Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands, commonly called the Falklands, are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf, roughly 500 kilometres east of the southern Patagonian coast of South America. The group comprises East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 smaller islands, and covers about 12,000 square kilometres. It is a British Overseas Territory with internal self-governance, while the United Kingdom takes responsibility for its defence and foreign affairs; the capital and largest settlement is Stanley on East Falkland. The islands were uninhabited before European discovery, and their sovereignty is disputed by Argentina, which invaded in April 1982 before British administration was restored at the end of the Falklands War. The 2021 census recorded 3,662 inhabitants, and English is the official and predominant language.