Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas
Malvinas) are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean,
located 300 miles (483 km) from the coast of Argentina, 671 miles
(1,080 km) west of the Shag Rocks (South Georgia), and 584 miles
(940 km) north of Antarctica (Elephant Island). They consist of two
main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, together with 776 smaller
islands. Stanley, on East Falkland, is the capital city. The islands are
a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom, but have been
the subject of a claim to sovereignty by Argentina since the British
invasion of 1833.
pursuit of this claim in 1982, the islands were invaded by Argentina,
precipitating the two-month-long undeclared Falklands War
between Argentina and the United Kingdom, which resulted in the defeat
and withdrawal of Argentine forces. Since the war there has been strong
economic growth in both fisheries and tourism. The inhabitants of the
islands are British citizens (since a 1983 Act) and under Argentine Law
are eligible for Argentine citizenship. Many can trace their origins in
the Islands back to early nineteenth century Scottish immigration. The
island's residents reject the Argentine sovereignty claim.
Islands topographic map
islands are referred to in the English language as "[The] Falkland
Islands". This name dates from an expedition led by John Strong in
1690, who named the islands after his patron, Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount
Falkland. The Spanish name for the islands, "Islas Malvinas",
is derived from the French name "Îles Malouines",
bestowed in 1764 by Louis Antoine de Bougainville, after the mariners
and fishermen from the Breton port of Saint-Malo who became the island's
first known human
ISO designation is "Falkland Islands (Malvinas)".
to the ongoing sovereignty dispute the use of many Spanish names is
considered offensive in the Falkland Islands, particularly those
associated with the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands. General Sir
Jeremy Moore would not allow the use of Islas Malvinas in the surrender
document, dismissing it as a propaganda term.
Falkland Islands comprise two main islands, East Falkland and West
Falkland (in Spanish Isla Gran Malvina and Isla Soledad respectively)
and about 776 small islands. The total land area is 4,700 square
miles (12,173 km˛), approximately the same area as Connecticut
or Northern Ireland,
and a coastline estimated at 800 miles (1,288 km).
of the land is part of the two main islands separated by the Falkland
Sound: East Falkland, home to the capital of Stanley and the majority of
the population, and West Falkland. Both islands have mountain ranges,
rising to 2,313 feet (705 m) at Mount Usborne on East Falkland.
There are also some boggy plains, most notably Lafonia, the southern
half of East Falkland. Virtually the entire area of the islands is used
as pasture for sheep.
islands surround the main two. They include Barren Island, Beaver
Island, Bleaker Island, Carcass Island, George Island, Keppel Island,
Lively Island, New Island, Pebble Island, Saunders Island, Sealion
Island, Speedwell Island, Staats Island, Weddell Island, and West Point
Island. The Jason Islands lie to the north west of the main archipelago,
and Beauchene Island some distance to its south. Speedwell Island and
George Island are split from East Falkland by Eagle Passage.
islands claim a territorial sea of 12 nautical
miles (22 km) and an exclusive fishing zone of 200 nautical
miles (370 km), which has been a source of disagreement with
by cool South Atlantic waters, the Falkland
Islands have a cold maritime climate with a narrow temperature range of
about 19°C (66°F) in summer and 2°C (36°F) in winter. Rainfall is
relatively low at about 24 inches. Humidity and winds, however, are
constantly high. Snow is rare, but can occur at almost any time of year.
Islands at the Open
Islands Government official
Islands Tourism official
Islands Development Corporation
Islands News Network
Islands Information Portal
Visitor's View of the Falkland Islands
on the Late Transactions Respecting Falkland's Islands by Samuel
Museo Nacional Malvinas
English-Spanish Dictionary. Falklands: the Falklands, las (islas)
Islands: Location. Falkland Islands Government web site
(2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
official claim — Origin of the sovereignty dispute (Spanish
acuerdo al Derecho Positivo de la Argentina son Ciudadanos de la
Nación Argentina por el solo hecho de nacer en su territorio,
siguiendo el principio de Ius soli
Profile: Falkland Islands. Countries & Regions.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office AGREEMENT
OF 14th JULY 1999. Falklands.info.
of the Falkland Islands War. psywar.org.
Laurio H. (1982). The Malvinas, the South Georgias and the South
Sandwich Islands, the conflict with Britain.
Extracts from the Diary of Charles Darwin
Beagle Diary (1831-1836) p.304. The Complete Works of Charles
británica: Port Stanley (Puerto Argentino)
Stamps of first flights
to the conflict. Fight for the Falklands — 20 years on.
BBC News. . “The Foreign Secretary, Lord Carrington, and two
junior ministers had resigned by the end of the week [following the
Argentinian invasion] They took the blame for Britain’s poor
preparations and plans to decommission HMS Endurance, the navy’s
only Antarctic patrol vessel. It was a move which may have lead the
Junta to believe the UK had little interest in keeping the
Falklands fleet revealed", BBC News, bbc.co.uk,
2005-06-01. “Lord Owen, who was foreign secretary in 1977,
said that if Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government had taken
similar action to that of five years earlier, the war would not have
Falklands invasion warning", BBC News, bbc.co.uk. “The
Franks Report into the eventual war noted that as tension mounted
during 1977, the government covertly sent a small naval force to the
islands — but did not repeat the move when relations worsened
again in 1981-2. This has led some critics to blame prime minister
Margaret Thatcher for the war, saying the decision to plan the
withdrawal of the only naval vessel in the area sent the wrong
signal to the military junta in Buenos Aires.”
United Nations Resolution 502, Adopted by the Security Council at
its 2350th meeting held on 3 April 1982.
Islands Government Overview.
Rock Desert, Nevada
Utah - History
- West Pier
York - Au
- Central America
- S. America
- Sri Lanka
Isle of Wight
Beach - Florida USA
England - Sandgate
Eye - Madame
- The City
- Tower Bridge
- Central America
Sands - Carmarthen
Moresby - PNG
Said - Egypt
Lake City - Utah
Lanka - Links
- Lesser Antilles
- United Arab Emirates
alternative tastes for adventure capitalists
and 250ml alu cans 500ml PET bottle)