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Falkland Islands: Population, Economy and Political System. Malvinas Islands: history and photos Malvinas Islands location on the map

Details Category: Dependent Territories of South America Published on February 24, 2015 19:09 Views: 1886

This is a contested territory.

In fact, the islands are a British overseas territory called the Falkland Islands. It is an important staging post on the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific. But Britain's rights to the islands are disputed by Argentina, which calls them the "Malvinas" and considers them part of the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic islands.
The island got its English name from the Falkland Passage - the strait between the two main islands of the archipelago. The name for the strait was chosen by the Englishman John Strong in 1690 as a sign of respect for the 5th Viscount of Falklands. This name was later extended to the entire group of islands.

And the Spanish name "Malvina" comes from the French name given by Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1764 in honor of the first known islanders from the Breton port of Saint-Malo in France.
The dispute over the ownership of the islands has not been finally resolved. The use of many Spanish names in the Falkland Islands is considered offensive.
In 1982, Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands but were forced to surrender.

State symbols

Flag- is the flag of the British Overseas Territory. The flag is a rectangular panel with an aspect ratio of 1: 2 with the coat of arms of the Falkland Islands. The flag was approved on January 25, 1999.

Argentina regards the Falkland Islands as part of its province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic islands, and the flag of that province.

Coat of arms- is a blue shield with the sailboat Desire depicted on it on the waves, on which the English sea captain John Davis discovered the Falkland Islands in 1592.
A ram is placed in the upper part of the shield, because until recently, sheep breeding was the main economic activity on the islands. The grass on the coat of arms represents the most common vegetation on the islands. In the XIX century. sheep breeding was not the main source of income. The basis of the economy was cattle, therefore, until 1925, a bull was depicted on the coat of arms instead of a ram. The coat of arms was officially adopted on September 29, 1948.

State structure

Form of government- constitutional monarchy, overseas territory of Great Britain.
Head of state- the monarch of Great Britain represented by the governor.
Head of the government- Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Capital and largest city

Official language- English. Spanish (12%), German (0.6%) and French (0.5%) are also widespread.
Territory- 12,173 km².

In the countryside
Population- 2840 people. The majority of the population (94.7%) lives on East Falkland Island.
Religion- 66% of the population of the archipelago is Christian.
Currency- Falkland Islands pound.
Economy- before the economy of the islands was based on whale hunting and servicing ships, but from the 1870s to the 1980s. it was entirely based on sheep breeding. Currently, the economy of the archipelago depends mainly on sheep breeding, industrial fishing, fish processing industry, tourism and agriculture... More than 80% of the islands' territory is occupied by pastures. The Falkland Islands is an exporter of high quality wool, which goes mainly to the UK. There are slaughterhouses on the East Island.
Wells are being drilled to explore the prospective large oil reserves on the shelf of the islands.
Transport: automobile, 2 airports, 2 seaports. Public transport - taxi only.

Nature

The Falkland Islands consist of two large islands (West and East Falkland) and about 776 small islands and rocks. The archipelago is located 343 km from the Argentine island of Estados. The total length of the coastline is about 1300 km, the coast is heavily indented. The West and East Falkland Islands are separated by the Falklands Strait. The highest point of the archipelago is Mount Usborne in East Falkland (705 m) and Mount Adam on West Falkland Island (700 m). The islands do not have long rivers, but there are a large number of streams that usually flow into the nearest fjord or bay.

Satellite image of the archipelago
Climate moderate cool, oceanic. Westerly winds prevail. The average water temperature in summer is 8-15º. A powerful cold current carries a large number of icebergs. Fogs are frequent. There is no long-term snow cover.
The only native land mammal of the archipelago was the Falkland fox, but it was exterminated in the middle of the 19th century. The coastal waters are home to 14 species of marine mammals.

Black-headed albatross

A large number of seabirds (more than 60 species) nest on the islands, among them the black-browed albatross, 60% of its nesting sites are in the Falkland Islands. 5 species of penguins nest on the archipelago.
There is not a single species of reptiles and amphibians, but there are about 200 species of insects, 43 species of spiders and 12 species of worms.
The fresh waters of the archipelago are home to 6 species of fish.

Vegetation: grass meadows and moorlands. The flora and fauna of the archipelago were greatly altered during the course of colonization. Today, almost the entire territory of the islands is used as pasture for sheep. The imported plant and animal species damage the local flora and fauna.

Falkland Islands landmarks

Stanley town

The administrative center and the only city in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Population - more than 2,000 people.
The city is home to the Falkland Islands Museum, the seat of the Governor and Government, and the Anglican Cathedral.

But the main attraction of the islands is wildlife, which can be observed in natural conditions. The most famous inhabitants are penguins and black-headed albatrosses. The rookeries of elephant seals and sea lions are extensive. Large herds of dolphins and killer whales live off the coast of the archipelago.
An important moment in the life of the islands is the annual summer sports competition, which brings together islanders who are disunited on their isolated farms. Competitions include horse racing, a variety of rodeos and shepherd dog competitions.

Port Louis is home to seals, elephant seals and king penguins. There are numerous bird markets at Cape Pembroke. Magellanic penguins can be seen in Gypsy Cove.

Story

The islands are believed to have been discovered in 1591-1592. by the English navigator John Davis. But the Spaniards believe that this is not the case. Since there was no indigenous population on the islands, it is now difficult to say how it really was. The islands have repeatedly passed from hand to hand.

John Davis
In 1764, the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville founded the first settlement on the island of East Falkland (Port Saint-Louis). In January 1765, British captain John Byron, unaware of the presence of the French on the islands, explored Saunders Island at the western end of the archipelago and announced its annexation to Great Britain. He named the harbor on Saunders Port Egmont. In 1766 Captain McBride founded an English settlement here.

John Byron
In the same year, Spain acquired French possessions in the Falklands from Bougainville and in 1767 appointed a governor. In 1770 the Spaniards expelled the British from the island, the two countries were on the brink of war. Later, a peace treaty was concluded, and the British returned to Port Egmont, while Spain and Great Britain did not abandon their claims to the islands.
The British left the Falklands in 1776, but erected a plaque here to confirm their rights to the area. In 1776-1811. a Spanish settlement remained on the islands. But in 1811 the Spaniards also left the islands, leaving a plaque here to prove their rights.
In 1816 Argentina declared the islands its own. In 1832, Argentina decided to restore the settlement and set up a penal colony there, but it failed to do so. On January 2, 1833, the British landed in the Falklands and notified the Argentine authorities of their intention to restore their power on the islands, but until 1834 the Falkland Islands were actually self-governing. And only on January 10, 1834, British naval lieutenant Henry Smith raised the Union Jack (the flag of Great Britain) over Port Louis. Subsequently, the British Royal Navy built a military base in the Falklands at Port Stanley, and the islands became a strategically important point for navigation in the Cape Horn region.
During the First World War, a battle took place in the Falklands between the German and British naval forces.
During World War II, Port Stanley served as a repair base for British ships taking part in the Battle of La Plata.
In the second half of the twentieth century. Argentina hoped, with the assistance of the UN, to declare to the rest of the countries their rights to the archipelago. The UK responded that the islanders must vote to secede in a referendum. In the 60s. Negotiations were held between the British and Argentine representatives, but they did not lead to a solution to the Falklands issue: the two thousand inhabitants of the islands, mostly of British origin, preferred to remain on British territory.
In 1982, the Anglo-Argentine conflict began around the islands. On April 2, Argentina conducted a military operation, establishing control over the islands. Great Britain sent a large naval force and SAS (Special Air Service) units to the islands with the aim of returning the Falklands by force. Argentina was defeated, but continues to dispute both the name of the islands and territorial affiliation.

Currently, the islands remain the subject of a territorial dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom, which exercises de facto control over them as their overseas territory. This was supported by 99.3% of the voters.
British military bases are located on the islands.
In 2010, relations between Great Britain and Argentina strained again - British companies began developing oil fields on the shelf near the islands. In 2012, the Argentine authorities announced their intention to go to court with a claim against companies involved in oil and gas exploration in the territories near the islands. Then Great Britain increased its military presence in the region.
Argentina protested the militarization of the islands, but Britain denied the allegations, calling its strategy defensive.

The Falkland Islands could be called Antisland, by analogy with Antarctica, which means "Land opposite to the Arctic". The Falklands are also located in the Atlantic Ocean and at about the same distance from their pole as. The same strong winds blow here, forcing rare trees to grow in bizarre shapes. And most importantly, everyone here also speaks English, since the Falklands is a small piece of Great Britain, lost on the other side of the world.

The entire population of the Falkland Islands is 3,000 people. This is the only country where all residents are familiar with each other. Moreover, the islands are home to 500,000 sheep and 770,000 penguins. I talked about penguins in detail in, and today we will talk about the capital of Falkland - Port Stanley, where 2/3 of the country's population lives.

The city can be walked from one end to the other in 20 minutes. All buildings are low and wooden:

There are only a couple of brick buildings in the city. One of them is located next to the pier and welcomes all guests. It was built for Queen Victoria's golden jubilee and is over 100 years old:

And the second brick building is a Protestant church:

The interesting sculpture in front of her is nothing more than 2 giant blue whale jaws stacked together:

Church inside:

This is not the only church in the city. In addition to the English Protestant Church, there is also a Catholic Church:

Local newspaper editorial office:

Almost all tourists go to the post office without fail and send themselves a postcard with the Falkland Islands stamp:

The city has 8 pubs and 2 restaurants. The best pub, according to a local taxi driver - Deano "s Bar:

The second most popular Globe Tavern:

Local seagulls are happy to clean up the plates here for the fastidious visitors:

A few more views of the city:

The city has many monuments to sailors and soldiers who fell in the 75-day war against Argentina in 1982. At the time, England was weak economically and Argentina decided to seize the islands, hoping that Margaret Thatcher would not be able to recapture them. They were greatly mistaken. It took the British 2 and a half months to fully regain control of the islands:

During the war, the Argentines densely mined almost the entire area of the islands. Until now, not all of these fields have been cleared of mines. Vast areas are fenced in with signs: Danger! Minefields! Already cleared areas next to those that have not been cleared are also marked with plates, but with a softer content:

More monuments:

The city has several shops selling food, clothing and even electronics:

A very strong wind is constantly blowing here. This can be clearly seen in the shape of the trees:

But even such a strong wind does not stop the local “British” from street football:

Oil and gas have not yet been found here, so the local population is drowning their houses with peat. It burns badly, but there is no fish and cancer:

It is cut into cubes directly from the ground along the road:

Most of the cars in the Falklands are English Land Rovers. There are practically no roads here and you can only move around the country by SUV:

All rooms are very basic. F - stands for Falklands:

You can also ride a double-decker bus around the city:

The Falkland Islands are very convenient for sailors. As everyone knows, near Cape Horn there is always very bad weather and the sea, to put it mildly, is "not calm". By the way, I'll be there in 4 days. Ships damaged during the passage of Cape Horn took refuge in the Falklands for repair and refueling with water and provisions. Those ships that could no longer be repaired were thrown right here. Therefore, there are a lot of dilapidated skeletons around the city:

The islands were uninhabited when they were first discovered by European explorers, but there is evidence that Patagonian Indians may have reached the Falkland Islands by canoe. Artifacts including arrowheads and canoe remains have been found on the islands. There is also the presence of the Falkland Island fox, or Warrah (now extinct), but they may have reached the islands across the isthmus when sea levels were much lower during the last ice age. A group of islands in the Falkland Islands region have appeared on maps since the early 16th century, suggesting that either Ferdinand Magellan or another expedition of the 1500s may have seen them. Amerigo Vespucci may have seen the islands in 1502, but he did not name them. In 1519 or 1520, Esteban Gomez, a captain on Magellan's expedition, encountered several islands. Members of his team named them "Ilha de Sanson y de los Patos" ("Samson and Ducks Islands"). These islands were probably Jason Islands, northwest of the West Falklands, but the names "Ilia de Sanson" (or "San Anton," "San Son," and "Ascensión") were used for the Falkland Islands on Spanish maps during this period. ... Piri Reis, a Turkish admiral of the period who drew remarkably accurate maps, also showed islands on his maps, which may well have been the Falkland Islands.

The extinct warrah was the only native mammal found on the islands at the time of European discovery.

There is some controversy regarding the first European explorer to see the islands. The islands appear on numerous Spanish and other maps beginning in the 1520s. English explorer, John Davis, Commander of Desire, one of the ships belonging to Thomas Cavendish's second expedition to the New World, is recorded as having visited the islands in 1592. It was separated from Cavendish off the coast of what is now southern Argentina by a severe storm and discovered the islands ... For a time the islands were known as "Davis Land". In 1594, the English commander, Richard Hawkins, visited the islands. Combining his own name with that of Queen Elizabeth I, "The Virgin Queen", he gave the islands the name of "Hawkins' Maidenland." Many give credit to Duchman Sebald de Vehe, a Dutch sailor who discovered the islands in 1600.

January 1690, English sailor John Strong, captain Welfare reached Puerto Deseado (now in Argentina); but driven off course by opposite winds, he reached the Sebald Islands instead and landed at Bold Cove. He sailed between the two main islands and named the passage the "Falklands Canal" (now Falklands Sound), after Anthony Carey, 5th Viscount of Falkland, which as the Admiralty Commissioner financed the expedition (Chancellor's Court later became the First God of the Admiralty). The island group later took its English name from this body of water.

Since their discovery, the Falkland Islands have had a complex history. France, Britain, Spain, and Argentina all claimed possession at some time, and established and abandoned settlements on the islands. The Falkland Islands crisis of 1770 was almost the cause of the war between the Franco-Spanish Union and Great Britain. Argentina took over and continued the claim of the Spanish government after its declaration of independence in 1816 and the war of independence in 1817. Sloop US warship Lexington destroyed the Argentine settlement at Port Louis on 28 December 1831 and the United Kingdom returned to the islands in 1833. Argentina continued to claim sovereignty over the islands, and in 1982 the military junta used the dispute as a pretext to invade and briefly occupy the islands. The United Kingdom's task force defeated the occupying troops and returned the islands to British control in the two-month-long Falkland Islands War.

The first settlement in the Falkland Islands was in 1764. It was named Port St. Louis and was founded by the French navigator and military commander Louis Antoine de Bougainville on Berkeley Sound, in present-day Port Louis, East Falklands.

John Byron, Joshua Reynolds, 1759.

In January 1765, British captain John Byron, unaware of the French presence, explored and claimed Saunders Island, at the western end of the group, where he named Port Egmont's harbor. He sailed near other islands, which he also claimed for King George III. A British settlement was built at Port Egmont in 1766. Also in 1766, Spain acquired a French colony, and after taking effective control in 1767, placed the islands under the governor's subordinate to the colonial authorities of Buenos Aires. Spain attacked Port Egmont, ending the British presence there in 1770. The expulsion of the British settlement brought the two countries to the brink of war, but a peace treaty allowed the British to return to Port Egmont in 1771 with no relinquishing sovereignty.

As a result of the economic pressures resulting from the impending American War of Independence, the United Kingdom decided to withdraw unilaterally from many of its overseas settlements, including Port Egmont, in 1774. After its withdrawal in 1776, Britain left behind a plaque stating its claims. From 1776 to 1811, Spain maintained a settlement controlled from Buenos Aires as part of the La Plata Viceroyalty. On leaving in 1811, Spain also left behind a plaque stating its claims.

On November 6, 1820, Colonel David Jewett raised the flag of the United River Plate Areas (Argentina) in Port Louis. Jewett was an American sailor and privateer in the employment of Buenos Aires businessman Patrick Lynch to pilot his ship, the frigate Heroína(Lynch, received a corsair licensefrom Buenos Aires Supreme Director Jose Rondeo). Jewett had been placed in the islands the previous month, after a disastrous eight-month voyage with most of his team handicapped by scurvy and illness. After resting in the islands and rebuilding his ship, he returned to Buenos Aires.

The occupation began in 1828 with a settlement fund and a penal colony. United States warships destroyed this settlement in 1831 after the Argentine governor of the islands, Luis Vernet, seized American seal hunting ships during a fishing rights dispute. Escaped prisoners and pirates were left behind. In November 1832, Argentina sent another governor, who was killed in the mutiny.

In January 1833, British forces returned and informed the Argentine commander that they intended to reaffirm British sovereignty. The existing settlers were allowed to stay, with an Irish member of the Vernet settlement, William Dixon, appointed as governor of the Isles. Vernet's representative, Matthew Brisbane, returned later that year and was advised that the British had no objection to continuing Vernet's business ventures, provided there was no interference with British control.

Capital road sign.

The Royal Navy built a base at Stanley and the islands became a strategic point for navigation around Cape Horn. A World War I naval battle, the Battle of the Falkland Islands, took place in December 1914, with a British victory over the Germans. During World War II, Stanley served as a Royal Navy station and served ships that took part in the Battle of the River Plate.

Island sovereignty again became a problem in the latter half of the 20th century. Argentina, in pursuit of its claim to the islands, saw the creation of the United Nations as an opportunity to present its case before the rest of the world. In 1945, after signing the UN Charter, Argentina stated that it reserved its right to the sovereignty of the islands, as well as its right to return them. The United Kingdom responded in turn, stating that, as an essential precondition for the implementation of UN Decision 1514 (XV) regarding the decolonization of all territories still under foreign occupation, theFalklanders first had to vote in favor of a British withdrawal in a referendum to be held on the issue ...

Negotiations between British and Argentine foreign missions took place in the 1960s but failed to reach any meaningful conclusion. The main sticking point in all of the negotiations was that the 2,000 residents of mainly British descent preferred that the islands remain British territory.

General information

Official name - Falkland Islands (Malvinas)... Archipelago in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. This British Overseas Territory is an important gateway from the Atlantic to the Pacific and allows control of the South Atlantic. The area is 12,173 km 2. Population - 3,140 people. (for 2008). The state language is English. The capital is Stanley. The monetary unit is the Falkland Islands pound.

The Falkland Islands consist of two large (West and East Falkland) and about 776 small islands and rocks. The archipelago is located at a distance of 343 km from the Argentine island of Estados, 463 km from the coast of South America and 1078 km from the Shag Rocks (). The total area is 12,173 km 2. The total length of the coastline is about 1300 km, the coast is heavily indented. The West and East Falkland Islands are separated by the Falklands Strait. The highest point of the archipelago is Mount Usborne (705 m, located on East Falkland Island), Mount Adam on West Falkland Island has a height of 700 m.

Story

The Falkland Islands were discovered by the British in the 17th century, and then almost immediately by the French. However, she believed that this was their territory. In 1833 she conquered the Falkland Islands. Since then, in the eyes of Argentines, Britain has been an invader. In 1982, the Argentine military junta designed an operation to invade the Falkland Islands to distract the population of its country from human rights problems and the difficult state of the economy. Perhaps this was also done to increase the level of national pride.

In April 1982, Argentine troops landed in the Falklands, occupying them in two days. The resistance of the small Marine garrison was short-lived. In response, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered the Navy to return the occupied territories. A group of troops and warships, which included two aircraft carriers, moved towards the islands. Already on April 25, one of them was repulsed. After that, the British Navy blocked the occupied territories with submarines and ships. The aircraft made successful raids, as a result of which three Argentine aircraft were shot down. The Argentines had their light cruiser sunk and the British lost their destroyer.

British troops numbering 4,000 on the night of May 23 landed on the west coast, near the city of San Carlos. The group included the marines, paratroopers and SAS special forces. The commander of the troops was Julian Thompson. SAS commandos attacked the airfield on Pebble Island. The paratroopers liberated the villages of Guz-Green and Darwin. SAS commandos destroyed a unit of Argentine commandos at the height of Kent. In June, the British landed 5,000 more in the Falkland Islands. After that, the assault on the city of Port Stanley began from the adjacent heights, which was liberated on June 12. The commander of the Argentine forces, General Mendes, surrendered on June 14, realizing the hopelessness of his position.

During the Battle of the Falkland Islands, England lost two frigates, two destroyers, a couple of support ships and 258 men. Argentine casualties: one submarine, 75 aircraft, light cruiser, 649 dead and 11,313 prisoners. As a result of the defeat, power in Argentina changed - the junta fell. Britain has established its international image. However, despite this, Argentina has not abandoned its claims to the Falklands so far. In 2013, almost an absolute majority (99.8%) of the inhabitants of the islands confirmed their belonging to Britain in a referendum.

The Falkland Islands are a self-governing territory of Great Britain. They are also claimed by Argentina.

Falkland Islands landmarks

Port Stanley (Stanley or Puerto Argentino) actually resembles a village. Historically, it acquired its political status only due to its larger size than other settlements in the archipelago. Since many of its houses were built of stone and wood "rescued" from the debris of numerous shipwrecks, the city has a certain charm, accentuated by its brightly painted buildings, traditional English lawns and the constant smell of burning peat carried by the sea breeze. The most attractive object of the city is Government House, which has been the seat of the governor of the islands since the middle of the 19th century. An obligatory visitation ceremony is an entry in the "register of visitors", a tribute to the tradition and government of the islands.

Not far from the residence is located Christ Church Cathedral- a massive structure of brick and stone with a colorfully painted metal roof and imposing stained glass windows. The building was built in 1892 and now houses a museum and several plaques commemorating the Falkland soldiers who died in the battles of the world wars.

In a small square next to the cathedral stands the recently restored wailbone arch, established in 1933 in honor of the centenary of British rule in the Falkland Islands.

Port louis- the oldest settlement in the Falkland Islands and, accordingly, the oldest buildings on the islands. This is an ivy-covered farmhouse from the 19th century, the ruins of a French governor's residence and the estate of Louis Vernet nearby. Port Louis lies in the depths of Berkeley Sound, the largest bay in the East Falklands, 35 km away. northwest of Port Stanley. The outskirts of the city are very picturesque and with their green low mountain slopes resemble the landscape of northern Scotland.

Volunteer Beach Lying east of Port Louis on the shores of Johnson Harbor, it provides excellent conditions for more than 150 breeding pairs of king penguins, the largest colony of these birds on the islands. A few hours walk east of the beach, in the Volunteer Neunt area, there is a large colony of Antarctic fur seals, and in the Volunteer Lacoon area there are elephant seals.

Sea Lion Island located east of the south coast of Falkland, less than a mile in diameter, but abundant in wildlife. Among its usual inhabitants - five species of penguins, a huge colony of cormorans, giant pigeons and almost tame "Johnny Rook" - as the locals call the striped caracar. Hundreds of elephant seals literally fill the sandy and pebble shores of the island's southern pool. Thanks to the progressive farming methods of local landowners, the flora and fauna of the island thrives here in close proximity to sheep farms, and the island itself is considered the only Falkland island with preserved natural grass cover.

Sanders Island north of the west coast of Falkland, is the site of the first British garrison in the Falkland Islands, built in 1765. It was the Spanish expulsion of this tiny garrison in 1767 that caused the war between the two countries. After 1774 the Spanish demolished the settlement and all that remains today is a few docks, blocks of foundations for houses and a terrace of the British Marines' garden.

Falkland Islands cuisine

Falkland Islands cuisine is based on Latin American and British traditions. Typical foods include lamb, pork, fish, beef, poultry, seafood and vegetables.

Meat is widely used in local cuisine. Traditional dishes include: fried sausages; meat pies; steaks, steaks; roast beef in all its forms; various lamb dishes; roast goose with spices and other very simple, however, hearty dishes.

Not devoid of menu and seafood. The surrounding waters supply the islanders with oysters, mussels, snow crab, trout, Atlantic cod and squid. Seafood is baked, fried, made from them amazing salads and very thick rich soups. One of the main traditional dishes is the British style fish and fried potatoes.

For a side dish to dishes, local chefs use fresh vegetables, which are very often grown right in the vegetable gardens adjacent to the cafe or restaurant. The vegetables are combined with the unique local red Tiberri.

In everyday life, the islanders drink a huge amount of tea and coffee. Various herbal infusions are also popular among the residents.

For dessert, you can order delicious homemade cakes according to the "grandmother's recipe".

Falkland Islands on the map

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The Falkland Islands get their name from the Falkland Passage, the strait between the two main islands of the archipelago. The name for the strait was chosen by the Englishman John Strong in 1690 in homage to his patron Anthony Carey, 5th Viscount of Falklands. This name was later extended to cover the entire group of islands. The Spanish name, Islas Malvinas, derives from the French name, Îles Malouines, given by Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1764 to honor the first known islanders, sailors and fishermen from the Breton port of Saint Malo in France. Since the dispute over the ownership of the islands has not been finally resolved, the use of many Spanish names in the Falkland Islands is considered offensive. In particular, this applies to names associated with the invasion of Argentine troops in the Falkland Islands in 1982. The commander of British forces in the Falklands Conflict, General Sir Jeremy Moore, did not allow the name "Malvinas" to be used in the Argentine surrender document, rejecting it as a propaganda term.

Geography

The Falkland Islands consist of two large (West and East Falkland) and about 776 small islands and rocks. The archipelago is located 343 km from the Argentine island of Estados, 463 km from the coast of South America and 1078 km from Shag Rocks (South Georgia). The total area is 12,173 km². The total length of the coastline is about 1300 km, the coast is heavily indented. The West and East Falkland Islands are separated by the Falklands Strait. The highest point of the archipelago is Mount Usborne (705 m, located on East Falkland Island), Mount Adam on West Falkland Island is 700 m high. There are no long rivers on the islands, but there are a large number of streams, which usually flow into the nearest fjord or bay.

The climate of the islands is characterized as moderate, cool, oceanic. Westerly winds prevail. Temperature changes throughout the year are relatively small. Average monthly temperatures range from 9 ° C in January and February to 2 ° C in June and July. The average annual temperature is about 5.6 ° C. It is influenced by powerful cold currents. One of them - Falkland (Malvin) - follows from the Falkland Islands to La Plata Bay. The current speed is 1-2 km / h. The average water temperature in winter is from 4 to 10 ° С, in summer from 8 to 15 ° С. It carries a large number of icebergs, although icebergs are rare near the islands.

The average annual precipitation is about 574 mm, the level of precipitation is approximately constant throughout the year. The western part of the archipelago is drier than the eastern one. So, the level of precipitation in Port Stanley, on the east coast - about 630 mm, while in the extreme west of the Falkland Islands - only about 430 mm. In winter, precipitation can occur in the form of snow, but it is only temporary and does not create a long-term snow cover. Fogs are frequent.

Flora and fauna
Biogeographically, the islands belong to the Antarctic ecozone and the Holontarctic floristic kingdom. There is a strong connection with the Patagonian flora and fauna. The only native land mammal of the archipelago was the Falkland fox (it became extinct in the middle of the 19th century with the beginning of mass colonization). The coastal waters are home to 14 species of marine mammals. A large number of seabirds (more than 60 species) nest on the islands, among them it is worth noting the black-browed albatross, 60% of which is nesting in the Falkland Islands. In addition, 5 species of penguins nest on the archipelago. Not a single species of reptiles and amphibians live on the islands. About 200 species of insects have been registered, as well as 43 species of spiders and 12 species of worms. Only 13 species of terrestrial invertebrates are recognized as endemic, but due to the lack of information on many species, the proportion of endemics is likely to be much higher. 6 species of birds live in the fresh waters of the archipelago.

The vegetation of the archipelago is represented by grass meadows and heather wastelands. There are 363 species of vascular plants, 21 species of ferns and 278 species of flowering plants.

The flora and fauna of the archipelago were greatly altered during the course of colonization. Today, almost the entire territory of the islands is used as pasture for sheep. The imported plant and animal species damage the local flora and fauna.

Story
It is alleged that the islands were discovered in 1591-1592 by the English navigator John Davis, who commanded a ship on the expedition of the English corsair Cavendish, but the Spaniards also claim the right to be the discoverers of the archipelago. Subsequently, the islands have repeatedly passed from hand to hand. The indigenous population was not there.

In 1763-1765 the islands were explored by the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville. In 1764 he founded the first settlement on East Falkland Island, named Port Saint Louis (from 1828 - Port Louis). In January 1765, British captain John Byron, unaware of the presence of the French on the islands, explored Saunders Island at the eastern end of the archipelago and announced its annexation to Great Britain. Captain Byron named the harbor on Saunders Port Egmont. Here in 1766 Captain McBride founded an English settlement. In the same year, Spain acquired French possessions in the Falklands from Bougainville and, consolidating its power here in 1767, appointed a governor. In 1770, the Spanish attacked Port Egmont and drove the British from the island. This led to the fact that the two countries were on the brink of war, but a peace treaty concluded later allowed the British to return to Port Egmont in 1771, while neither Spain nor Great Britain abandoned their claims to the islands.

In 1774, in anticipation of the impending American War of Independence, Great Britain unilaterally abandoned many of its overseas possessions, including Port Egmont. Leaving the Falklands in 1776, the British erected a plaque here to confirm their rights to the area. From 1776 to 1811, a Spanish settlement remained on the islands, governed from Buenos Aires as part of the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata. In 1811, the Spaniards left the islands, also leaving a plaque here to prove their rights.

On November 6, 1820, Colonel David Jewet raised the flag of the United Provinces of South America over Port Louis. Juet was a privateer from the United States in the service of Patrick Lynch, a businessman from Buenos Aires, on whose ship he sailed (Lynch himself received a letter of marque from Jose Rondo, head of the United Provinces). In 1828, the merchant Louis Vernet founded a settlement in the Falklands, applying for permission from both the British and Argentine authorities (after the proclamation of independence in 1816, Argentina declared the islands its own). He was engaged in hunting for seals and the Argentine government issued him a fishing permit (according to English historians, the Argentine government owed a large sum to Verna's companion, Jorge Pacheco, and in order to somehow pay off his debt, issued the required permit). In 1831, Vernet captured several American ships that were also hunting for seals, believing that they were violating his rights. The American consul in Argentina responded by saying that the United States does not recognize that country's authority over the Falkland Islands. After that, the Americans sent a warship to the islands to return the ships captured by Vernet. Upon arrival there, the captain of the dispatched ship arrested several residents of the settlement, took some with him, several people decided to stay. At the same time, there is a version that the settlement (at least the powder depots and cannons) was destroyed by the arriving Americans.

In 1832, Argentina decided to restore the settlement and set up a penal colony there. However, when a new governor arrived on the island, a mutiny broke out there and the governor was killed. Vernet no longer returned to the settlement he founded, but it is claimed that he sold his possessions to an English merchant, who began to persuade the British government to regain control of the archipelago. As a result, in January 1833, the British landed in the Falklands and notified the Argentine authorities of their intention to restore their rule on the islands. The island settlers were allowed to stay. One of them, the Irish shopkeeper William Dixon, was tasked with raising the British flag over the island on Sundays and in view of the approaching ship. However, despite this, until 1834, the Falkland Islands, in fact, were self-governing. And only on January 10, 1834, British naval lieutenant Henry Smith raised the Union Jack over Port Louis. At the same time, governors, as such, began to be appointed only from 1842, and before that the so-called "resident naval officer" (permanently resident naval officer) was the head of the islands.

Subsequently, the British Royal Navy built a military base in the Falklands (at Port Stanley), and the islands became a strategically important point for navigation in the Cape Horn region. During the First World War, near the Falkland Islands, a battle took place between the German cruising squadron of Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee and the British squadron of Vice Admiral Frederick Sturdy. During World War II, Port Stanley served as a repair base for British ships taking part in the Battle of La Plata.

The question of the territorial belonging of the islands arose again in the second half of the twentieth century. Argentina saw the creation of the UN as an opportunity to declare the rest of the countries about their rights to the archipelago. At the signing of the UN Charter in 1945, Argentina declared that it retains the right to own the Falkland Islands and the right to get them back. Britain responded in the spirit that the islanders should vote to secede in a referendum and that this was an important condition for the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. Later, in the 60s, negotiations were held between the British and Argentine representatives, but they did not lead to any intelligible solution to the Falklands issue. The stumbling block in the negotiations was the fact that the two thousand inhabitants of the islands, mostly of British origin, preferred that they remain British territory.

World War I

During the First World War in the archipelago area on December 8, 1914, a battle took place between the German cruising squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral Maximilian von Spee and the British squadron (Vice-Admiral F.D. Sturdy).

The German command tried to intensify the actions of its fleet on British sea communications in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Vice-Admiral von Spee led the campaign of the squadron (2 armored and 3 light cruisers, 2 transports and a hospital ship) to the shores of South America, where on November 1, 1914, in a battle at Cape Coronel, he defeated an English squadron of cruisers.

Having completed the task of diverting significant forces of the British fleet, the German squadron was ordered to break through back to Germany. Not knowing the location of the British ships, Spee decided to strike at the British naval base of Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, where the British squadron was located (1 battleship, 2 battleships, 3 armored and 2 light cruisers). Meeting unexpectedly strong resistance, Spee tried to leave, but the British ships overtook him. Spee ordered the light cruisers and transports to leave in various directions. The British armored cruisers and light cruisers began to pursue them, and the battle cruisers engaged and sank the German armored cruisers. 2 light German cruisers and transports were also destroyed. Only the cruiser Dresden and the hospital ship managed to escape. As a result of the victory, the British command was relieved of the need to allocate significant forces to secondary theaters of military operations, and the German command was deprived of a strong cruising squadron. Spee himself was killed on the flagship cruiser Scharnhorst.

Anglo-Argentine conflict

In 1982, the Anglo-Argentine conflict broke out around the islands. On April 2, Argentina conducted a military operation, establishing control over the islands. However, Great Britain reacted to this by sending a large naval formation to the islands with the aim of returning the Falklands by force. During the hostilities in May-June, Argentina was defeated, but continues to dispute both the name of the islands and territorial affiliation.

Present time

Currently, the islands, being the subject of a territorial dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, are actually controlled by the latter, who considers them to be its overseas territory. The question of the independence of the territory is also being considered, in the case of the proclamation of which South Georgia, which is part of the archipelago, but belongs to another overseas territory of Great Britain (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands), will remain British.

The islands are home to British military bases - Mount Pleasant Air Force Base and the Mayor Harbor Naval Base.

Relations between the UK and Argentina have strained again after British companies began developing oil fields offshore the islands in 2010. In the spring of 2012, the Argentine authorities announced that they intend to take legal action against companies involved in the exploration of oil and gas in the territories near the islands, such as Rockhopper Exploration, Falkland Oil & Gas, etc. After that, the UK increased its military presence in the region. reinforcing the fleet with the latest destroyer Dauntless and a submarine of the Trafalgar class, as well as defiantly sending Prince William there on a six-week mission.

Argentina protested the militarization of the islands shortly thereafter, but the UK denied the allegations on 8 February 2012.

“We are not militarizing the South Atlantic. Our defensive strategy in the Falkland Islands remains unchanged. The people of the Falklands choose British citizenship. His right to self-determination is enshrined in the UN Charter, ”said the press service of British Prime Minister David Cameron.

The Argentine Olympic team starred in a video that tells about the preparation on the territory of the city of Port Stanley for the XXX Summer Olympic Games under the slogan “To win in England, we train in Argentina”, which caused the outrage of the representative of the Falkland Islands in the English parliament Ian Hansen.

Economy
Initially, the economy of the islands was based on whale hunting and ship maintenance, and then (from the 1870s to the 1980s) was completely based on sheep breeding. Today, the archipelago's economy depends mainly on sheep breeding, industrial fishing, fish processing, tourism and agriculture. Over 80% of the islands are grazing, and according to the island government's statistics, there are about 500,000 sheep in the Falklands Archipelago. Roughly 60% of the herds are in East Falkland and about 40% in West Falkland. The Falkland Islands is an exporter of high quality wool, which goes mainly to the UK. There are also slaughterhouses on the East Island.

Wells are being drilled to explore the prospective large oil reserves on the shelf of the islands.

"" Population

As of July 2008, the population of the Falkland Islands is 3,140. According to the 2006 census, most of the population (94.2% or 2,786 people) live on East Falkland Island, 4.2% or 127 people live on West Falkland Island and 1.6% or 42 people live on other islands in the archipelago. Port Stanley is home to 2,115 people (71.57% of the archipelago's population).

The language of the majority of the population is English; Spanish (7.68%), German (0.6%) and French (0.5%) are also spoken. About 1.83% of the population speaks English with little or no confidence in the language. 67.17% of the population of the archipelago professes Christianity, 31.51% said they had no religion, about 1.3% profess other religions. Most of the population are descendants of English, Scottish, Irish and Norwegian settlers, some are also recent settlers from Great Britain, Saint Helena, Chile, Australia and other countries.