Stanley
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Key facts and a structured country profile. 🧾 Change log 📐 True Size
Locator 🗺️ Map
3,142 (2021)
12,173 sq km
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km east of southern Argentina
🧭 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 With hostilities ended and Argentine forces withdrawn, UK administration resumed.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.
🗺️ Geography
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km east of southern Argentina
51 45 S, 59 00 W
South America
12,173 sq km
12,173 sq km
0 sq km
Slightly smaller than Connecticut
0 km
1,288 km
12 nm
200 nm
200 nm
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
Rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains
Mount Usborne 705 m
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss
93.2% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 0% (2022 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)
Permanent pasture: 93.2% (2023 est.)
0% (2022 est.)
6.8% (2023 est.)
NA
A very small population, with most residents living in and around Stanley
Strong winds persist throughout the year
Deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season
👥 People and Society⬆️ Top
3,142 (2021)
1,645
1,497
Falkland Islander(s)
Falkland Island
Falkland Islander 48.3%, British 23.1%, St. Helenian 7.5%, Chilean 4.6%, mixed 6%, other 8.5%, unspecified 2% (2016 est.)
English 89%, Spanish 7.7%, other 3.3% (2006 est.)
Christian 57.1%, other 1.6%, none 35.4%, unspecified 6% (2016 est.)
38.4 (2021)
21.8 (2021)
16.6 (2021)
6 (2021)
0.01% (2014 est.)
10.9 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2012 est.)
A very small population, with most residents living in and around Stanley
79.7% of total population (2023)
0.53% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
2,000 STANLEY (capital) (2018)
1.12 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
(2017 est.) 77.9
75.6
79.6
Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 21.8% of population
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.)
47.7% (2016 est.)
🌿 Environment⬆️ Top
Overfishing by unlicensed vessels; grazing threatens important habitats; soil erosion from fires
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
93.2% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 0% (2022 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)
Permanent pasture: 93.2% (2023 est.)
0% (2022 est.)
6.8% (2023 est.)
79.7% of total population (2023)
0.53% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
36,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
36,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
🏛️ Government⬆️ Top
None
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
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
Parliamentary democracy (Legislative Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina
Stanley
51 42 S, 57 51 W
UTC-3 (2 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Named in 1844 after Edward SMITH-STANLEY, the 14th Earl of Derby
English common law and local statutes
Previous 1985; latest entered into force 1 January 2009 (The Falkland Islands Constitution Order 2008)
See United Kingdom
18 years of age; universal
King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Colin MARTIN-REYNOLDS (since 29 July 2025)
Chief Executive Andrea Patricia CLAUSEN (since 1 April 2025)
Executive Council elected by the Legislative Council
The monarchy is hereditary; monarch appoints the governor, who appoints the chief executive
Legislative Assembly
Unicameral
10 (8 directly elected, 2 appointed)
Plurality/majority
Full renewal
4 years
12/11/2025
25% note: does not include the speaker
November 2025
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)
Chief justice, court of appeal president, and justices appointed by the governor; tenure specified in each justice's instrument of appointment
Magistrate's Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction
None; all independents
None (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)
None (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)
UPU
None (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
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
Ram
Red, white, blue
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”
"God Save the King"
Unknown
Official anthem, as a UK territory
💹 Economy⬆️ Top
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
$70,800 (2015 est.)
$63,000 (2014 est.)
$206.4 million (2015 est.)
Fodder and vegetable crops; venison, sheep, dairy products; fish, squid
Fish and wool processing; tourism
Spain 68%, Morocco 10%, USA 8%, Namibia 3%, Germany 2% (2023)
Shellfish, fish, wool, sheep and goat meat (2023)
UK 68%, Greece 19%, Spain 11%, Netherlands 1%, NZ 0% (2023)
Refined petroleum, aircraft parts, prefabricated buildings, plastic products, surveying equipment (2023)
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.)
⚡ Energy⬆️ Top
10,000 kW (2023 est.)
18.257 million kWh (2023 est.)
900,000 kWh (2023 est.)
73.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
26.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
200 bbl/day (2023 est.)
📡 Communications⬆️ Top
2,000 (2021 est.)
53 (2021 est.)
6,420 (2022 est.)
184 (2022 est.)
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)
.fk
99% (2021 est.)
1,000 (2020 est.)
33 (2020 est.)
🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top
VP-F
34 (2025)
2 (2023)
General cargo 1, other 1
1 (2024)
0
1
0
0
1
Stanley
🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top
No regular military forces
Defense is the responsibility of the UK, which maintains a military presence on the islands
Source: Factbook JSON archive.