Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas): Government#
| Country name | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) etymology: the archipelago takes its name from the Falkland Sound, the strait separating the two main islands; the channel itself was named after the Viscount of Falkland who sponsored an expedition to the islands in 1690; the Spanish name for the archipelago derives from the French "Iles Malouines," the name applied to the islands by French explorer Louis-Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1764 |
|---|---|
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina |
| Government type | parliamentary democracy (Legislative Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK |
| Capital | Stanley
Stanley
geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 51 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| National holiday | Liberation Day, 14 June (1982) |
| Constitution | previous 1985; latest entered into force 1 January 2009 (2016) |
| Legal system | English common law and local statutes |
| Citizenship | see United Kingdom |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Colin ROBERTS (since 28 April 2014) head of government: Chief Executive Keith PADGETT (since 1 February 2012) cabinet: Executive Council elected by the Legislative Council elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief executive appointed by the governor |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral Legislative Assembly, formerly the Legislative Council (10 seats; 8 members directly elected by majority vote and 2 appointed ex officio members - the chief executive, appointed by the governor, and the financial secretary; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 7 November 2013 (next to be held in November 2017) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 8 |
| Judicial branch | highest resident court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, the chief justice as an ex officio, non-resident member, and 2 justices of appeal); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) judge selection and term of office: all justices appointed by the governor; tenure specified in each justice's instrument of appointment subordinate courts: Magistrate's Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
| Political parties and leaders | none; all independents |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Falkland Islands Association (supports freedom of the people from external causes) |
| International organization participation | UPU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Flag description | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising was once the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT |
| National symbol(s) | ram |
| National anthem | name: "Song of the Falklands"" lyrics/music: Christopher LANHAM note: adopted 1930s; the song is the local unofficial anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom) |