Culture of the Falkland Islands
Encyclopedia
The culture of the Falkland Islands
is essentially analogous to that of British
culture. The Falkland Islands have a large non-native born population, mainly white and from England
(and to a much lesser extent, other parts of the British Isles
), but also from Saint Helena
.
The native born population is mainly of English and Scottish
descent, with some more exotic strains such as Gibraltar
ian.
is used, mainly in its British English
form. However, due to the isolation of the islands, the small population retains its own accent/dialect. In rural areas (i.e. anywhere outside Port Stanley), known as the "camp
" (from Spanish
campo), the Falkland accent tends to be stronger. The accent has resemblances to both Australia-NZ English, West Country
and that of Norfolk
in England.
Other notable Falkland island terms are the words "kelper" meaning a Falkland islander, from the kelp
surrounding the islands (sometimes considered pejorative); and "smoko
" referring to a smoking break.
please see Cultural impact of the Falklands War
Due to the low population of the islands, most of the literature of the islands has been written by outsiders, and is non-fiction. However some poetry has been written by Falklanders, including, Ernest Spencer's Motherland
The government barrack is now a guesthouse and is somewhat more in keeping with the surrounding houses.
Since this date, many more buildings have been erected in Stanley. In 1998 the Government of the Falkland Islands started a program to encourage building of private houses, the development is known as East Stanley as it developed Stanley to the East. This led to a boom in the housing construction market with many new timber kit houses imported, largely from Scotland. These range from single bedroom bungalows to large 4-5 bedroom houses, the style of cladding and colours vary immensely.
Falkland houses are renowned for being brightly painted with immaculately maintained gardens, older houses frequently have intricately carved wooden fascia boards.
The Bodie Creek Suspension Bridge is sometimes stated to be the most southerly in the world.
There is one major newspaper, the Penguin News and also a radio station the Falkland Islands Radio Service or FIRS.
The islands also have their own national football team
and cricket team
.
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
is essentially analogous to that of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
culture. The Falkland Islands have a large non-native born population, mainly white and from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(and to a much lesser extent, other parts of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
), but also from Saint Helena
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
.
The native born population is mainly of English and Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
descent, with some more exotic strains such as Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
ian.
Language
The English languageEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is used, mainly in its British English
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
form. However, due to the isolation of the islands, the small population retains its own accent/dialect. In rural areas (i.e. anywhere outside Port Stanley), known as the "camp
Camp (Falkland Islands)
The camp is the term used in the Falkland Islands to refer to any part of the islands outside of the islands' only significant town, Stanley, and often the large RAF base at Mount Pleasant...
" (from Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
campo), the Falkland accent tends to be stronger. The accent has resemblances to both Australia-NZ English, West Country
West Country dialects
The West Country dialects and West Country accents are generic terms applied to any of several English dialects and accents used by much of the indigenous population of South West England, the area popularly known as the West Country....
and that of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
in England.
Other notable Falkland island terms are the words "kelper" meaning a Falkland islander, from the kelp
Kelp
Kelps are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera....
surrounding the islands (sometimes considered pejorative); and "smoko
Smoko
"Smoko" is a term used in Australian English, New Zealand English and Falkland Islands English for a short, often informal, cigarette break taken during work or military duty, although the term can also be used to describe any short break such as a rest or a coffee/tea break...
" referring to a smoking break.
Literature
For culture inspired by the Falklands WarFalklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
please see Cultural impact of the Falklands War
Cultural impact of the Falklands War
The cultural impact of the Falklands War spanned several media in both Britain and Argentina.-Non-fiction:The war provided a wealth of material for writers, and many dozens of books came from it; in the United Kingdom the definitive account became Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins' The Battle for the...
Due to the low population of the islands, most of the literature of the islands has been written by outsiders, and is non-fiction. However some poetry has been written by Falklanders, including, Ernest Spencer's Motherland
Architecture
The 1911 Britannica states:- The houses [of Stanley], mostly white with coloured roofs, are generally built of wood and iron, and have glazed porches, gay with fuchsias and pelargoniums. Government HouseGovernment House (Falkland Islands)Government House in Stanley has been the home of the Falkland Islands' London-appointed Governors since the mid-19th century. The official residence was built in 1845....
, grey, stone-built and slated, calls to mind a manseManseA manse is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or United Church...
in Shetland or Orkney. The government barrack is a rather imposing structure in the middle of the town, as is the cathedral church to the east, built of stone and buttressed with brick.
The government barrack is now a guesthouse and is somewhat more in keeping with the surrounding houses.
Since this date, many more buildings have been erected in Stanley. In 1998 the Government of the Falkland Islands started a program to encourage building of private houses, the development is known as East Stanley as it developed Stanley to the East. This led to a boom in the housing construction market with many new timber kit houses imported, largely from Scotland. These range from single bedroom bungalows to large 4-5 bedroom houses, the style of cladding and colours vary immensely.
Falkland houses are renowned for being brightly painted with immaculately maintained gardens, older houses frequently have intricately carved wooden fascia boards.
The Bodie Creek Suspension Bridge is sometimes stated to be the most southerly in the world.
Miscellaneous
The islands also have their own national football team
Falkland Islands national football team
The Falkland Islands official football team is a representative football team of the Falkland Islands, organised by the Falkland Islands Football League. The Falkland Islands Football League is not a member of FIFA and therefore the team is not eligible to play in official competitions such as the...
and cricket team
Falkland Islands cricket team
The Falkland Islands cricket team is the team that represents the British overseas territory of the Falkland Islands in international cricket matches. They played their first international against Chile in February 2004, and gained affiliate membership of the International Cricket Council on 29...
.