​ FALKLAND ISLANDS, two large islands, with a number of smaller ones surrounding them, in the South Atlantic Ocean. These islands were discovered by Davis in 1592, and came into the possession of the British in 1771. Their appropriation has been at times disputed; but since 1833 the British have held uninterrupted occupancy of them. Capital, Stanley; area, 6,500 square miles; pop. about 3,000.