Country name:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
etymology:
the archipelago takes its name from the Falkland Sound, the strait separating the two main islands; the channel itself was named after the Viscount of Falkland, who sponsored an expedition to the islands in 1690; the Spanish name for the archipelago derives from the French "Iles Malouines," the name applied to the islands by French explorer Louis-Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1764
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina
Government type:
parliamentary democracy (Legislative Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Capital:
name:
Stanley
geographic coordinates:
51 42 S, 57 51 W
time difference:
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: named after Edward Smith-Stanley (1799-1869), the 14th Earl of Derby, a British statesman and three-time prime minister of the UK who never visited the islands
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Constitution:
history:
previous 1985; latest entered into force 1 January 2009 (The Falkland Islands Constitution Order 2008)
amendments:
NA
Legal system:
English common law and local statutes
Citizenship:
see United Kingdom
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
Executive branch:
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Nigel PHILLIPS (since 12 September 2017)
head of government:
Chief Executive Barry ROWLAND (since 3 October 2016)
cabinet:
Executive Council elected by the Legislative Council
elections/appointments:
the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief executive appointed by the governor
Legislative branch:
description:
unicameral Legislative Assembly, formerly the Legislative Council (10 seats; 8 members directly elected by majority vote and 2 appointed ex-officio members - the chief executive, appointed by the governor, and the financial secretary; members serve 4-year terms)
elections:
last held on 9 November 2017 (next to be held in November 2021)
election results:
percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 8; composition -men 8, women 2, percent of women 20%
Judicial branch:
highest courts:
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); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
judge selection and term of office:
all justices appointed by the governor; tenure specified in each justice's instrument of appointment
subordinate courts:
Magistrate's Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Political parties and leaders:
none; all independents
International organization participation:
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
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
National anthem:
name:
Song of the Falklands"
lyrics/music:
Christopher LANHAM
note: adopted 1930s; the song is the local unofficial anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
