Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Government - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

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," meaning Islands of Malo, the name applied to the islands by French explorer Louis-Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1764 after the port of Saint-Malo

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Legislative Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

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)

Legal system

English common law and local statutes

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Alison BLAKE (since 23 July 2022)

head of government: Chief Executive Andy KEELING (since April 2021)

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; 5 members directly elected in the Stanley constituency and 3 members in the Camp constituency by simple majority vote, 2 appointed non-voting ex-officio members - the chief executive, appointed by the governor, and the financial secretary; members serve 4-year terms); note - several previous referendums -  the latest in September 2020 - on whether to merge the Stanley and Camp constituencies into a single islands wide constituency, failed

elections: last held on 4 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2025)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 8; composition of elected members -men 6, women 2, percent of women 25%

Judicial branch

highest court(s): 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: chief justice, court of appeal president, and 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

embassy: 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 symbol(s)

ram

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 King" is official (see United Kingdom)

NOTE: The information regarding Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.