Английская Википедия:Falkland Islands

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Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Redirect-multi Шаблон:Pp-move-indef Шаблон:Pp-semi-indef Шаблон:EngvarB Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox dependency The Falkland Islands (Шаблон:IPAc-en Шаблон:Respell; Шаблон:Lang-es Шаблон:IPA-es) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about Шаблон:Cvt east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about Шаблон:Cvt from Cape Dubouzet at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, at a latitude of about 52°S. The archipelago, with an area of Шаблон:Cvt, comprises East Falkland, West Falkland, and 776 smaller islands. As a British overseas territory, the Falklands have internal self-governance, but the United Kingdom takes responsibility for their defence and foreign affairs. The capital and largest settlement is Stanley on East Falkland.

Controversy exists over the Falklands' discovery and subsequent colonisation by Europeans. At various times, the islands have had French, British, Spanish, and Argentine settlements. Britain reasserted its rule in 1833, but Argentina maintains its claim to the islands. In April 1982, Argentine military forces invaded the islands. British administration was restored two months later at the end of the Falklands War. In a 2013 sovereignty referendum, almost all Falklanders voted in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory. The territory's sovereignty status is part of an ongoing dispute between Argentina and the UK.

The population (3,662 inhabitants in 2021) is primarily native-born Falkland Islanders, the majority of British descent. Other ethnicities include French, Gibraltarians, and Scandinavians. Immigration from the United Kingdom, the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena, and Chile has reversed a population decline. The predominant (and official) language is English. Under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983, Falkland Islanders are British citizens.

The islands lie at the boundary of the subantarctic oceanic and tundra climate zones, and both major islands have mountain ranges reaching Шаблон:Cvt. They are home to large bird populations, although many no longer breed on the main islands due to predation by introduced species. Major economic activities include fishing, tourism and sheep farming, with an emphasis on high-quality wool exports. Oil exploration, licensed by the Falkland Islands Government, remains controversial as a result of maritime disputes with Argentina.

Etymology

The name "Falkland Islands" comes from Falkland Sound, the strait that separates the two main islands.Шаблон:Sfn 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. 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" (Шаблон:Lang),Шаблон:Efn-ua but it could less plausibly be from the Anglo-Saxon term "folkland" (land held by folk-right).Шаблон:Sfn 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". 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.Шаблон:Sfn 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). The port, located in the Brittany region of western France, was named after St. Malo (or Maclou), the Christian evangelist who founded the city.Шаблон:Sfn

In 1965, at the 20th session 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).Шаблон:Sfn The nomenclature used by the United Nations for statistical processing purposes is Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

History

Although Fuegians from Patagonia may have visited the Falkland Islands in prehistoric times, the islands were uninhabited when Europeans first explored them.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn-ua 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.

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.Шаблон:Efn-ua Whether or not the settlements were aware of each other's existence is debated by historians. In 1766, France surrendered its claim on the Falklands to Spain, which renamed the French colony Puerto Soledad the following year.Шаблон:Sfn Problems began when Spain detected and captured Port Egmont in 1770. War was narrowly avoided by its restitution to Britain in 1771.Шаблон:Sfn

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.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn

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.Шаблон:Efn-ua 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.Шаблон:Efn-ua 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. Buenos Aires named Vernet military and civil commander of the islands in 1829,Шаблон:Sfn and he attempted to regulate sealing to stop the activities of foreign whalers and sealers.Шаблон:Sfn 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,Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn-ua when United States Navy commander Silas Duncan declared the dissolution of the island's government.Шаблон:Sfn

Three men in horseback examine a pastoral settlement

Depiction of a Falklands corral, 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.Шаблон:Sfn The Argentine Confederation (headed by Buenos Aires Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas) protested against Britain's actions,Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn-ua and Argentine governments have continued since then to register official protests against Britain.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn-ua The British troops departed after completing their mission, leaving the area without formal government.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn In 1840, the Falklands became a Crown colony and Scottish settlers subsequently established an official pastoral community.Шаблон:Sfn 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.

Stanley, as Port Jackson was soon renamed, officially became the seat of government in 1845.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn Nevertheless, the Falklands' geographic location proved ideal for ship repairs and the "Wrecking Trade", the business of selling and buying shipwrecks and their cargoes.Шаблон:Sfn 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,Шаблон:Efn-ua successfully introduced Cheviot sheep for wool farming, spurring other farms to follow suit. 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.Шаблон:Sfn In 1881, the Falkland Islands became financially independent of Britain.Шаблон:Sfn 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.

Two battling ships, with one sinking

Naval confrontation during the 1914 Battle of the Falkland Islands (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.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn

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.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn From 1966 until 1968, the UK confidentially discussed with Argentina the transfer of the Falklands, assuming its judgement would be accepted by the islanders.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn

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. Substantive sovereignty talks again ended by 1981, and the dispute escalated with passing time.Шаблон:Sfn 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. After the war the UK expanded its military presence, building RAF Mount Pleasant and increasing the size of its garrison.Шаблон:Sfn The war also left some 117 minefields containing nearly 20,000 mines of various types, including anti-vehicle and anti-personnel mines. Due to the large number of deminer casualties, initial attempts to clear the mines ceased in 1983.Шаблон:Efn-ua Demining operations recommenced in 2009 and were completed in October 2020.

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.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn-ua The road network was also made more extensive, and the construction of RAF Mount Pleasant allowed access to long haul flights.Шаблон:Sfn Oil exploration also began in the 2010s, with indications of possible commercially exploitable deposits in the Falklands basin. 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. Argentina and the UK re-established diplomatic relations in 1990, but neither has agreed on the terms of future sovereignty discussions.

Government

Large, rambling house with greenhouse and white fence

Government House in Stanley is the Governor's official residence.

The Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory.Шаблон:Sfn 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". 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. Both the governor and the chief executive serve as the head of government.Шаблон:Sfn

Governor Alison Blake was appointed in July 2022 and Chief Executive Andy Keeling was appointed in April 2021. The UK minister responsible for the Falkland Islands since 2023, David Rutley, administers British foreign policy regarding the islands.

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.Шаблон:Sfn 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.

As a territory of the United Kingdom, the Falklands were part of the overseas countries and territories of the European Union until 2020. The islands' judicial system, overseen by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is largely based on English law,Шаблон:Sfn 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. Law enforcement is the responsibility of the Royal Falkland Islands Police (RFIP).Шаблон:Sfn

Defence

Шаблон:Main Defence of the islands is provided by the United Kingdom.Шаблон:Sfn 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. The Falklands claim an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extending Шаблон:Cvt from its coastal baselines, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; this zone overlaps with the EEZ of Argentina.

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".Шаблон:Sfn Argentina claims that, when it achieved independence in 1816, it acquired the Falklands from Spain. 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.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn-ua

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. In March 2013, the Falkland Islands held a referendum on its political status: 99.8% of votes cast favoured remaining a British overseas territory. Argentina does not recognise the Falkland Islanders as a partner in negotiations.

Geography

Topographic image

Map of the Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands have a land area of Шаблон:Cvt and a coastline estimated at Шаблон:Cvt. The archipelago consists of two main islands, West Falkland and East Falkland, and 776 smaller islands.Шаблон:Sfn The islands are predominantly mountainous and hilly,Шаблон:Sfn with the major exception being the depressed plains of Lafonia (a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland).Шаблон:Sfn 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 Шаблон:Cvt east of Patagonia in southern Argentina.Шаблон:Sfn

The Falklands' approximate location is latitude Шаблон:Nowrap – Шаблон:Nowrap and longitude Шаблон:Nowrap – Шаблон:Nowrap.Шаблон:Sfn The archipelago's two main islands are separated by the Falkland Sound,Шаблон:Sfn and its deep coastal indentations form natural harbours. East Falkland houses Stanley (the capital and largest settlement),Шаблон:Sfn the UK military base at RAF Mount Pleasant, and the archipelago's highest point: Mount Usborne, at Шаблон:Cvt.Шаблон:Sfn Outside of these significant settlements is the area colloquially known as "Camp", which is derived from the Spanish term for countryside (Campo).Шаблон:Sfn

The climate of the islands is cold, windy, and humid maritime.Шаблон:Sfn Variability of daily weather is typical throughout the archipelago.Шаблон:Sfn Rainfall is common over half of the year, averaging Шаблон:Cvt in Stanley, and sporadic light snowfall occurs nearly all year.Шаблон:Sfn The temperature has historically stayed between Шаблон:Cvt in Stanley, with mean monthly temperatures varying from Шаблон:Cvt early in the year to Шаблон:Cvt in July.Шаблон:Sfn Strong westerly winds and cloudy skies are common.Шаблон:Sfn Although numerous storms are recorded each month, conditions are normally calm.Шаблон:Sfn

Biodiversity

Large group of short, squat penguins on barren shore

Colony of southern rockhopper penguins on Saunders Island

The Falkland Islands are biogeographically part of the Antarctic zone,Шаблон:Sfn with strong connections to the flora and fauna of Patagonia in mainland South America. 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. 63 species breed on the islands, including 14 endemic subspecies.Шаблон:Sfn

There is also abundant arthropod diversity on the islands.Шаблон:Sfn The Falklands' flora consists of 163 native vascular species.Шаблон:Sfn More than 400 species of lichens and lichen-dwelling fungi have been recorded. The islands' only native terrestrial mammal, the warrah, was hunted to extinction by European settlers.Шаблон:Sfn

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. Endemic fish around the islands are primarily from the genus Galaxias.Шаблон:Sfn The Falklands are treeless and have a wind-resistant vegetation predominantly composed of a variety of dwarf shrubs.Шаблон:Sfn

Virtually the entire land area of the islands is used as pasture for sheep. Introduced species include reindeer, hares, rabbits, Patagonian foxes, brown rats, and cats.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn The extent of human impact on the Falklands is unclear, since there is little long-term data on habitat change.

Economy

Aerial photograph of small seaside city

Stanley, now officially a city, is the financial centre of the Falkland Islands' economy.Шаблон:Sfn

Шаблон:As of, the economy of the Falkland Islands is ranked the Шаблон:Ordinal largest out of 229 in the world by GDP (PPP), but ranks Шаблон:Ordinal worldwide by GDP (PPP) per capita. 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 0.874Шаблон:Sfn and a moderate Gini coefficient for income inequality of 34.17.Шаблон:Sfn The local currency is the Falkland Islands pound, which is pegged to the British pound sterling.

Economic development was advanced by ship resupplying and sheep farming for high-quality wool. The main sheep breeds in the Falkland Islands are Polwarth and Corriedale. 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".Шаблон:Sfn Since the end of the Falklands War in 1982, the islands' economic activity increasingly focused on oil field exploration and tourism.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn 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".Шаблон:Sfn By 2023, oil exploration was still proceeding off the shelf of the islands with a deepwater project led by Rockhopper Exploration. In 2023, Rockhopper (working with Tel Aviv-listed Navitas Petroleum) indicated that it had been presented with a new development plan for its Sea Lion project that aimed to cut costs and proceed in phases. It was stated that: "If realized, the new plan – with a total price tag of $2.2 billion – could lead to 80,000 barrels per day of production (up to 100,000 b/d at peak) via a leased floating production, storage and offloading unit". A final investment decision was targeted for early 2024.

Development projects in education and sports have been funded by the Falklands government, without aid from the United Kingdom.Шаблон:Sfn

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. A little over a quarter of the workforce serves the Falkland Islands government, making it the archipelago's largest employer. 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. 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. 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. Port Stanley Airport provides internal flights. 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.

Demographics

Photograph of a building

Christ Church Cathedral, the local parish church of the Anglican Communion. Most Falklanders identify themselves as Christian.

The Falkland Islands population is homogeneous, mostly descended from Scottish and Welsh immigrants who settled in the territory after 1833.Шаблон:Sfn 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". In 1983, full British citizenship was given to Falkland Islanders under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983.Шаблон:Sfn

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, particularly to the British city of Southampton, which came to be known in the islands as "Stanley North". In recent years, the islands' population decline has reduced, thanks to immigrants from the United Kingdom, Saint Helena, and Chile.Шаблон:Sfn 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). A small number of Argentines also live on the islands.

The Falkland Islands have a low population density.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Efn-ua 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 Шаблон:Nowrap. Males outnumber females (53 to 47 per cent), and this discrepancy is most prominent in the Шаблон:Nowrap 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, Buddhism, and Islam. The main Christian denominations are Anglicanism and other Protestantism, and Roman Catholicism.

Education in the Falkland Islands, which follows England's system, is free and compulsory for residents aged between 5 and 16 years. 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.

Culture

Two men in front of a fireplace about to exchange a drink

Gauchos 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.Шаблон:Sfn Falklanders still use some terms and place names from the former Gaucho inhabitants.Шаблон:Sfn The Falklands' predominant and official language is English, with the foremost dialect being British English; nonetheless, some inhabitants also speak Spanish.Шаблон:Sfn According to naturalist Will Wagstaff, "the Falkland Islands are a very social place, and stopping for a chat is a way of life".Шаблон:Sfn

The islands have one weekly newspaper The Penguin News,Шаблон:Sfn and television and radio broadcasts generally feature programming from the United Kingdom.Шаблон:Sfn 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".Шаблон:Sfn 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".Шаблон:Sfn

See also

• 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

Bibliography

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Further reading

• Шаблон:Cite journal
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• Шаблон:Cite book Work developed and published under the auspices of the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI).
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• Шаблон:Cite book Printed in Bulgaria by Double T Publishers.

External links

• Шаблон:Wikiatlas
• Шаблон:Official website
• Falkland Islands Development Corporation
• Falkland Islands News Network
• Falkland Islands Profile (BBC)
• Шаблон:Cite EB1911