The Falkland Islands
Where in the World
Located in the South Atlantic, some 300 miles off the coast of Patagonia, the Falkland Islands is a British Overseas Territory made up of East Falkland, West Falkland, and 776 other small islands.
With a population of only 3,398, the Falklands is a small, close community.
Compromised largely of native-born Islanders, Brits, St. Helenians, Chileans, Filipinos and Zimbabweans among other nationalities, some families can trace their heritage back nine generations on the Islands following settlement in the mid-18th Century.
Growth
Economy
Entirely self-sufficient in all areas but defence, the economy of the Falkland Islands is led by three key industries: fishing, tourism, and agriculture, with a nascent oil industry under development.
The fishing industry is by far the largest, alone contributing between 50% and 60% of the territory’s annual GDP since the declaration of a 160-nautical-mile radius Fisheries Conservation & Management Zone in 1986.
Biodiversity
Wildlife
One of the main draws of the Falkland Islands is its wide biodiversity and easily accessible wildlife. An abundance of penguins, albatross, seals, whales and dolphins and other marine species litter the archipelago and are a crucial attraction for the Islands’ burgeoning tourism industry.
