ry manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 231,649 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 127,384
(2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 9,471
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $35 million (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.2% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Fiji

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Introduction

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Background: Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592,
the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later
in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until
1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the
islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first
between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK
asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there
in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British
responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and
after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.

Geography Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Location: Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean,
east of southern Argentina

Geographic coordinates: 51 45 S, 59 00 W

Map references: South America

Area: total: 12,173 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East
and West Falkland and about 200 small islands water: 0 sq km land:
12,173 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,288 km

Maritime claims: 200 NM territorial sea: Climate: cold marine;
strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of
days in year; occasional snow all year, except in January and February,
but does not accumulate

Terrain: rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
Mount Usborne 705 m

Natural resources: fish, wildlife

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent
pastures, 1% other) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazar