Falkland Island or las Malvinas?

The Falkland Islands are about 300 miles off the coast of Argentina. There are more or less 300,000 islands, and around 600,000 sheep, many penguins, and some orcas. Many ships stop there for great waves of migratory birds. There are not any street lamps. The Argentine name for the islands is las Malvinas. The Falkland Islands is the official British name, which is a British territory. Since the mid 18^th century, it was a disputed land. In 1983, Argentina and Britain fought a short war over the islands because the Argentine military had a negative image, and they wanted to create a sense of nationalism. In order to try to rally more popular support, they went to war over the islands. The loss was very devastating, which helped lead towards democratic elections.

Origins of the dispute go back in history. The Falklands are located close to the southern tip of South America. Many sailors would go there for weather to calm around the Cape Horn. In 1690, an English sea captain made the first landing on the islands. The French settled it a bit earlier. The British, in 1767, temporarily abandoned the island, although they did not “remove their claim” on the islands. In 1825, the British recognized the Argentine independence. In 1832, Argentine soldiers were sent to state their claim, where the British established military garrisons on the islands. There was a huge demand for wool in Britain, so they were asked to create a permanent British civilization.

 In the mid 1960s there was an urge to have a resolution. During the talks, pressure surrounded both parties. In 1980, there was a secret negotiation in Switzerland, where Argentina would lease the island to Britain for 99 years. The idea got taken off the table when the people of the islands suspected that they would be sold off. In April 1982, Argentine military seized the islands and the British demanded them to leave. The United States offered to mediate a resolution. The British believed that the people had the choice to decide with which sovereign state to side. The Argentine military regime did not receive the popular support and praise that they had hoped to receive. The British sunk an Argentine ship, and the British were victorious on all other fronts. British citizenship was given to anyone born on the Falkland Islands. There is currently not a lot of hope for a resolution of the Falkland Islands.