About the Falklands

The Falkland Islands derive their name from Falkland Sound, the name given to the waterway between East and West Falkland by Captain John Strong, who spent several days in the Islands on his ship Welfare in 1690. Falkland Sound was itself named after Viscount Falkland, one of the owners of Welfare. Captain Strong was the first person to have been recorded as landing in the Islands, although the first reported sighting was by English navigator Captain John Davis in 1592.

The Falkland Islands have never had any native inhabitants and no indigenous people have ever been displaced, instead the Islands were entirely unoccupied until 1765, when they were first claimed by the British who established a garrison at Port Egmont. Over the years, the British, French and Spanish periodically had garrisons within the Islands until 1811 when all were withdrawn.

On 6 October 1832, an Argentine military garrison arrived in an attempt to establish sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, disregarding the British claim of 67 years prior. Less than three months later, on 2 January 1833, the Royal Navy evicted the military base with no loss of life. The civilian population, who had sought permission from Britain to live there, were invited to stay. A year later, a small, permanent British administration was established and in 1845 Stanley become the capital.

We enjoyed a peaceful existence until 2 April 1982, when an Argentine military force invaded our home. For 74 days we lived under foreign occupation, until our liberation by British forces on 14 June 1982. Nearly 1,000 Falkland Islands, British and Argentine lives were lost as a result of the war.

Since 1982, our lives have been transformed, we have become financially self-sufficient and almost entirely self-governing, we determine our own future and way of life. Our community has been formed through voluntary immigration and settlement over the course of nearly two hundred years. We are a diverse society, with people from nations across the globe having made the Islands their home. At our heart are those Falkland Islanders whose families have been in the Islands for nine generations.

In 2008 our new Constitution was established which provides enhanced local democracy, internal self-government and enshrines the right of self-determination. Four years later in 2013, we held a referendum which was overseen by international observers, where 99.8% of those who voted, voting to remain a British Overseas Territory.

The 2021 census recorded the usually resident population to be 3,662 people – an increase of 8% since the previous census in 2016. At the time of the 2021 census, people from 68 different countries have chosen to make the Falkland Islands their home; almost half of those not born in the Islands are from the UK, followed by St. Helena (19%), the Philippines (9%) and Chile (9%). Many Falkland Islanders can trace their heritage back through nine generation, stretching back over 200 years. This diversity influences the culture of the Islands which values fairness and tolerance.

At the time of the 2021 census, the average age was 40. There is almost zero unemployment in the Falkland Islands, with many people undertaking more than one job, and 43% of all adults have tertiary or vocational qualifications.

Education in the Falkland Islands is free and both primary and secondary education is available for all children aged 3 to 16. Beyond the age of 16, young people have access to both higher and further education abroad, which is funded by the Falkland Islands Government for those who are eligible. 85% of students who leave to study abroad choose to then return to live and work in the Islands.

Although a small community, Falkland Islanders benefit from a range of local front-line services – health, police, fire and rescue – as well as many leisure and social amenities. In Stanley there are opportunities to take part in a range of indoor and outdoor sporting activities including swimming, hockey, badminton, basketball, netball, indoor football, table tennis and volleyball. Golf, full-bore target shooting, cricket, running, archery, bowls and athletics are also popular. 

There are many youth groups, including Rainbows, Brownies, Scouts and Girl Guides, as well as sports and conservation clubs for younger people. Stanley Harbour provides a base for sailing, windsurfing, jet-skiing, and kayaking. Other outdoor activities include walking, riding, motocross and fishing. Popular dates in the calendar are the annual horse-racing meet at Christmas, and Sports Week, traditionally held at the end of the shearing season.

Our Community Directory is our one-stop-shop for information on all local services and amenities that support and enhance the quality of life for people in the Falkland Islands.

Click here to view a publication which features the stories of local people and which was developed to mark the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Falkland Islands liberation.

 Over 40 years after the liberation of the Falkland Islands, we continue to live and work in peace, but it is a peace that is repeatedly threated by the rhetoric of the Argentinian government. An administration that continues to deny us our right to determine our own future, even when that right is a cardinal principle within the UN Charter – the right of a people to self-determination.

Our referendum in 2013, sent a very clear message to the rest of the world about how we wish to shape our own future – as a proud part of the UK family. The UK government continues to uphold our right to determine our own sovereign status and our relationship with them remains close.

While we will never allow false narratives about our history and our home to go unchallenged – what we want more than anything is to be left in peace to choose our own future. You can read our ‘Facts and Fictions’ booklet below.