Falkland Islanders
Encyclopedia
The 2006 census returns gave the population of the Falkland Islands, excluding military personnel and their families, but including staff working at the Mount Pleasant
military base to be 2955. There were 1569 males and 1386 females giving a male to female ration of 1.13. This imbalance is most notable in the 40 - 60 age group.
The population was estimated to be 3105 in July 2007 and the population growth rate was estimated to be 2.44%.
, the Falkland Islanders have been full British citizens
. For the Argentine position on Falklanders’ citizenship, see Current claims.
and Welsh
immigration to the islands. The native-born inhabitants call themselves "Islanders"; the term "Kelpers
", from the kelp
which grows profusely around the islands, is no longer used in the Islands. People from the United Kingdom who have obtained Falkland Island status are known locally as 'belongers'.
A few Islanders are of French
, Gibraltarian
, Portuguese
and Scandinavian descent. Some are the descendants of whalers
who reached the Islands during the last two centuries. There is also a small minority of South American, mainly Chile
an origin, and in more recent times many people from Saint Helena
have also come to work and live in the Islands.
, of which the primary denominations are Church of England
, Roman Catholic
, United Free Church, and Lutheran
. Smaller numbers are Jehovah's Witnesses
, Seventh-day Adventists
and Greek Orthodox
; with the latter being due to Greek fishermen passing through. There is also a Bahá'í
congregation. The islands are the home of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands
.
and in the biennial Island Games
. Louis Baillon
is the only Falkland Islander to have become an Olympic champion, as a member of the British field hockey team which won a gold medal in 1908.
RAF Mount Pleasant
RAF Mount Pleasant is a military base for the Royal Air Force in the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. The facility is part of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands...
military base to be 2955. There were 1569 males and 1386 females giving a male to female ration of 1.13. This imbalance is most notable in the 40 - 60 age group.
The population was estimated to be 3105 in July 2007 and the population growth rate was estimated to be 2.44%.
Nationality
With retrospective effect from 1 January 1983, as provided in the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983
The British Nationality Act 1983 was an Act of Parliament passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 28 March 1983...
, the Falkland Islanders have been full British citizens
British nationality law
British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom that concerns citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex because of the United Kingdom's former status as an imperial power.-History:...
. For the Argentine position on Falklanders’ citizenship, see Current claims.
Ethnic groups
About 70 per cent are of British descent, primarily as a result of ScottishScottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
immigration to the islands. The native-born inhabitants call themselves "Islanders"; the term "Kelpers
Kelpers
Kelpers is a nickname given to Falkland Islanders because the islands are surrounded by large seaweeds called kelp.This term is no longer used as commonly as it once was . Instead most prefer "Falkland Islanders" or even "Bennies".The term is used to describe the population in Argentine research...
", from the kelp
Kelp
Kelps are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera....
which grows profusely around the islands, is no longer used in the Islands. People from the United Kingdom who have obtained Falkland Island status are known locally as 'belongers'.
A few Islanders are of French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Gibraltarian
Gibraltarian people
The Gibraltarians are a cultural group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.- Origins :...
, Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
and Scandinavian descent. Some are the descendants of whalers
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
who reached the Islands during the last two centuries. There is also a small minority of South American, mainly Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an origin, and in more recent times many people 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...
have also come to work and live in the Islands.
Religions
The most predominant religion is ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, of which the primary denominations are Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, United Free Church, and Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
. Smaller numbers are Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
, Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
and Greek Orthodox
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
; with the latter being due to Greek fishermen passing through. There is also a Bahá'í
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
congregation. The islands are the home of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands
Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands
The Apostolic Prefecture of Falkland Islands is a Roman Catholic apostolic prefecture located in the Falkland Islands and covering the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, and Tristan da Cunha.-History:...
.
Sport
There are more than 30 different sports clubs on the Falklands, including badminton, clay-pigeon shooting, cricket, football, golf, hockey, netball, rugby union, sailing, swimming, table tennis and volleyball. The Falklands compete in the Commonwealth GamesFalkland Islands at the Commonwealth Games
The Falkland Islands has competed in seven editions of the Commonwealth Games. Their first appearance was in 1982, just months after the Falklands War...
and in the biennial Island Games
International Island Games Association
The International Island Games Association is an organisation the sole purpose of which is to organise the Island Games, a friendly biennial athletic competition between teams from several European islands and other small territories. The IGA liaises with the member island associations and with...
. Louis Baillon
Louis Baillon
Louis Charles Baillon is a former field hockey player, who won a gold medal with the Great Britain team at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. He is the only Falkland Islander to become an Olympic champion....
is the only Falkland Islander to have become an Olympic champion, as a member of the British field hockey team which won a gold medal in 1908.