispute intensified during the 1960s, shortly after the United Nations passed a resolution on decolonisation which Argentina interpreted as favourable to its position.{{sfn|Laver|2001|p=125}} In 1965, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2065, calling for both states to conduct bilateral negotiations to reach a peaceful settlement of the dispute.{{sfn|Laver|2001|p=125}} From 1966 until 1968, the UK confidentially discussed with Argentina the transfer of the Falklands, assuming its judgement would be accepted by the islanders.{{sfn|Thomas|1991|p=24}} An agreement on trade ties between the archipelago and the mainland was reached in 1971 and, consequently, Argentina built a temporary airfield at Stanley in 1972.{{sfn|Reginald|Elliot|1983|p=9}} Nonetheless, Falklander dissent, as expressed by their strong lobby in the UK Parliament, and tensions between the UK and Argentina effectively limited sovereignty negotiations until 1977.{{sfn|Thomas|1991|pp=24–27}}

Concerned at the expense of maintaining the Falkland Islands in an era of budget cuts, the UK again considered transferring sovereignty to Argentina in the early Thatcher government.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jun/28/falklands.past |title=UK held secret talks to cede sovereignty: Minister met junta envoy in Switzerland, official war history reveals |newspaper=The Guardian |date=28 June 2005 |access-date=12 June 2014 |first1=Richard |last1=Norton-Taylor |first2=Rob |last2=Evans |archive-date=19 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140919011057/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jun/28/falklands.past |url-status=live }} Substantive sovereignty talks again ended by 1981, and the dispute escalated with passing time.{{sfn|Thomas|1991|pp=28–31}} In April 1982 the Falklands War began when Argentine military forces invaded the Falklands and other British territories in the South Atlantic, briefly occupying them until a UK expeditionary force retook the territories in June.See:

• {{harvnb|Reginald|Elliot|1983|pp=5, 10–12, 67}},
• {{harvnb|Zepeda|2005|pp=102–03}}. After the war the UK expanded its military presence, building RAF Mount Pleasant and increasing the size of its garrison.{{sfn|Gibran|1998|pp=130–35}} The war also left some 117 minefields containing nearly 20,000 mines of various types, including anti-vehicle and anti-personnel mines.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8564061.stm |title=The Long Road to Clearing Falklands Landmines |author= |date=14 March 2010 |work=BBC News |access-date=29 June 2014 |archive-date=4 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304122712/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8564061.stm |url-status=live }} Due to the large number of deminer casualties, initial attempts to clear the mines ceased in 1983.{{efn-ua|The minefields were fenced off and marked; there remain unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices. Detection and clearance of mines in the Falklands has proven difficult as some were air-delivered and not in marked fields; approximately 80% lie in sand or peat, where the position of mines can shift, making removal procedures difficult.{{cite journal |last1=Ruan |first1=Juan Carlos |last2=Macheme |first2=Jill E. |date=August 2001 |title=Landmines in the Sand: The Falkland Islands |url=http://www.jmu.edu/cisr/journal/5.2/focus/falklands.htm |journal=The Journal of ERW and Mine Action |publisher=James Madison University |volume=5 |issue=2 |issn=1533-6905 |access-date=29 June 2014 |archive-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714164355/http://www.jmu.edu/cisr/journal/5.2/focus/falklands.htm |url-status=live }}}} Demining operations recommenced in 2009 and were completed in October 2020.{{cite magazine |date=23 October 2020 |title=Falklands community invited to 'Reclaim the Beach' to celebrate completion of demining – Penguin News |url=https://penguin-news.com/headlines/community/2020/falklands-community-invited-to-reclaim-the-beach-to-celebrate-completion-of-demining/ |magazine=Penguin News |access-date=23 October 2020 |archive-date=27 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027070620/https://penguin-news.com/headlines/community/2020/falklands-community-invited-to-reclaim-the-beach-to-celebrate-completion-of-demining/ |url-status=live }}

Based on Lord Shackleton's recommendations, the Falklands diversified from a sheep-based monoculture into an economy of tourism and, with the establishment of the Falklands exclusive economic zone, fisheries.{{sfn|Cawkell|2001|p=147}}{{efn-ua|In 1976, Lord Shackleton produced a report into the economic future of the islands; but his recommendations were not implemented because Britain sought to avoid confronting Argentina over sovereignty.{{sfn|Cawkell|2001|p=147}} Lord Shackleton was once again tasked, in 1982, to produce a report into the economic development of the islands. His new report criticised the large farming companies, and recommended transferring ownership of farms from absentee landlords to local landowners. Shackleton also suggested diversifying the economy into fishing, oil exploration, and tourism; moreover, he recommended the establishment of a road network, and conservation measures to preserve the islands' natural resources.{{sfn|Cawkell|2001|p=147}}}} The road network was also made more extensive, and the construction of RAF Mount Pleasant allowed access to long haul flights.{{sfn|Cawkell|2001|p=147}} Oil exploration also began in the 2010s, with indications of possible commercially exploitable deposits in the Falklands basin.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/nov/23/desire-petroleum-optimistic-falklands-oil-prospects |title=Desire Petroleum optimistic over Falklands oil prospects |author=Fletcher, Nick |date=23 November 2012 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=8 June 2021 |archive-date=8 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608201007/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/nov/23/desire-petroleum-optimistic-falklands-oil-prospects |url-status=live }} Landmine clearance work restarted in 2009, in accordance with the UK's obligations under the Ottawa Treaty, and Sapper Hill Corral was cleared of mines in 2012, allowing access to an important historical landmark for the first time in 30 years.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/9169829/The-Falkland-Islands-30-years-after-the-war-with-Argentina.html?frame=2178743 |title=The Falkland Islands, 30 Years After the War with Argentina |author= |newspaper=Daily Telegraph |access-date=29 June 2014 |archive-date=31 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731025356/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/9169829/The-Falkland-Islands-30-years-after-the-war-with-Argentina.html?frame=2178743 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=http://en.mercopress.com/2011/12/08/falklands-land-mine-clearance-set-to-enter-a-new-expanded-phase-in-early-2012 |title=Falklands' Land Mine Clearance Set to Enter a New Expanded Phase in Early 2012 |author=Grant Munro |date=8 December 2011 |newspaper=MercoPress |access-date=29 June 2014 |archive-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714162622/http://en.mercopress.com/2011/12/08/falklands-land-mine-clearance-set-to-enter-a-new-expanded-phase-in-early-2012 |url-status=live }} Argentina and the UK re-established diplomatic relations in 1990, but neither has agreed on the terms of future sovereignty discussions.See:

• {{harvnb|Lansford|2012|p=1528}},
• {{harvnb|Zepeda|2005|pp=102–03}}.

{{Main|Politics of the Falkland Islands}}

File:Government House, Falkland Islands.jpg in Stanley is the Governor's official residence.]]

The Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory.{{sfn|Cahill|2010|loc="Falkland Islands"}} Under the 2009 Constitution, the islands have full internal self-government; the UK is responsible for foreign affairs, retaining the power "to protect UK interests and to ensure the overall good governance of the territory".{{cite news |title=New Year begins with a new Constitution for the Falklands |url=http://en.mercopress.com/2009/01/01/new-year-begins-with-a-new-constitution-for-the-falklands |newspaper=MercoPress |date=1 January 2009 |access-date=9 July 2013 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192759/http://en.mercopress.com/2009/01/01/new-year-begins-with-a-new-constitution-for-the-falklands |url-status=live }} The Monarch of the United Kingdom is the head of state, and executive authority is exercised on the monarch's behalf by the governor, who appoints the islands' chief executive on the advice of members of the Legislative Assembly.{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/2846/pdfs/uksi_20082846_en.pdf |title=The Falkland Islands Constitution Order 2008 |publisher=The Queen in Council |date=5 November 2008 |access-date=9 July 2013 |archive-date=9 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709031954/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/2846/pdfs/uksi_20082846_en.pdf |url-status=live }} Both the governor and the chief executive serve as the head of government.{{sfn|Buckman|2012|p=394}}

Governor Alison Blake was appointed in July 2022{{cite news |title=As of Saturday, Falklands have the first woman Governor, Ms Alison Blake CMG |url=https://en.mercopress.com/2022/07/23/as-of-saturday-falklands-have-the-first-woman-governor-ms-alison-blake-cmg |work=MercoPress |date=23 July 2022}} and Chief Executive Andrea Clausen took up the post on 1 April 2025. Dr Clausen is the first woman and the first Falkland Islander to become Chief Executive of the Government.

The UK minister responsible for the Falkland Islands since 2024, Stephen Doughty, administers British foreign policy regarding the islands.{{cite web |title=Minister of State (Europe, North America and Overseas Territories) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--178 |website=GOV.UK}}

The governor acts on the advice of the islands' Executive Council, composed of the chief executive, the Director of Finance and three elected members of the Legislative Assembly (with the governor as chairman). The Legislative Assembly, a unicameral legislature, consists of the chief executive, the director of finance and eight members (five from Stanley and three from Camp) elected to four-year terms by universal suffrage. All politicians in the Falkland Islands are independent; no political parties exist on the islands.{{sfn|Central Intelligence Agency|2011|loc="Falkland Islands (Malvinas) – Government"}} Since the 2013 general election, members of the Legislative Assembly have received a salary and are expected to work full-time and give up all previously held jobs or business interests.{{cite news |title=Falklands lawmakers: "The full time problem" |url=http://en.mercopress.com/2013/10/28/falklands-lawmakers-the-full-time-problem |newspaper=MercoPress |date=28 October 2013 |access-date=1 July 2014 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029213124/http://en.mercopress.com/2013/10/28/falklands-lawmakers-the-full-time-problem |url-status=live }}

As a territory of the United Kingdom, the Falklands were part of the overseas countries and territories of the European Union until 2020.{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/octs_and_greenland/index_en.htm |title=EU relations with Overseas Countries and Territories |date=4 June 2014 |author=EuropeAid |publisher=European Commission |access-date=15 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701021720/http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/octs_and_greenland/index_en.htm |archive-date=1 July 2014}} The islands' judicial system, overseen by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is largely based on English law,{{sfn|Sainato|2010|pp=157–158}} and the constitution binds the territory to the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights. Residents have the right of appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and the Privy Council.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/217278/british-overseas-territories.pdf |title=A New Approach to the British Overseas Territories |publisher=Ministry of Justice |year=2012 |page=4 |location=London |access-date=25 August 2013 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191402/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/217278/british-overseas-territories.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite legislation UK |type=si |year=2006 |number=3205 |si=The Falkland Islands (Appeals to Privy Council) (Amendment) Order 2009}} Law enforcement is the responsibility of the Royal Falkland Islands Police (RFIP).{{sfn|Sainato|2010|pp=157–158}}

{{Main|Military of the Falkland Islands}}

Defence of the islands is provided by the United Kingdom.{{sfn|Central Intelligence Agency|2011|loc="Falkland Islands (Malvinas) – Transportation"}} A British military garrison is stationed on the islands, and the Falkland Islands government funds an additional platoon to company-sized light infantry Falkland Islands Defence Force.{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7052002.ece |title=Falklands Defence Force better equipped than ever, says commanding officer |date=6 March 2010 |author=Martin Fletcher |newspaper=The Times |access-date=18 March 2011 |archive-date=11 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511114151/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/ |url-status=dead }} The Falklands claim an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extending {{cvt|200|nmi|km}} from its coastal baselines, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; this zone overlaps with the EEZ of Argentina.{{cite web |url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/ibru/resources/south_atlantic/ |title=Argentina and UK claims to maritime jurisdiction in the South Atlantic and Southern Oceans |author=International Boundaries Research Unit |publisher=Durham University |access-date=26 June 2014 |archive-date=2 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502070949/https://www.dur.ac.uk/ibru/resources/south_atlantic/ |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute}}

The UK and Argentina both assert sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. The UK bases its position on its continuous administration of the islands since 1833 and the islanders' "right to self-determination as set out in the UN Charter".{{sfn|Lansford|2012|p=1528}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/mar/28/falkland-islands-sovereignty-argentina |first=Nicholas |last=Watt |title=Falkland Islands sovereignty talks out of the question, says Gordon Brown |newspaper=The Guardian |date=27 March 2009 |access-date=24 August 2013 |archive-date=23 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123070837/http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/mar/28/falkland-islands-sovereignty-argentina |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/supporting-the-falkland-islanders-right-to-self-determination |title=Supporting the Falkland Islanders' right to self-determination |publisher=United Kingdom Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence |work=Policy |date=12 March 2013 |access-date=29 May 2014 |archive-date=25 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325033113/https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/supporting-the-falkland-islanders-right-to-self-determination |url-status=live }} Argentina claims that, when it achieved independence in 1816, it acquired the Falklands from Spain.{{cite journal |author=Michael Reisman |date=January 1983 |title=The Struggle for The Falklands |journal=Yale Law Journal |volume=93 |issue=287 |page=306 |publisher=Faculty Scholarship Series |access-date=23 October 2013 |url=http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/ylr93&div=24&collection=journals&set_as_cursor=41&men_tab=srchresults |archive-date=4 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304122731/http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals%2Fylr93&div=24&collection=journals&set_as_cursor=41&men_tab=srchresults |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2004/gacol3105.doc.htm |title=Decolonization Committee Says Argentina, United Kingdom Should Renew Efforts on Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Question |publisher=United Nations |work=Press Release |date=18 June 2004 |access-date=5 April 2020 |archive-date=17 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117031530/https://www.un.org/press/en/2004/gacol3105.doc.htm |url-status=live }} The incident of 1833 is particularly contentious; Argentina considers it proof of "Britain's usurpation" whereas the UK discounts it as a mere reassertion of its claim.{{sfn|Gustafson|1988|pp=26–27}}{{efn-ua|Argentina considers that, in 1833, the UK established an "illegal occupation" of the Falklands after expelling Argentine authorities and settlers from the islands with a threat of "greater force" and, afterwards, barring Argentines from resettling the islands. The Falkland Islands' government considers that only Argentina's military personnel was expelled in 1833, but its civilian settlers were "invited to stay" and did so except for 2 and their wives.{{cite web |url=https://www.falklands.gov.fk/self-governance/relationship-with-argentina/ |title=Relationship with Argentina |publisher=Falkland Island Government |work=Self-Governance |access-date=5 April 2020 |archive-date=7 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007220520/https://www.falklands.gov.fk/self-governance/relationship-with-argentina/ |url-status=dead}} International affairs scholar Lowell Gustafson considers that "[t]he use of force by the British on the Falkland Islands in 1833 was less dramatic than later Argentine rhetoric has suggested".{{sfn|Gustafson|1988|p=26}}}}

In 2009, the British prime minister, Gordon Brown, had a meeting with the Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and said that there would be no further talks over the sovereignty of the Falklands.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7969463.stm |title=No talks on Falklands, says Brown |newspaper=BBC News |date=28 March 2009 |access-date=24 August 2013 |archive-date=11 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711153406/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7969463.stm |url-status=live }} In March 2013, the Falkland Islands held a referendum on its political status: 99.8% of votes cast favoured remaining a British overseas territory.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21731760 |title=Falklands referendum: Islanders vote on British status |newspaper=BBC News |date=10 March 2013 |access-date=24 August 2013 |archive-date=2 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002070421/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21731760 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-falklands-referendum-idUSBRE92B02T20130312 |first1=Marcos |last1=Brindicci |first2=Juan |last2=Bustamante |title=Falkland Islanders vote overwhelmingly to keep British rule |publisher=Reuters |date=12 March 2013 |access-date=24 August 2013 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305040044/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-falklands-referendum-idUSBRE92B02T20130312 |url-status=live }} Argentina does not recognise the Falkland Islanders as a partner in negotiations.{{cite web |url=http://www.cancilleria.gov.ar/es/la-cuestion-de-las-islas-malvinas |title=La Cuestión de las Islas Malvinas |language=es |author=Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores |publisher=Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto (República Argentina) |access-date=10 October 2013 |archive-date=4 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704155811/http://cancilleria.gov.ar/es/la-cuestion-de-las-islas-malvinas |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=http://en.mercopress.com/2013/01/31/timerman-rejects-meeting-falklands-representatives-only-interested-in-bilateral-round-with-hague |title=Timerman rejects meeting Falklands representatives; only interested in 'bilateral round' with Hague |newspaper=MercoPress |date=31 January 2013 |access-date=26 January 2014 |archive-date=2 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202092439/http://en.mercopress.com/2013/01/31/timerman-rejects-meeting-falklands-representatives-only-interested-in-bilateral-round-with-hague |url-status=live }}{{cite news |author=Laura Smith-Spark |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/10/world/americas/falklands-referendum/ |title=Falkland Islands hold referendum on disputed status |publisher=CNN |date=11 March 2013 |access-date=26 January 2014 |archive-date=12 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712021145/https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/10/world/americas/falklands-referendum/ |url-status=live }}

However, in May 2024, newly elected Argentine president Javier Milei, expressed general acceptance and tolerance for British rule, for the time being, noting it could take decades for Argentina to gain control of the islands. Though asserting “We [will not] relinquish our sovereignty" over the islands, Milei said they would not "seek conflict with the United Kingdom" over them, preferring to resolve the dispute "within the framework of peace."Wells, Ione; South America correspondent: [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce43zv3qln9o "Falklands dispute may last decades – Argentina president,"] 6 May 2024, BBC News, retrieved 7 May 2024

{{Main|Geography of the Falkland Islands}}

File:Falkland Islands topographic map-en.svg

The Falkland Islands have a land area of {{cvt|4,700|sqmi}} and a coastline estimated at {{cvt|800|mi}}.See:

• {{harvnb|Guo|2007|p=112}},
• {{harvnb|Sainato|2010|p=157}}. The archipelago consists of two main islands, West Falkland and East Falkland, and 776 smaller islands.{{sfn|Sainato|2010|p=157}} The islands are predominantly mountainous and hilly,{{sfn|Central Intelligence Agency|2011|loc="Falkland Islands (Malvinas) – Geography"}} with the major exception being the depressed plains of Lafonia (a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland).{{sfn|Trewby|2002|p=79}} The Falklands consists of continental crust fragments resulting from the break-up of Gondwana and the opening of the South Atlantic that began 130 million years ago. The islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean, on the Patagonian Shelf, about {{cvt|300|mi|km}} east of Patagonia in southern Argentina.{{sfn|Klügel|2009|p=66}}

The Falklands' approximate location is latitude {{nowrap|51°40′}} – {{nowrap|53°00′ S}} and longitude {{nowrap|57°40′}} – {{nowrap|62°00′ W}}.{{sfn|Guo|2007|p=112}} The archipelago's two main islands are separated by the Falkland Sound,{{sfn|Hemmerle|2005|p=318}} and its deep coastal indentations form natural harbours.See:

• {{harvnb|Blouet|Blouet|2009|p=100}},
• {{harvnb|Central Intelligence Agency|2011|loc="Falkland Islands (Malvinas) – Geography"}} East Falkland houses Stanley (the capital and largest settlement),{{sfn|Guo|2007|p=112}} the UK military base at RAF Mount Pleasant, and the archipelago's highest point: Mount Usborne, at {{cvt|705|m|ft|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Hemmerle|2005|p=318}} Outside of these significant settlements is the area colloquially known as "Camp", which is derived from the Spanish term for countryside (Campo).{{sfn|Hince|2001|loc="Camp"}}

The climate of the islands is cold, windy, and humid maritime.{{sfn|Klügel|2009|p=66}} Variability of daily weather is typical throughout the archipelago.{{sfn|Gibran|1998|p=16}} Rainfall is common over half of the year, averaging {{cvt|610|mm}} in Stanley, and sporadic light snowfall occurs nearly all year.{{sfn|Central Intelligence Agency|2011|loc="Falkland Islands (Malvinas) – Geography"}} The temperature has historically stayed between {{cvt|21.1|and|-11.1|C}} in Stanley, with mean monthly temperatures varying from {{cvt|9|C}} in January and February (summer) to {{cvt|-1|C}} in July (winter).{{sfn|Gibran|1998|p=16}} Strong westerly winds and cloudy skies are common.{{sfn|Central Intelligence Agency|2011|loc="Falkland Islands (Malvinas) – Geography"}} Although numerous storms are recorded each month, conditions are normally calm.{{sfn|Gibran|1998|p=16}}

{{Main|Wildlife of the Falkland Islands}}

File:Necksaundersisland2.jpgs on Saunders Island]]

The Falkland Islands are biogeographically part of the Antarctic zone,{{sfn|Jónsdóttir|2007|pp=84–86}} with strong connections to the flora and fauna of Patagonia in mainland South America.{{cite web |url=http://www.epd.gov.fk/wp-content/uploads/Falkland%20Islands%20State%20of%20the%20Environment%20Report%202008_final_sm.pdf |title=Falkland Islands State of the Environment Report 2008 |author1=Helen Otley |author2=Grant Munro |author3=Andrea Clausen |author4=Becky Ingham |publisher=Environmental Planning Department Falkland Islands Government |date=May 2008 |access-date=25 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720195504/http://www.epd.gov.fk/wp-content/uploads/Falkland%20Islands%20State%20of%20the%20Environment%20Report%202008_final_sm.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2011}} Land birds make up most of the Falklands' avifauna. The only endemic bird species on the Falkland Islands are the flightless Falkland steamer duck and Cobb's wren.{{cite web|first=Gary|last=Kramer|url=https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/exploring-the-falkland-islands/|title=Exploring The Falkland Islands|website=All About Birds|date=15 July 2020|access-date=22 May 2023}}{{cite web |url=http://www.epd.gov.fk/wp-content/uploads/Falkland%20Islands%20State%20of%20the%20Environment%20Report%202008_final_sm.pdf |title=Falkland Islands State of the Environment Report 2008 |publisher=gov.fk |date=May 2008 |access-date=25 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720195504/http://www.epd.gov.fk/wp-content/uploads/Falkland%20Islands%20State%20of%20the%20Environment%20Report%202008_final_sm.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://datazone.birdlife.org/country/falkland-islands-malvinas|title=Falkland Islands (Malvinas)|website=BirdLife International|date=2023|access-date=22 May 2023}} 63 species breed on the islands, including 14 endemic subspecies.{{sfn|Clark|Dingwall|1985|p=131}}

There is also abundant arthropod diversity on the islands.{{sfn|Clark|Dingwall|1985|p=132}} The Falklands' flora consists of 163 native vascular species.{{sfn|Clark|Dingwall|1985|p=129}} More than 400 species of lichens and lichen-dwelling fungi have been recorded.{{cite journal |last1=Fryday |first1=lan M. |last2=Orange |first2=Alan |last3=Ahti |first3=Teuvo |last4=Øvstedal |first4=Dag O. |last5=Crabtree |first5=Dafydd E. |year=2019 |title=An annotated checklist of lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi reported from the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |journal=Glalia |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=1–100 |url=https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/310227/2019_Glalia_8_1_Fryday_et_al_Checklist_lichens_Falkland_Islands.pdf?sequence=1}} The islands' only native terrestrial mammal, the warrah, was hunted to extinction by European settlers.{{sfn|Hince|2001|p=370}}

The islands are frequented by marine mammals, such as the southern elephant seal and the South American fur seal, and various types of cetaceans; offshore islands house the rare striated caracara. There are also five different penguin species and a few of the largest albatross colonies on the planet.{{cite journal |url=http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/letter-field/2015/pan-american-scientific-delegation-visit-falkland-islands |journal=Science and Diplomacy |date=30 June 2015 |title=Pan-American Scientific Delegation Visit to the Falkland Islands |first=Lindsay R. |last=Chura |quote=The ocean’s fecundity also draws globally important seabird populations to the archipelago; the Falkland Islands host some of the world’s largest albatross colonies and five penguin species. |access-date=6 July 2015 |archive-date=7 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707031719/http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/letter-field/2015/pan-american-scientific-delegation-visit-falkland-islands |url-status=live }} Endemic fish around the islands are primarily from the genus Galaxias.{{sfn|Clark|Dingwall|1985|p=132}} The Falklands are treeless and have a wind-resistant vegetation predominantly composed of a variety of dwarf shrubs.{{sfn|Jónsdóttir|2007|p=85}}

Virtually the entire land area of the islands is used as pasture for sheep.{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/falkland-islands-islas-malvinas/ |title=Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=10 July 2013 |archive-date=9 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109093604/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/falkland-islands-islas-malvinas |url-status=live }} Introduced species include reindeer, hares, rabbits, Patagonian foxes, brown rats, and cats.{{sfn|Bell|2007|p=544}} Several of these species have harmed native flora and fauna, so the government has tried to contain, remove or exterminate foxes, rabbits and rats. Endemic land animals have been the most affected by introduced species, and several bird species have been extirpated from the larger islands.{{sfn|Bell|2007|pp=542–545}} The extent of human impact on the Falklands is unclear, since there is little long-term data on habitat change.

{{Main|Economy of the Falkland Islands}}

{{See also|Falkland Islands oil|Transport in the Falkland Islands}}

File:Aerial photo Port Stanley edit.jpg, now officially a city, is the financial centre of the Falkland Islands' economy.{{sfn|Royle|2001|p=171}}]]

{{As of|2023}}, the economy of the Falkland Islands is ranked the {{ordinal|221}} largest out of 229 in the world by GDP (PPP),{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/real-gdp-purchasing-power-parity/country-comparison/|title=Real GDP (purchasing power parity)|website=The World Factbook |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|access-date=15 November 2023}} but ranks {{ordinal|10}} worldwide by GDP (PPP) per capita.{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/real-gdp-per-capita/country-comparison/|title=Real GDP per capita|website=The World Factbook |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|access-date=15 November 2023}} The unemployment rate was 1% in 2016, and inflation was calculated at 1.4% in 2014. Based on 2010 data, the islands have a high Human Development Index of 0.874{{sfn|Avakov|2013|p=47}} and a moderate Gini coefficient for income inequality of 34.17.{{sfn|Avakov|2013|p=54}} The local currency is the Falkland Islands pound, which is pegged to the British pound sterling.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/4087743.stm |title=Regions and territories: Falkland Islands |newspaper=BBC News |date=12 June 2012 |access-date=26 June 2014 |archive-date=9 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909094557/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/4087743.stm |url-status=live }}

Economic development was advanced by ship resupplying and sheep farming for high-quality wool.See:

• {{harvnb|Calvert|2004|p=134}},
• {{harvnb|Royle|2001|p=170}}. The main sheep breeds in the Falkland Islands are Polwarth and Corriedale.{{cite web |url=http://www.falklands.gov.fk/self-sufficiency/commercial-sectors/agriculture/ |title=Agriculture |publisher=Falkland Islands Government |access-date=13 February 2016 |archive-date=15 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215211254/http://www.falklands.gov.fk/self-sufficiency/commercial-sectors/agriculture/ |url-status=dead}} During the 1980s, although ranch under-investment and the use of synthetic fibres damaged the sheep-farming sector, the government secured a major revenue stream by the establishment of an exclusive economic zone and the sale of fishing licences to "anybody wishing to fish within this zone".{{sfn|Royle|2001|p=170}} Since the end of the Falklands War in 1982, the islands' economic activity increasingly focused on oil field exploration and tourism.{{sfn|Hemmerle|2005|p=319}} All large settlements are now connected by road and, since 2008, a ferry links West and East Falkland. The islands' major exports include wool, hides, venison, fish and squid; its main imports include fuel, building materials and clothing.

The port settlement of Stanley has regained the islands' economic focus, with an increase in population as workers migrate from Camp.{{sfn|Royle|2001|pp=170–171}} Fear of dependence on fishing licences and threats from overfishing, illegal fishing and fish market price fluctuations led to increased interest in oil drilling as an alternative source of revenue. As of 2001, exploration efforts had yet to find "exploitable reserves".{{sfn|Royle|2001|p=171}} By 2023, oil exploration was still proceeding off the shelf of the islands with a deepwater project led by Rockhopper Exploration.{{cite web | url=https://www.energyintel.com/00000187-245b-dd7d-a597-377b8e9d0000 | title=Rockhopper, Navitas Look to Reboot Falklands Project |website=Energy Intelligence |last=Schmidt |first=Katherine |date=27 March 2023 |accessdate=9 July 2023 }} Development projects in education and sports have been funded by the Falklands government, without aid from the United Kingdom.{{sfn|Royle|2001|p=170}}

The primary sector of the economy accounts for most of the Falkland Islands' gross domestic product, with the fishing industry alone contributing between 50% and 60% of annual GDP; agriculture also contributes significantly to GDP and employs about a tenth of the population.{{cite web |url=http://www.falklands.gov.fk/self-sufficiency/the-economy/ |publisher=Falkland Islands Government |title=The Economy |access-date=26 June 2014 |archive-date=7 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407065020/http://www.falklands.gov.fk/self-sufficiency/the-economy/ |url-status=dead}} A little over a quarter of the workforce serves the Falkland Islands government, making it the archipelago's largest employer.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/03/falkland-islands-data-charts |title=The Falkland Islands: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know in Data and Charts |newspaper=The Guardian |date=3 January 2013 |access-date=12 June 2014 |archive-date=3 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703050447/https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/03/falkland-islands-data-charts |url-status=live }} Tourism, part of the service economy, has been spurred by increased interest in Antarctic exploration and the creation of direct air links with the United Kingdom and South America.See:

• {{harvnb|Bertram|Muir|Stonehouse|2007|p=144}},
• {{harvnb|Prideaux|2008|p=171}}. Tourists, mostly cruise ship passengers, are attracted by the archipelago's wildlife and environment, as well as activities such as fishing and wreck diving; the majority find accommodation in Stanley.See:
• {{harvnb|Prideaux|2008|p=171}},
• {{harvnb|Royle|2006|p=183}}. The main international airport, located at RAF Mount Pleasant on East Falkland, provides flights to RAF Brize Norton in the UK and mainland South America.{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Falkland-Islands |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |title=Falkland Islands |accessdate=18 September 2019}} Port Stanley Airport provides internal flights.{{cite web |title=Internal Flights (FIGAS) |url=http://www.falklandislands.com/contents/view/116/get-here/get-around/internal-flights-figas |access-date=23 July 2010 |work=Getting Around the Falkland Islands |publisher=Falkland Islands Tourist Board}} Despite COVID-19 pandemic restrictions causing suspensions of flights from Santiago and São Paulo and prohibited cruise ship tourism, the economy of the islands remains stable and healthy.{{cite web |url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/las-islas-malvinas-hoy-mas-diversas-y-cosmopolitas-miran-a-londres-y-apuntan-a-la-autodeterminacion-nid28032022/ |title=Las Islas Malvinas, hoy: más diversas y cosmopolitas, miran a Londres y apuntan a la autodeterminación como país |trans-title=Falkland Islands, today: more diverse and cosmopolite, they look to London and aim to self-determination |language=Spanish |first=Hugo |last=Alconada Mon |date=28 March 2022 |publisher=La Nación |accessdate=28 March 2022 |archive-date=28 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328135504/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/las-islas-malvinas-hoy-mas-diversas-y-cosmopolitas-miran-a-londres-y-apuntan-a-la-autodeterminacion-nid28032022/ |url-status=live }}

{{see also|Origins of Falkland Islanders|Religion in the Falkland Islands}}

File:FAL-2016-Stanley, Falkland Islands–Christ Church Cathedral.jpg, the local parish church of the Anglican Communion. Most Falklanders identify as Christian.]]

The Falkland Islands population is homogeneous, mostly descended from Scottish and Welsh immigrants who settled in the territory after 1833.{{sfn|Laver|2001|p=9}} The Falkland-born population are also descended from English and French people, Gibraltarians, Scandinavians, and South Americans. The 2016 census indicated that 43% of residents were born on the archipelago, with foreign-born residents assimilated into local culture. The legal term for the right of residence is "belonging to the islands".{{cite web |url=http://www.falklands.gov.fk//documents/Census%20Report%202006.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216182057/http://www.falklands.gov.fk//documents/Census%20Report%202006.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2010 |title=Falkland Islands Census Statistics, 2006 |publisher=Falkland Islands Government |access-date=4 June 2010}}{{cite web |last1=Falkland Islands Government |title=Falkland Islands Census 2016 |url=http://www.fig.gov.fk/archives/jdownloads/People/Census%20Information%20Early%20Settlers/Falkland%20Islands%20Census%202016%20-%20Full%20Report.pdf |website=Falkland Islands Government |access-date=6 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328192533/http://www.fig.gov.fk/archives/jdownloads/People/Census%20Information%20Early%20Settlers/Falkland%20Islands%20Census%202016%20-%20Full%20Report.pdf |archive-date=28 March 2018 |url-status=dead}} In 1983, full British citizenship was given to Falkland Islanders under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983.{{sfn|Laver|2001|p=9}}

A significant population decline affected the archipelago in the 20th century, with many young islanders moving overseas in search of education, a modern lifestyle, and better job opportunities,See:

• {{harvnb|Gibran|1998|p=18}},
• {{harvnb|Laver|2001|p=173}}. particularly to the British city of Southampton, which came to be known in the islands as "Stanley North".[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/mar/19/falklands-optimistic-invasion-anniversary Falklands still home to optimists as invasion anniversary nears] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305030343/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/mar/19/falklands-optimistic-invasion-anniversary |date=5 March 2017 }}, The Guardian, Andy Beckett, 19 March 2012 In recent years, the islands' population decline has reduced, thanks to immigrants from the United Kingdom, Saint Helena, and Chile.{{sfn|Minahan|2013|p=139}} In the 2012 census, a majority of residents listed their nationality as Falkland Islander (59 per cent), followed by British (29 per cent), Saint Helenian (9.8 per cent), and Chilean (5.4 per cent).{{cite web |url=http://www.falklands.gov.fk/assets/Headline-Results-from-Census-2012.pdf |title=Falkland Islands Census 2012: Headline results |date=10 September 2012 |publisher=Falkland Islands Government |access-date=19 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520184434/http://www.falklands.gov.fk/assets/Headline-Results-from-Census-2012.pdf |archive-date=20 May 2013}} A small number of Argentines also live on the islands.{{cite news |url=http://en.mercopress.com/2013/06/28/falklands-referendum-voters-from-many-countries-around-the-world-voted-yes |title=Falklands Referendum: Voters from many countries around the world voted Yes |newspaper=MercoPress |date=28 June 2013 |access-date=22 July 2013 |archive-date=17 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017102912/http://en.mercopress.com/2013/06/28/falklands-referendum-voters-from-many-countries-around-the-world-voted-yes |url-status=live }}

The Falkland Islands have a low population density.{{sfn|Royle|2006|p=181}} According to the 2012 census, the average daily population of the Falklands was 2,932, excluding military personnel serving in the archipelago and their dependents.{{efn-ua|At the time of the 2012 census, 91 Falklands residents were overseas.}} A 2012 report counted 1,300 uniformed personnel and 50 British Ministry of Defence civil servants present in the Falklands. Stanley (with 2,121 residents) is the most-populous location on the archipelago, followed by Mount Pleasant (369 residents, primarily air-base contractors) and Camp (351 residents). The islands' age distribution is skewed towards working age {{nowrap|(20–60)}}. Males outnumber females (53 to 47 per cent), and this discrepancy is most prominent in the {{nowrap|20–60}} age group.

In the 2012 census, most islanders identified themselves as Christian (66 per cent), followed by those with no religious affiliation (32 per cent). The remaining 2 per cent identified as adherents of other religions, including the Baháʼí Faith,{{cite web |url=http://adherents.com/largecom/com_bahai.html |title=The Largest Baha'i (sic) Communities (mid-2000) |website=Adherents.com |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011020123109/http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_bahai.html |date=September 2001 |archive-date=20 October 2001 |access-date=11 October 2020}} Buddhism,{{Cite web |url=http://www.falklands.gov.fk//documents/Census%20Report%202006.pdf |title=Falkland Islands Census Statistics 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216182057/http://www.falklands.gov.fk//documents/Census%20Report%202006.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2010}} and Islam.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2009/oct/08/muslim-population-islam-religion |title=The world in muslim populations, every country listed |date=8 October 2009 |work=The Guardian |access-date=2 March 2019 |archive-date=7 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207193255/https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2009/oct/08/muslim-population-islam-religion |url-status=live }} The main Christian denominations are Anglicanism and other Protestantism, and Roman Catholicism.Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition [6 volumes] by J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, ABC-CLIO, p. 1093.

See also: Education in the Falkland Islands

Education in the Falkland Islands, which follows England's system, is free and compulsory for residents aged between 5 and 16 years.{{cite web |url=http://www.falklands.gov.fk/our-people/daily-life/education/ |publisher=Falkland Islands Government |title=Education |access-date=29 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026174550/https://www.falklands.gov.fk/our-people/daily-life/education/ |archive-date=26 October 2018 |url-status=live}} Primary education is available at Stanley, RAF Mount Pleasant (for children of service personnel) and a number of rural settlements. Secondary education is only available in Stanley, which offers boarding facilities and 12 subjects to General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level. Students aged 16 or older may study at colleges in England for their GCE Advanced Level or vocational qualifications. The Falkland Islands government pays for older students to attend institutions of higher education, usually in the United Kingdom.

{{Main|Culture of the Falkland Islands}}

File:Hope-Place.jpgs from mainland South America, such as these two men having mate at Hope Place in East Falkland, influenced the local dialect.]]

Falklands culture is based on the cultural traditions of its British settlers but has also been influenced by Hispanic South America.{{sfn|Minahan|2013|p=139}} Falklanders still use some terms and place names from the former Gaucho inhabitants.{{sfn|Wagstaff|2001|p=21}} The Falklands' predominant and official language is English, with the foremost dialect being British English; nonetheless, some inhabitants also speak Spanish.{{sfn|Minahan|2013|p=139}} According to naturalist Will Wagstaff, "the Falkland Islands are a very social place, and stopping for a chat is a way of life".{{sfn|Wagstaff|2001|p=21}}

The islands have one weekly newspaper, The Penguin News,{{sfn|Wagstaff|2001|p=66}} and television and radio broadcasts generally feature programming from the United Kingdom.{{sfn|Minahan|2013|p=139}} Wagstaff describes the local cuisine as "very British in character with much use made of the home-grown vegetables, local lamb, mutton, beef, and fish". Common between meals are "homemade cakes and biscuits with tea or coffee".{{sfn|Wagstaff|2001|pp=63–64}} Social activities are, according to Wagstaff, "typical of that of a small British town with a variety of clubs and organisations covering many aspects of community life".{{sfn|Wagstaff|2001|p=65}}

{{Main|Sport in the Falkland Islands}}

Despite its small size, the Falkland Islands compete in the Commonwealth Games and Island Games.{{cite web | title=Falkland Islands | website=Inside the Games | date=7 October 2021 | url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1106645/falkland-islands | access-date=5 April 2024}} The Falkland Islands national cricket team is a member of the International Cricket Council.{{cite web | title=Falkland Islands | website=International Cricket Council | date=18 January 2024 | url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/about/members/associate/falkland-islands | access-date=5 April 2024}}

• Index of Falkland Islands–related articles
• List of islands of the Falkland Islands
• List of settlements in the Falkland Islands
• Outline of the Falkland Islands

{{notelist-ua}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin|30em}}

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• {{cite book |last=Hemmerle |first=Oliver Benjamin |editor=R. W. McColl |chapter=Falkland Islands |title=Encyclopedia of World Geography |volume=1 |year=2005 |publisher=Golson Books, Ltd. |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8160-5786-3}}
• {{cite book |last=Hertslet |first=Lewis |author-link=Lewis Hertslet |title=A Complete Collection of the Treaties and Conventions, and Reciprocal Regulations, At Present Subsisting Between Great Britain and Foreign Powers, and of the Laws, Decrees, and Orders in Council, Concerning the Same |year=1851 |publisher=Harrison and Son |location=London |volume=8}}
• {{cite book |last=Hince |first=Bernadette |title=The Antarctic Dictionary |year=2001 |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |location=Collingwood, Melbourne |isbn=978-0-9577471-1-1}}
• {{cite book |last=Jones |first=Roger |title=What's Who? A Dictionary of Things Named After People and the People They are Named After |year=2009 |publisher=Matador |location=Leicester, England |isbn=978-1-84876-047-9}}
• {{cite book |last=Jónsdóttir |first=Ingibjörg |editor=Jorge Rabassa |editor2=Maria Laura Borla |chapter=Botany during the Swedish Antarctic Expedition 1901–1903 |title=Antarctic Peninsula and Tierra del Fuego |year=2007 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |location=Leiden, Netherlands |isbn=978-0-415-41379-4}}
• {{cite book |last=Klügel |first=Andreas |editor=Rosemary Gillespie |editor2=David Clague |chapter=Atlantic Region |title=Encyclopedia of Islands |year=2009 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |isbn=978-0-520-25649-1}}
• {{cite book |last=Lansford |first=Tom |title=Political Handbook of the World 2012 |year=2012 |editor=Thomas Muller |editor2=Judith Isacoff |editor3=Tom Lansford |publisher=CQ Press |location=Los Angeles, California |isbn=978-1-60871-995-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/politicalhandboo0000unse_a2s3}}
• {{cite book |last=Laver |first=Roberto |title=The Falklands/Malvinas Case |year=2001 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |location=The Hague |isbn=978-90-411-1534-8}}
• {{cite book |last=Marley |first=David |title=Wars of the Americas |year=2008 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, California |edition=2nd |isbn=978-1-59884-100-8}}
• {{cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Ethnic Groups of the Americas |year=2013 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, California |isbn=978-1-61069-163-5}}
• {{cite book |last=Paine |first=Lincoln |title=Ships of Discovery and Exploration |year=2000 |publisher=Mariner Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-395-98415-4}}
• {{cite book |last1=Pascoe |first1=Graham |last2=Pepper |first2=Peter |chapter=Luis Vernet |title=The Dictionary of Falklands Biography (Including South Georgia): From Discovery Up to 1981 |editor=David Tatham |editor-link=David Tatham |publisher=David Tatham |location=Ledbury, England |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-9558985-0-1}}
• {{cite book |last=Peterson |first=Harold |title=Argentina and the United States 1810–1960 |year=1964 |publisher=University Publishers Inc. |location=New York |isbn=978-0-87395-010-7}}
• {{cite encyclopedia |last=Prideaux |first=Bruce |title=Falkland Islands |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments |editor=Michael Lück |publisher=CAB International |location=Oxon, England |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-84593-350-0}}
• {{cite book |last1=Reginald |first1=Robert |last2=Elliot |first2=Jeffrey |title=Tempest in a Teapot: The Falkland Islands War |year=1983 |publisher=Whitehall Co. |location=Wheeling, Illinois |isbn=978-0-89370-267-0}}
• {{cite book |last=Room |first=Adrian |author-link=Adrian Room |title=Placenames of the World |edition=2nd |year=2006 |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=978-0-7864-2248-7}}
• {{cite book |last=Royle |first=Stephen |title=A Geography of Islands: Small Island Insularity |year=2001 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=978-0-203-16036-7}}
• {{cite encyclopedia |last=Royle |first=Stephen |title=The Falkland Islands |year=2006 |encyclopedia=Extreme Tourism: Lessons from the World's Cold Water Islands |editor=Godfrey Baldacchino |publisher=Elsevier |location=Amsterdam |isbn=978-0-08-044656-1}}
• {{cite book |last=Sainato |first=Vincenzo |editor=Graeme Newman |editor2=Janet Stamatel |editor3=Hang-en Sung |chapter=Falkland Islands |title=Crime and Punishment around the World |volume=2 |year=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, California |isbn=978-0-313-35133-4}}
• {{cite book |last=Segal |first=Gerald |title=The World Affairs Companion |url=https://archive.org/details/worldaffairscomp00sega |url-access=registration |year=1991 |publisher=Simon & Schuster/Touchstone |location=New York |isbn=978-0-671-74157-0}}
• {{cite book |last=Sicker |first=Martin |title=The Geopolitics of Security in the Americas |year=2002 |publisher=Praeger Publishers |location=Westport, Connecticut |isbn=978-0-275-97255-4}}
• {{cite book |last=Strange |first=Ian |title=The Falkland Islands and Their Natural History |year=1987 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot, England |isbn=978-0-7153-8833-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/falklandislands00stra}}
• {{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Simon |last2=Márkus |first2=Gilbert |title=The Place-Names of Fife: Central Fife between the Rivers Leven and Eden |year=2005 |publisher=Shaun Tyas |location=Donington, England |isbn=978-1900289-93-1}}
• {{cite encyclopedia |last=Thomas |first=David |title=The View from Whitehall |encyclopedia=Toward Resolution? The Falklands/Malvinas Dispute |editor=Wayne Smith |publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers |location=Boulder, Colorado |year=1991 |isbn=978-1-55587-265-6}}
• {{cite book |last=Trewby |first=Mary |title=Antarctica: An Encyclopedia from Abbott Ice Shelf to Zooplankton |year=2002 |publisher=Firefly Books |location=Richmond Hill, Ontario |isbn=978-1-55297-590-9}}
• {{cite book |last=Wagstaff |first=William |author-link=Will Wagstaff |title=Falkland Islands: The Bradt Travel Guide |year=2001 |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides, Ltd. |location=Buckinghamshire, England |isbn=978-1-84162-037-4}}
• {{cite book |last=Zepeda |first=Alexis |chapter=Argentina |title=Britain and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History |year=2005 |editor=Will Kaufman |editor2=Heidi Slettedahl Macpherson |publisher=ABC–CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, California |isbn=978-1-85109-431-8}}

{{refend}}

{{refbegin|30em}}

• {{cite journal |first=César |last=Caviedes |title=Conflict Over The Falkland Islands: A Never-Ending Story? |journal=Latin American Research Review |volume=29 |year=1994 |issue=2 |pages=172–187 |doi=10.1017/S0023879100024171 |s2cid=252749716 |doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal |year=1846 |last=Darwin |first=Charles |title=On the Geology of the Falkland Islands |journal=Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society |volume=2 |issue=1–2 |pages=267–274 |doi=10.1144/GSL.JGS.1846.002.01-02.46 |bibcode=1846QJGS....2..267D |s2cid=129936121 |url=http://www.umag.cl/investigacion/dpa/docs/267-a.pdf |access-date=9 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711103055/http://www.umag.cl/investigacion/dpa/docs/267-a.pdf |archive-date=11 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}
• {{cite book |editor-first=Carlos |editor-last=Escudé|editor-first2=Andrés |editor-last2=Cisneros |title=Historia de las Relaciones Exteriores Argentinas |location=Buenos Aires, Argentina |publisher=GEL/Nuevohacer |year=2000 |isbn=978-950-694-546-6}} Work developed and published under the auspices of the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI).
• {{cite book |last=Freedman |first=Lawrence |author-link=Lawrence Freedman |title=The Official History of the Falklands Campaign |url=https://archive.org/details/officialhistoryo0001free |url-access=registration |year=2005 |publisher=Routledge |location=Oxon, UK |isbn=978-0-7146-5207-8 }}
• {{cite news |author=Michael Frenchman |work=The Times |page=7 |title=Britain puts forward four options on Falklands (Nick Ridley visit & leaseback) |date=28 November 1980 |url=https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/112605 |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-date=6 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706054656/https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/112605 |url-status=live }}
• {{cite journal |last=Greig |first=D. W. |url=http://www.austlii.com/au/journals/AUYrBkIntLaw//1978/2.pdf |title=Sovereignty and the Falkland Islands Crisis |journal=Australian Year Book of International Law |volume=8 |year=1983 |pages=20–70 |doi=10.1163/26660229-008-01-900000006 |issn=0084-7658 |access-date=5 September 2011 |archive-date=9 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709041530/http://www.austlii.com/au/journals/AUYrBkIntLaw//1978/2.pdf |url-status=live }}
• {{cite book |first=L. L. |last=Ivanov |title=The Future of the Falkland Islands and Its People |location=Sofia, Bulgaria |publisher=Manfred Wörner Foundation |year=2003 |isbn=978-954-91503-1-5 |display-authors=etal |title-link=s:The Future of the Falkland Islands and Its People}} Printed in Bulgaria by Double T Publishers.

{{refend}}

{{commons category}}

• {{Wikiatlas|Falkland Islands}}
• {{official website}}
• [http://www.fidc.co.fk/ Falkland Islands Development Corporation]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20040325151046/http://falklandnews.com/ Falkland Islands News Network]
• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18425572 Falkland Islands Profile (BBC)] (also at: [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18425572])
• {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Falkland Islands |volume=10 |short=x}}

{{Geographic Location

|Centre={{flagicon|FLK}} Falkland Islands

|Northwest={{flagu|Argentina}}

|North=Atlantic Ocean

|Northeast=Atlantic Ocean

|East=Atlantic Ocean
{{flagicon|SGS}} South Georgia

|Southeast=Southern Ocean
South Orkney Islands

|South=Drake Passage
South Shetland Islands
Antarctic Peninsula

|Southwest=Tierra del Fuego
Drake Passage

|West={{flagu|Chile}}
Strait of Magellan

}}

{{Navboxes

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{{Navboxes

|title=25px{{nbsp}}Geographic locale

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Geographic coordinate system {{coord|51|42|S|57|51|W|display=inline}} {{color|darkblue|(Stanley)}}

{{Falkland Islands}}

{{British dependencies}}

{{British overseas territories}}

{{Countries of South America}}

{{Peri-Antarctic countries and overseas territories}}

{{Outlying territories of European countries}}

{{Spanish Empire}}

}}

{{Navboxes

|title=Territorial disputes

|list=

{{Territorial disputes involving the United Kingdom}}

{{Territorial disputes involving Argentina}}

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Category:Falkland Islands

Category:Disputed islands of South America

Category:Island countries

Category:English-speaking countries and territories

Category:States and territories established in 1833

Category:Dependent territories in South America

Category:British Overseas Territories

Category:Islands of South America

Category:Temperate South America