| Country
Name |
Falkland Islands |
| Dependency
Status |
Overseas Territory of
the United Kingdom |
| Flag |
Blue, with Union
Jack in the top left hand corner and a white shield containing the
coat of arms in the centre of the right half |
| Coat
of Arms |
White ram above the
sailing ship 'Desire' with a scroll beneath bearing the motto
'Desire The Right'; the ram represents sheep and wool production
which for over a century was the mainstay of the Islands' economy,
'Desire' was the ship of John Davis who sighted the Islands in 1592 |
Coat
of Arms
(Community School) |
3 upland geese in
flight (local bird) with 3 gold buckles (the armorial symbol of Sir
Ernest and Lord Shackleton) surmounted by a lion (reference to
British origins), with a scroll beneath bearing the motto 'Endurance
Gains The Crown' (Endurance being Sir Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic
exploration vessel, and subsequently the name of the British naval
Antarctic patrol vessel) |
| National
Anthem |
God Save The Queen |
| Capital |
Stanley (formerly
known as Port Stanley) |
| Population |
2,200 (plus
approximately 2,000 military personnel and associated contractors) |
| Language |
English |
| Currency |
Falklands Pound,
equivalent to and interchangeable with British Pound |
| GDP
(per capita) |
US
$25,000 - compares to a GPD (per capita) in the UK of US $25,300
(2002 CIA estimate) |
| Constitution |
3 October 1985,
amended 1997 and 1998 |
| Legal
system |
Based
on English Common Law, with Ordinances and local subsidiary
legislation as enacted by Legislative Council. Some
Westminster Acts of Parliament and subsidiary legislation also
apply. |
| Suffrage |
18 |
| Chief
of State |
Queen
Elizabeth II |
| Head
of Government |
Governor
Howard Pearce, CVO appointed by HM Queen - Previous
Governors |
| Executive
Council |
- Comprises
(1) Governor (2) 3
members elected by the Legislative Council from among their numbers
(3) 2 ex officio members, the Chief Executive and the Financial
Secretary.
-
The Commander of British Forces Falkland Islands and the Attorney
General may attend and speak on any matter.
- By
convention the First Secretary (FCO) and Government Secretary (FIG)
also attend meetings of Executive Council.
|
| Legislative
Council |
-
Comprises
(1) Governor (2) 8
members elected by popular vote to serve a 4 year term (3) 2
ex officio members, the Chief Executive and the Financial Secretary
(4) a Speaker appointed by the Governor on the advice of elected
members.
-
The Commander of British Forces Falkland Islands and the Attorney
General may attend and speak on any matter.
-
Only elected members are entitled to
vote.
-
5 elected
members represent the constituency of Stanley; 3 elected members
represent the Camp constituency (nb. 'Camp' refers to the entire
Islands other than Stanley and the United Kingdom military base at
Mount Pleasant).
-
General election:
last held 17 November 2005
(next election due to be held November 2009)
with a 69% voter turnout in Stanley and 86% voter turnout in
Camp. All candidates stood as independents.
|
| Elected
Councillors
|
Stanley
Constituency
Dr Andrea Clausen - Industries and Development
Richard Cockwell - Public Works
Dr Richard Davies - Land Use
Janet Robertson - Regulatory Services
Mike Summers, OBE - Corporate Services
Camp Constituency
Ian Hansen - Camp Issues
Mike Rendell - Health Services and Public Protection
Richard Stevens - Education and Training
|
| Speaker |
Lewis Clifton, OBE |
| Clerk of Councils |
Claudette Anderson, MBE |
| Chief Executive |
Chris Simpkins |
| Financial Secretary |
Derek Howatt |
| Attorney General |
David Lang, CBE, QC |
| Chief Medical Officer |
Dr Roger Diggle |
| CO British Forces |
Commodore Ian Moncrieff, BA, RN |
| Responsibilities |
The United Kingdom Government retains
responsibility for defence and foreign affairs. The Falkland
Islands Government has responsibility for all other spheres. |
