Some 8,000 miles from
Britain (7,000 nautical miles), nearly two-thirds the
size of Wales and often compared with the western isles
of Scotland,
the Falklands are the only major island group in the
South Atlantic and lays 300 miles to the east of the
Strait of Magellan.
Geography
and Climate - The main islands of West and East
Falkland and more than 100 smaller ones total over 4,700
square miles. They are chiefly moorland, treeless and the highest point is
Mount Usborne on East Falkland.
The climate is cool, damp
and often windy with mean monthly temperatures varying
between 49F in January (summer) and 36F in July (winter).
Air temperature rarely exceeds 70F or falls below 12F.
Population and Economy -
Total population at the 1980 census was 1,813 with just
over 1,000 living in Stanley on the east coast of
East Falkland, the capital and only town in the colony.
The reminder lived outside in 'the Camp' where there are
no roads, although some of the settlements have an
airstrip.
Most of the people are of
British extraction and mainly engaged in farming the
600,000 sheep which occupy much of the land. In 1980,
exports to Britain of wool and hides totalled £2.8
million and imports including food, manufactured goods,
timber and machinery, £2 million.
Government - The
Governor, (later Sir) Rex Hunt was president of the
mainly nominated and advisory Executive Council and also
of the partly elected Legislative Council which included
six people's representatives. The Government balanced
public revenue and expenditure at around £2.4 million in
1981/82.
The
Government also administered two dependencies:
South
Georgia - 900
miles east-south-east of the Falklands, the 100 mile long island is
completely mountainous, covered with glaciers and is likened to a
partly submerged stretch of the Swiss Alps. With an area of 1,450
square miles, conditions are near Antarctic, and
its only regular population was the 20 or so staff of the
British Antarctic Survey based at King Edward Point near the old
whaling station of Grytviken.
South Sandwich Islands - 350
miles further on is the start of this 150 mile long island chain
which continues down to Southern Thule. Normally uninhabited and actively volcanic, the
islands are totally Antarctic in climate.