MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falkland Islands Census to be held on October 8th

October 8th 2006 was agreed as the date for the latest Falkland Islands census at last week's meeting of the Islands' Executive Council, which also agreed the text of the forms on which returns are to be made.

In previous years the census returns have been destroyed following analysis, but, after representations from the Falkland Islands Government Archivist, Miss Jane Cameron, Executive Council also agreed to amend the Census Ordinance to make it possible for the returns to be retained by the Government for 100 years, after which time they will become accessible to the public. This move, Executive Council was informed, is in line with practice in the UK, where the 1901 Census results are now accessible to the public on the internet and have been of great interest to historians, genealogists and others.

The last census in the Falkland Islands was held in 2001, when the total number of inhabitants was found to be 2,971.

John Fowler (Mercopress) Stanley