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.