The politics of the Falkland Islands takes place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary representative democratic dependency as set out by the constitution,whereby the Governor exercises the duties of head of state in the absence of the monarch and the Chief Executive is the head of the Civil Service,with an elected Legislative Assembly to propose new laws,national policy,approve finance and hold the executive to account.
The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory and,as such,rely on the United Kingdom for the guarantee of their security. The other UK territories in the South Atlantic,South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,fall under the protection of British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI),formerly known as British Forces Falkland Islands (BFFI),which includes commitments from the British Army,Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. They are headed by the Commander,British Forces South Atlantic Islands (CBFSAI),a brigadier-equivalent appointment that rotates among all three services.
The Falklands War was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic:the Falkland Islands and its territorial dependency,South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The conflict began on 2 April,when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands,followed by the invasion of South Georgia the next day. On 5 April,the British government dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault on the islands. The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with an Argentine surrender on 14 June,returning the islands to British control. In total,649 Argentine military personnel,255 British military personnel,and three Falkland Islanders were killed during the hostilities.
Stanley is the capital city of the Falkland Islands. It is located on the island of East Falkland,on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2016 census,the city had a population of 2,460. The entire population of the Falkland Islands was 3,398 on Census Day on 9 October 2016.
The current flag of the Falkland Islands was adopted on 25 January 1999 and consists of a defaced Blue Ensign,with the Union Flag in the canton and the Falkland Islands coat-of-arms in the fly.
Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands is disputed by Argentina and the United Kingdom. The British claim to sovereignty dates from 1690,when they made the first recorded landing on the islands,and the United Kingdom has exercised de facto sovereignty over the archipelago almost continuously since 1833. Argentina has long disputed this claim,having been in control of the islands for a few years prior to 1833. The dispute escalated in 1982,when Argentina invaded the islands,precipitating the Falklands War.
The Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF) is the locally maintained volunteer defence unit in the Falkland Islands,a British Overseas Territory. The FIDF works alongside the military units supplied by the United Kingdom to ensure the security of the islands.
The Falkland Islands is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about 300 mi (480 km) east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about 752 mi (1,210 km) from Cape Dubouzet at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula,at a latitude of about 52°S. The archipelago,with an area of 4,700 sq mi (12,000 km2),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.
The Falkland Islands have a complex history stretching over five hundred years. Active exploration and colonisation began in the 18th century but a self-supporting colony was not established till the latter part of the 19th century. Nonetheless,the islands have been a matter of controversy,as due to their strategic position in the 18th century their sovereignty was claimed by the French,Spaniards,British and Argentines at various points.
Foreign relations between the Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have existed for over a century.
Sharon Halford is a Falkland Islands politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Camp constituency from 2009 until 2013. Halford was also a Member of the Legislative Council from 1993–2001 for Stanley.
Richard Sawle is a British born,Falkland Islands politician,who has been Complaints Commissioner since 15 January 2014 and previously served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency from 2009 until 2013.
Keith Padgett is an English politician who served as Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands from 2012 to 2016. Before his appointed as Chief Executive,Padgett served as the islands' Financial Secretary from 2008,which was renamed Director of Finance with the implementation of the 2009 Constitution. He also acts as Director of Corporate Resources.
Colin Roberts is a British diplomat and the former Governor of the Falkland Islands and former Commissioner of the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
A referendum on political status was held in the Falkland Islands on 10–11 March 2013. The Falkland Islanders were asked whether or not they supported the continuation of their status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom in view of Argentina's call for negotiations on the islands' sovereignty.
Chileans in the Falkland Islands are people of Chilean ancestry or nationality who live in the Falkland Islands. They form largest community coming from mainland South America and the largest non-British group on the islands,accounting for over 6% of the total population according to the 2012 census. However,the actual number of Chileans living in the Falkland Islands may be higher as some individuals of Chilean origin may have identified themselves as "Falkland Islander" in the census,and the census did not include temporary Chilean workers on the islands.
Alejandro Jacobo Betts was a Falklands-born Argentine air-traffic controller and activist who worked with the Argentine government as a technical advisor on the Tierra del Fuego's Malvinas Question Provincial Observatory Advisory Council. Betts supported Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands and was a controversial figure in the Falklands as a result. Betts also was the older brother of Terry Betts,who served as a member of the Falkland Islands Legislative Council and assisted British forces in the Falklands War. His younger brother Peter served in the British Task Force.
Stacy John Bragger is a Falkland Island journalist and politician who has served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency since the 2017 general election.
Approximately 30,000 land mines were laid in the British overseas territory of the Falkland Islands by Argentinian forces following their 1982 invasion. Some of the mines were cleared immediately following the successful British operation to retake the islands,but following a series of accidents,demining operations ceased. In the following years the mine fields were fenced off and,with human access limited,became havens for Falklands flora and the native penguin population. The British government ratified the Ottawa Treaty in 1998 that required the removal of all mines within its territory. Demining operations,which had to be carried out by hand due to the climate and local condition,restarted in 2009. The last mines were cleared in November 2020.
