Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592the first recorded landing took nearly a century more by an Englishman in 1690. The French established a settlement later still in 1764 that was later given to Spain. The French called the islands les îles Malouinesafter the port of Saint-Malo in Brittanyfrom where the Falklands' first settlers originated. It is from this that the Spanish nameMalvinasis derived.

Capital	Stanley
Currency	Falkland Islands pound (FKP)
Population	4.5 thousand (2018)
Electricity	240 volt / 50 hertz (BS 1363)
Country code	+500
Time zone	UTC−03:00
Emergencies	999112
Driving side	left
edit on Wikidata

A British settlement followed shortly in 1766 and the islands became the subject of ongoing territorial disputes between Britain and Spainwhich subsequently became a dispute between Britain and Argentina. Although the islands have a complex history of settlement and abandonment by various nationsit is generally accepted that since 1833 the islands have been under British control. During most of the 19th century who did or should govern the islands was a non-issue in Argentinian and international politicsand there are even some semi-official maps from that era that show the islands as British. However beginning in the 20th centurynationalist voices in Argentina demanded the islands to be "given back" to Argentina based on the tenuous Spanish claimthat Argentina claimed to have "inherited" and an even shakier claim of Argentinian administration and settlement of the islands prior to 1833that was violently ejected according to those Argentinian claims.

Open conflict between Britain and Argentina began on 2 April 1982 when Argentina's military junta ordered the invasion of the islands. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later. After fierce fighting in what is often known as the Falklands Warthe Argentine occupation force was forced to surrender on 14 June 1982. Nonethelesstoday Buenos Aires still refuses to give up Argentina's claim to the territoryand continues to push for a peaceful transfer of sovereigntythough most Falkland Islanders consider themselves to be British with no interest in joining Argentina. There was a referendum held on the question in 2013in which 99.8% voted to remain a British territory.

The economy of the Falklands used to be based on agriculture (mainly sheep farming) but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. Income from licensing foreign trawlers totals more than US$40 million per year with squid accounting for 75% of the fish taken. Agricultural activities mainly support domestic consumption with the exception of high grade wool which is exported. Surveys have revealed oil deposits within a 200 mile oil exploration zone around the islands and exploratory drilling is under way. The British military presence provides a sizeable economic boost.

Tourism is being actively encouraged and increasing rapidly with about 66,000 visitors in 2009; a large part of the increase is from visiting cruise liners. The majority of visitors are from the UK but some efforts are being made to encourage wildlife and adventure tourism. The main season is November to March but angling for sea trout is most favourable outside of this period. Package tours that allow visitors to spend several days or weeks on the islands are availablebut very expensive. The Falkland Islands are a risky destination for individual travellers who prefer to organize a visit themselvesunless they have generous reserves of time and money. Anyone can book domestic FIGAS flights and accommodationbut while the Falkland Islands’ tourism sector welcomes cruise ship day-trippers with open arms (and cash registers equally open in joyful anticipation)for now it neglects individual visitors and even deliberately discriminates against them (for example when it comes to museum entrance fees).

The most popular reason to visit is for the scenic beauty and the flora and fauna. Conservation is high on the islands' agenda. Bird and marine species are the most prevalent fauna and include five species of penguinfour species of sealalbatrosspetrelsthe Falkland flightless steamer duck (logger duck)other duck speciesgeesehawks and falcons. The striated caracara (johnny rook) is a rare bird of prey found only on the Falkland Islands and some islands off Cape Horn. Porpoises and dolphins are often sighted with the occasional sighting of whales.

The terrain is rocky and hillywith some boggy terrain. Peat is found throughout the islandsleading to potentially dangerous fire conditions; once igniteda peat fire can burn for months. The deeply indented coast provides good natural harbours. The highest point in the islands is the 705 m Mount Usbourne.

Strong westerly winds are a constant in many parts of the islands. It is more likely to rain in the southeastern part of the islands with the far western islands getting very little yearly precipitation. Temperatures are cool and snow may occur at any time except for January and Februaryalthough accumulation is rare. Most visitors come to the islands between November and March.

The Falklands is a victim of the Antarctic ozone holeso it is important to wear sunscreen on sunny days during the early summer.

• HM the Queen's Birthday21 April
• Liberation Day14 June (1982)
• Battle Day8 December

• Falkland Islands Falkland Islands Tourism. Jetty Visitor CentreStanley☏ +500 22215fax: +500 22619[email protected]

All visitors to the Falklands must show that they have a return ticketaccommodationsufficient funds to cover their expenses while in the islands and travel insurance with at least US$2,000,000 medical evacuation coverage. A major credit card will be accepted as proof of funds. A departure tax of £40 is charged when leaving the territorywhich can be paid by Visa or MasterCard credit or debit cards or in cash. Cash payments can be made in pound sterlingU.S. dollars or Euros.

Citizens of most countries not listed below can visit the Falkland Islands for up to 1 month without a visa provided they do not work in the Falkland Islands.

Citizens of AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAngolaArmeniaAzerbaijanBangladeshBelarusBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia-HerzegovinaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadChina (mainland)ColombiaComorosCôte d'IvoireCubaDemocratic Republic of the CongoDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiGabonGambiaGeorgiaGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauHaitiHondurasIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqJamaicaJordanKazakhstanKenyaKosovoKyrgyzstanLaosLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaMadagascarMalawiMaliMauritaniaMoldovaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNepalNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaPakistanPhilippinesRepublic of the CongoRussiaRwandaSão Tomé and PrincipeSenegalSerbiaSierra LeoneSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSri LankaSudanSurinameSyriaTajikistanThailandTimor-LesteTogoTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanUgandaUkraineUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamYemenYemenZambia and Zimbabwe need to obtain a visa in advance to visit the Falkland Islands.

Visas can be obtained from a British embassy or consulateorif you are in the UKthe Falkland Islands Customs and Immigration Department☏ +500 27340. Keep in mind that Falkland Islands visas are separate from those for the UKand having a UK visa will not allow you to visit the Falkland Islands.

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There is also an airport in -51.685672-57.7776442 Stanley Airport (PSY ^IATA) but it has a smaller runway and is used primarily for flights within the Falklands.

It can be expensive to get to the islands. While the LATAM service from Santiago goes for as little as £350it costs in excess of £2000 for a return ticket from the UK for most travellers. Veterans and widows of the 1982 conflict can get a very generous discount on RAF flightswith tickets costing as little as £150howeversuch passengers have the lowest priority on place allocations; serving military personnelislanders and fully paying customers (in that order) have higher priority on seat allocationwhich is often only definitive on the day of departure. The RAF contracts two flights per week which are subject to military priorities. For ticketsyou should call the Falklands Island Government Office in London at ☏ +44 20 7222-2542.

The weekly LATAM flight to and from the Falkland Islands may be several days late. There are three reasons for that: firstlyMount Pleasant frequently experiences downslope rotor winds that pose a risk to aircraft. Secondlythe British military refuses to process two passenger flights in quick succession. If a flight from Brize Norton is expectedLATAM will not be allowed to land. ThirdlyLATAM reacts extremely slowly and inflexibly to these constantly changing conditions. LATAM timetables and confirmed flight bookings are mere aspirations. Each LATAM flight is treated as a single event. Henceif you have booked flights for a stay of two weeks you must be ready to spend as little as one week or as many as three weeks on the islands. It is essential to have sufficient spare time and money for such delays because LATAM provides no passenger assistance and pays no compensation for any flight delays that it (in its own opinion) attributes to force majeure.

Arriving at or flying out from Mount Pleasant is not a pleasant experience (pardon the pun). Four decades after the opening of the airport its passenger terminal still looks like a hastily constructedtemporary military outpost. It is crampeduncomfortable and has almost no facilities. Count on having to leave Stanley 6 to 7 hours before your flight. The airport staff is not exactly impolitebut it is evident that you are on a military base: the preferred communication is giving orders that are expected to be followed unquestioningly. If your cabin baggage is singled out for a manual checkget ready for a meticulouspedantic procedure. Tourists are inspected more thoroughly than residents. The bag checkers do their job strictly by the book. If you are unluckyevery coin in your wallet will be turned overevery battery wrapped in isolating sellotapeyour tube of toothpaste vigorously kneadedevery book leafed through and even the tiniest bottle containing liquids opened and sniffed at.

The Mount Pleasant airport is 56 km (35 miles) from Stanley. Falkland Island Tours & Travel (☏ +500 21775[email protected]) operates a shuttle bus that meets all flights and that can take visitors to and from the capital for £22 per person (one-way). Taxis also take passengers to and from the airport. Taxis mustand shuttle buses shouldbe booked in advance.

Large cruise ships stop at Stanley's port throughout the island's summer months (October - April). These boats may also stop at some of the outlying islands. While cruise ships can dock at Stanley you should be prepared to come ashore on a zodiac (also called a rigid inflatable boator RIB) when landing on most other islands. It is also typical for expedition ships en route to Antarctica to include a stop at the Falkland Islands in their itinerary.

Travelling between islands in the Falklands is generally done using the Falkland Islands Government Aviation Service (FIGAS). The planes are Britten Norman Islander aircraftcapable of carrying eight passengers plus pilot. Passenger load may be reduced depending on the condition of the airstrips being visited. With the exception of Stanley and Mount Pleasantall airstrips in the Falklands are either dirt strips or grassy fields. Be prepared for slight delays while livestock is cleared from airstrips prior to takeoff or landing!

FIGAS flights leave twice daily from the airstrip just outside of Stanley and travel to a variety of locations throughout the islands. There is a baggage limit of 20 kg per person which is strictly enforced; you and your baggage will be weighed prior to boarding in Stanley. There is an additional charge of £1.40 per kgspace permitting. Unless the plane is flying to an island with a very poor landing strip there are almost never weight constraints that would prevent travelling with a few extra kilos of baggage.

Reservations are required for travel and should be booked at least 24 hours in advance. Booking reservations can be done either by calling the airport (☏ +500 27219)emailing [email protected] or visiting the airport in person when it is open (hours vary depending on flight schedules but mid-morning is usually a good time). Flight schedulesincluding the names of passengers booked on each flightare announced the night before departure on Falklands Radioand are also available via a fax service. Most lodges will post the schedule as soon as it is announced.

Flights can be paid for in cash or with credit card. Fares vary by destination but sample fares (one-way) from November 2009 were:

• Stanley to Sea Lion Island: £59.46
• Stanley to Port Howard: £58.75
• Saunders Island to Pebble Island: £25.38
• Pebble Island to Stanley: £64.43

While it is possible to get around the Falklands by boatas of March 2010 there was no regular service available to tourists travelling in small groups to the outer islands; (contrary to reports in guide booksthe Golden Fleece does not taxi passengers around the islands). For large groups it may be possible to charter a boat in advance thus providing a great way to visit some of the less-travelled islands. Per-passenger landing fees are charged on many of the islands; contact the island's owner before visiting.

However there is a regular passenger ferry between New Haven2 hours car journey from Stanley to Port Howard. Ferry tickets must be booked in advance from Workboat Services on 22300. As of December 2008 example prices were: foot passage single £10; car passage single £25.

Large cruise ships are the most common means for people to visit the Falklandsand most will make several landings at various islands. Note that aside from Stanley all landings from cruise ships are done using zodiacs (small inflatable boats)and in many cases the lack of docking areas will require a quick wade from the zodiac onto shore.

Within Stanley there are two taxi services that can be hired for travel throughout the town and surrounding areasincluding the Mount Pleasant airport.

Land Rover rental may be possible from Stanley. Contact either the Falkland Islands Company or Stanley Services ([email protected]) for information. Roads in Stanley are pavedbut elsewhere road conditions range from well-maintained dirt roads to boggy mud streams. Unless your travels specifically require having your own vehiclerenting a Land Rover is neither necessary nor a particularly good idea.

The official Falklands currency is the Falkland Islands pound (FKP) whose value is set equivalent to that of one British pound (GBP).

Banknotes of the Falkland Islands are issued in denominations of £51020 and 50. Coins of the Falkland Islands are issued in denominations of 1251020 and 50 pence1 (12-sidedyellow ring with silver center) and 2 pounds. Two sets of coins of the Falklands Islands are in circulationone depicting Her Late Majesty Elizabeth II and the other depicting Charles III.

Money can be exchanged at the only bank in the islands which is located in Stanley across from the FIC West store. The bank doesn't have an ATMbut there is one in Stanley Services on the bypass (the only one on the islands as of 2021). British pounds will generally be accepted anywhere in the islands. Within Stanleycredit cardseuros and U.S. dollars are also often accepted. On the outlying islands credit cards will probably not be acceptedalthough euros and U.S. dollars may be taken; check with the owners in advance to determine what is an acceptable payment method.

It is nearly impossible to exchange Falklands currency outside of the islandsso exchange money prior to leaving the islands.