Falkland Islands: Overview

The Falkland Islands have a rich history embracing maritime trade, sealing, whaling, cattle and sheep farming.

Early visitors to the islands were mainly sealers, whalers and penguin hunters from different corners of the World. Many of them brought domestic animals – cattle and sheep – with then and left them on the islands at various locations as a food source for future voyages. Cattle spread rapidly throughout the Islands.

Travel was on horseback and stone and turf corrals were constructed and remains of which can still be seen today scattered across the Islands, particularly on East Falkland.

After Britain re-asserted its sovereignty in 1883, the capital was moved to its present site and named Stanley, after the Colonial Secretary, Geoffrey Smith Stanley. It became an important port for vessels involved in whaling and rounding Cape Horn.
After the decline in whaling and with fewer ship having to travel around Cape Horn (because of the advent of the Panama Canal), the economy became based on sheep farming which took over from cattle ranching as the mainstay.

Today the Islands enjoy a healthy economy based on the sale of fishing licences, tourism and agricultural products including fine wool, mutton and beef. But in recent years the prospect of oil being discovered on the islands (or in adjacent waters) has provided much speculation as to a future boost in the Islands’ economy.

Falkland Islanders participated in both World Wars. The Battle of the Falklands (in World War I) is commemorated by a monument in Stanley on Ross Road while the Cross of Sacrifice commemorates World War Two. Falkland Islanders remain loyal to Britain and in a recent referendum voted overwhelming to remain so.


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