<P> The Falkland Islands have a land area of 4,700 square miles ( 12,000 km ) and a coastline estimated at 800 miles ( 1,300 km ) . Two main islands , West Falkland and East Falkland , and about 776 smaller islands constitute the archipelago . The islands are predominantly mountainous and hilly , with the major exception the depressed plains of Lafonia ( a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland ) . The Falklands are continental crust fragments resulting from the break - up of Gondwana and the opening of the South Atlantic that began 130 million years ago . The islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean , on the Patagonian Shelf , about 300 miles ( 480 km ) east of Patagonia in southern Argentina . </P>
<P> The Falkland Islands have a land area of 4,700 square miles ( 12,000 km ) and a coastline estimated at 800 miles ( 1,300 km ) . Two main islands , West Falkland and East Falkland , and about 776 smaller islands constitute the archipelago . The islands are predominantly mountainous and hilly , with the major exception the depressed plains of Lafonia ( a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland ) . The Falklands are continental crust fragments resulting from the break - up of Gondwana and the opening of the South Atlantic that began 130 million years ago . The islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean , on the Patagonian Shelf , about 300 miles ( 480 km ) east of Patagonia in southern Argentina . </P>
the falkland islands are off the coast of what south american country
the falkland islands are off the coast of what south american country
Argentina
Argentina