Falkland Islands
|
| Basic Facts |
| Country name |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
| Gevernment type | NA |
| Capital |
name: Stanley
geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 41 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 |
| 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 |
| Currency | Falkland pound (FKP) |
| Internet country code | .fk |
| Ports and terminals | Stanley |
| Agriculture products | fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products |
| Industries | fish and wool processing; tourism |
| Geography |
| Location | Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina |
| Coordinates | 51 45 S, 59 00 W |
| Continent | South America |
| 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 |
| Boundaries | 0 km |
| Coastline | 1,288 km |
| Climate | cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate |
| Terrain | rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains |
| Natural resources | fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss |
| Natural hazards | strong winds persist throughout the year |
| People |
| Population | 2,967 (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | British |
| Religions | primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Languages | English |
