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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 on 2 April 1982. The British
responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks
later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on
14 June 1982. |
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Location:
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Southern South
America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern
Argentina |
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Map references:
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South
America |
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Area:
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total:
12,173 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of East and West
Falkland and about 200 small islands
water: 0 sq km
land: 12,173 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller
than Connecticut |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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1,288 km |
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Climate:
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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 |
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Terrain:
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rocky, hilly,
mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m |
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Natural resources:
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fish, squid,
wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss |
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Land use:
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arable land:
0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (1998
est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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strong winds
persist throughout the year |
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Environment - current issues:
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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
Chornobyl disaster |
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Geography - note:
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deeply indented
coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season |
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Population:
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2,967 (July 2004
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA% (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.44% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
|
NA births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
|
NA deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
|
NA migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2004 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island |
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Ethnic groups:
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British |
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Religions:
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primarily
Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist
Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist |
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Languages:
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English |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas
Malvinas) |
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Dependency status:
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overseas
territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina |
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Government type:
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NA |
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Capital:
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Stanley |
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Administrative divisions:
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none (overseas
territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
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Independence:
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none (overseas
territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
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National holiday:
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Liberation Day,
14 June (1982) |
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Constitution:
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3 October 1985;
amended 1997 and 1998 |
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Legal system:
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English common
law |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor
appointed by the monarch
head of government: Governor Howard PEARCE (since 3
December 2002); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since NA March
2003); Financial Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA)
cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by
the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief
executive and the financial secretary), and the governor |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
Legislative Council (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected by
popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by
the governor
elections: last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held
NA November 2005)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats -
independents 8; note - 71% voter turnout |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court
(chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior
magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court
of Summary Jurisdiction |
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Political parties and leaders:
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none; all
independents |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (overseas
territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (overseas
territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
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Economy - overview:
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The economy was
formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today
fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the
government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers
operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These
license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes
to support the island's health, education, and welfare system.
Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming
supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder.
Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the
sale of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now
self-financing except for defense. The British Geological
Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the
islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial
reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date
no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between
Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and
sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in
exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism, especially
eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors
in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on
money the government has in the bank. The British military
presence also provides a sizeable economic boost. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $75 million (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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NA% |
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GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power
parity - $25,000 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.6% (1998) |
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Labor force:
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1,100 (est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 95%
(mostly sheepherding and fishing) |
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Unemployment rate:
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full employment;
labor shortage (2001) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$66.2 million
expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital
expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.) |
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Industries:
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fish and wool
processing; tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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16.33 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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15.19 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
|
200 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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fodder and
vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products |
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Exports:
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$82 million
(2002) |
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Exports - commodities:
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wool, hides, meat |
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Exports - partners:
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Spain 73.2%, UK
8.5%, US 7.3% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$53 million
(2002) |
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Imports - commodities:
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fuel, food and
drink, building materials, clothing |
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Imports - partners:
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UK 54.7%, Spain
18.9%, Italy 15.1%, Czech Republic 7.5% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$NA (1999 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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none (1997 est.) |
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Currency:
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Falkland pound (FKP) |
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Currency code:
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FKP |
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Exchange rates:
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Falkland pounds
per US dollar - 0.61 (2003), 0.67 (2002), 0.69 (2001), 0.66
(2000), 0.62 (1999), 0.6 (1998); note - the Falkland pound is
at par with the British pound |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31
March |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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2,400 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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0 (2001) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 7,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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2 (operated by
the British Forces Broadcasting Service)
note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002) |
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Internet country code:
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.fk |
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Internet users:
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NA; however
one-half of all households are reported to have internet
access (2002) |
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Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total: 440
km
paved: 50 km
unpaved: 390 km (2002) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Stanley
note: the primary port is located in Stanley Harbour
and known locally as FIPASS (Falkland Interim Port and Storage
System); the facility consists of seven permanently moored
barges providing 300 meters of berthing space; it was
installed by the military after 1982 and handed over to the
Falkland Islands Government in 1988 |
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Merchant marine:
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none |
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Airports:
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5 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no regular
military forces |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$NA |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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NA% |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of the UK |
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Disputes - international:
|
claimed by
Argentina whose forces briefly occupied it in 1982, but now
declares it will no longer seek settlement by force; UK
continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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