South America

Falkland Islands

Location

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

There is little crime or disorder on the islands. An estimated 14,000 mines are left over from the 1982 conflict, but minefields are well mapped and fenced off. Personal security, general travel, navigation, off road driving, cold weather injuries, personal hygiene, sanitation / sterilisation, clothing & equipment, emergency first aid, helicopter safety, mines left over from conflict, cultures / customs, communications, emergency shelters, wildlife, survival.

Rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains, similar to Dartmoor in UK.

Cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate.

Strong winds persist throughout the year.

Wildlife bites.
Hospital: Mount Pleasant Military Hospital at the airport.

Overfishing by unlicenced vessels is a problem; reindeer were introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the Chernobyl disaster.

Four-wheel drive vehicles are most commonly used. Some roads are metalled, however there are 200 miles of unsurfaced road. Due to the condition of most roads and high winds, extreme care must be exercised when driving outside Stanley.

For more in-depth general information please download our Preparation and Training document.