Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic consisting of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, and a number of smaller islands. They are administered as a largely Self-governing colony British overseas territory of the United Kingdom (UK) from Port Stanley, the capital and largest city, on East Falkland. Argentina, however, claims the islands, calling them by their Spanish language name, ''Islas Malvinas'' (and the derived Malvinas Islands in English language) and considers them part of the Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina. Argentina invaded the islands in 1982, leading to the Falklands War in which they were retaken by the UK. The Argentines accuse the British of colonialism and emphasise decolonisation, whereas the British emphasise the right of the islanders, who consider themselves to be British, to self-determination. Although still a touchy diplomatic issue, international relations have improved in recent years. The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes the Falkland Islands on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0 0 1em 1em; float:right; width:290px;" |+ The Falkland Islands |- | style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan="2" | {| border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 |- | align="center" width="140px" | || align="center" width="140px" | |- | align="center" width="140px" | (Flag of the Falkland Islands) || align="center" width="140px" | (Coat of Arms of the Falkland Islands) |} |- | align="center" colspan=2 style="border-bottom:3px solid gray;" | ''Motto: Desire the right'' |- | align="center" colspan=2 | |- | Official language || English |- | Capital || Port Stanley |- | Governor of the Falkland Islands || Howard Pearce |- | Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands || Chris Simpkins |- | Area
- Total
- % water || List of countries by area
1 E10 m2
- |- | Population
- Total (2003 Estimation)
- Population density || List of countries by population
2,967
0.24/km² |- | Currency || Falkland pound (FKP; fixed to Pound Sterling) |- | Time zone || Coordinated Universal Time -4 (Daylight Saving Time) |- | National anthem || God Save the Queen |- | Top-level domain || .fk |- | List_of_country_calling_codes || 500 |} ==History== ''Main article: History of the Falkland Islands'' The Dutch sailor Sebald de Weert is usually credited with first sighting the Falklands in 1600, though both the British and Spanish maintain their own explorers discovered the islands earlier. Some older maps, particularly Dutch ones, used the name 'Sebald Islands' for a while. The history of exploration is as follows: *1504: Amerigo Vespucci (Florence/Spain) *1540: Ferdinand Camargo (Spain) *1592: John Davis (English explorer) (England) *1593: Richard Hawkins (England) *1600: Sebald de Weert (Netherlands) *1684: Cowley & Dampier (England) discovered Pepys Island, renamed South Georgia by James Cook in 1775. *1690: John Strong (England) *1701: Gouin de Beauchesne (France) *1708: Roger Woodes (Kingdom of Great Britain) *1740: George Anson, 1st Baron Anson (Kingdom of Great Britain) In 1764, Louis de Bougainville (France) founded a naval base at Port Louis, East Falkland. The French named them the ''�les Malouines'', so-called from when the islands were briefly occupied by fishermen from St Malo. Ignorant of de Bougainville's presence, John Byron (Great Britain) established a base at Port Egmont, West Falkland in 1765. In 1766, France sold its base to Spain. Spain declared war on Great Britain in 1770 in a fight over the islands but the dispute was settled the following year, with Spain retaining East Falkland and Great Britain West Falkland (until 1774). They remained practically unsettled until the 19th century. Argentina set up a penal colony in the islands in 1820, and in 1829 named Luis Vernet as the islands' governor, in order to colonise them. The United Kingdom invaded the islands in 1833, but Argentina maintained its claim. Various tensions led to an Argentine invasion in 1982. The islands were later retaken by the UK. See: Falklands War. No native people lived in the islands when the Europeans arrived, although there is some disputed evidence for earlier human visits. The most convincing is the Falkland Island fox, or Warrah, possibly descended from South American culpeo used as hunting dogs by Yaghan people of Tierra del Fuego. It is unlikely that it reached the islands by itself. Abundant when the islands were settled by Europeans, it was considered a nuisance to livestock and hunted to extinction. ==Politics== ''Main article: Politics of the Falkland Islands'' Executive authority comes from the Queen and is exercised by the Governor on her behalf. Defence is the responsibility of the UK. There is a constitution, which was put into force in 1985. Under the constitution, there is an Executive Council, and a Legislative Council. The Executive Council, which advises the Governor, is also chaired by the Governor. It consists of the Chief Executive, Financial Secretary and three Legislative Councillors, who are elected by the other Legislative Councillors. The Legislative Council consists of the Chief Executive, Financial Secretary and the eight Legislative Councillors, of whom five are elected from Port Stanley and three from Camp (Falkland Islands), for four year terms. It is presided over by the Speaker, currently Mr L.G Blake. The loss of the war against Britain over control of the islands led to the collapse of the Argentine military dictatorship in 1983. Disputes over control of the islands still continue. In 2001, British Prime Minister Tony Blair was the first to visit Argentina since the war. On the 22nd anniversary of the war, Argentina’s President N�stor Kirchner gave a speech insisting that the islands would once again be part of Argentina. Kirchner, campaigning for president in 2003, regarded the islands a top priority. In June 2003 the issue was brought before a United Nations committee, and attempts have been made to open talks with Britain to resolve the issue of the islands. The Falkland Islanders themselves are almost entirely British, and maintain their allegiance to the United Kingdom. ==Geography== ''Main article: Geography of the Falkland Islands'' The islands are 300 miles (483 km) from the South American mainland.There are two main islands, East Falkland (Soledad) and West Falkland (Gran Malvina) and about 700 small islands. The total land area is 12,173 km². Islanders themselves talk about two main areas of the islands, namely Stanley and the rest which they nickname "the Camp", from the Spanish "campo" meaning "countryside". ==Economy== ''Main article: Economy of the Falkland Islands'' The largest industries are fishing and agriculture. The islands have oil reserves that are believed to be quite substantial, but have yet to be exploited. ==Demographics== ''Main article: Demographics of the Falkland Islands'' The population is 2,967 (July 2003 estimated). Islanders call themselves "Islanders". Outsiders often call Islanders "Kelpers", from the kelp, which grows profusely around the islands, but the name is not used in the Islands any more. The word ''kelper'' is used in Argentina with the meaning of ''second-class citizens'' as a reflection on the legal status of the islanders within the UK prior to the passing of the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983. ==Culture== ''Main article: Culture of the Falkland Islands'' ==Miscellaneous topics== * Communications in the Falkland Islands * Transport in the Falkland Islands * Military of the Falkland Islands * Stamps and postal history of the Falkland Islands ==See also== * Battle of the Falkland Islands - naval engagement of the World War I * British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 * Falklands War - conflict between Argentina and United Kingdom * Major Samuel Stransham * Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey * List of settlements in the Falkland Islands ==Reference== * == External links == * *[http://www.falklands.gov.fk/ Falkland Islands government] official website, including a [http://www.falklands.gov.fk/coastal-shipping/falkland-islands-map.jpg detailed map] *[http://www.falklandislands.com/ Falkland Islands portal], from the Falkland Islands Development Corporation *[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profiles/4087743.stm BBC Focus on the Islands] *[http://www.penguin-news.com/ ''Penguin News''], a weekly newspaper since 1979 (membership required for access) *[http://www.falklandnews.com/ Falkland Islands News Network], privately maintained *[http://www.tourism.org.fk/ Falkland Islands Tourism], from a company by that name *[http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2005-05-03 Satellite photograph of the islands] taken April 28, 2005, hosted by a NASA website *[http://www.naval-history.net/F13history.htm Falklands History] Falkland Islands Disputed territories Current British colonies Special territories of the EU zh-min-nan:Falkland K�n-t�

Falkland Islands

British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies Islands Disputed territories

Falkland Islands

---- ''This page was later moved from Talk:Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) to Talk:Falkland Islands. -- User:Docu'' ---- Where has the Talk:Falkland Islands page gone? And why was this page moved? Was their a discussion and consensus? If so I missed it. -User:Wikibob | User talk:Wikibob 11:44, 2004 Jul 25 (UTC) :There might not have been a Talk:Falkland Islands-page. I suppose we could just move it back. -- User:Docu I think you're right, google just shows a cache of the edit window, unless it did its dance very recently. I think I see what happened, Cantu used the name from the CIA country list, maybe automatically with a script. Problem is, the [http://www.fco.gov.uk UK Foreign Office] gives its full name as "Falkland Islands" [http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1018965238550], as does the [http://www.falklands.gov.fk Falkland Islands Government]. The islands are not a member of the United Nations, who list them as the CIA does, but disclaims any claim to accuracy. There is no ambiguity with the original name, so I see no need for this name change, and it should be moved back. -User:Wikibob | User talk:Wikibob 22:01, 2004 Jul 25 (UTC) :Ok, the article is back at Falkland Islands from Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (and this Talk:Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) page was moved along). -- User:Docu :Looks like User:Cantus moved it again. I think this is wrong because the vast majority of the English-speaking world says "Falkland Islands" as do the inhabitants, plus there are hundreds of links that are now all redirs - by moving it but not fixing redirs, Cantus is being lazy and sloppy here. User:Stan Shebs 17:01, 2 Aug 2004 (UTC) Moved back to [Falkland Islands] again. Please do not move pages without consensus. Precent is to use the name used by the party exercising sovereignty (e.g. Senkaku Islands). --User:JiangUser talk:Jiang 04:16, 6 Aug 2004 (UTC) IMHO, it is really annoying to see a "free encyclopedia" manipulated by political concepts. Argentina calls them Malvinas, and in fact in Spanish, Portuguese and French, the islands are called Malvinas (Malouines in French), so taking only the name used by the UK is a little pro-UK, �don't you think? :In Germany it is "Falkland-Inseln", in fact I did not even know that they are called "Malvinas" too. Does anyone know what they are called in the US? -- User:Marco Krohn 07:00, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC) :: Yes! That will settle the issue. User:Ejrrjs 19:25, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC) == Stop the POV == The United Kingdom "took" the islands in 1833, when they where under Argentina's sovereign administration, but Argentina "invaded" them. The UK's invasion was the first one, and the territory was part of the Spanish crown, so at the moment it was Argentine, and even though it's referred more softly that Argentina's 1982 attept to recover them. The war was stupid, it wasn't the way nor the moment, but it doesn't has to mean free POV. :Going by History of the Falkland Islands, there was no Argentine presence in 1833, so "took" is a better word than "invaded" for that event, which generally implies some sort of actual or potential armed resistance. I wouldn't have any problem saying Argentina "retook" the islands in 1982 - a few will snicker at the idea that the Argentines ever had that much control of the situation, but it's not a wrong word to use. User:Stan Shebs 16:15, 17 Dec 2004 (UTC) ::You mean, according to the 1879 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica? Kind of biased, I would say! User:Ejrrjs | User talk:Ejrrjs 19:15, 17 Dec 2004 (UTC) :::If that article is factually wrong, why haven't you fixed it? User:Stan Shebs 21:03, 17 Dec 2004 (UTC) ::::Because it is a sensitive issue and I think it is better to try to debate changes like that in the discussion pages. Actually, it was one of the first Wikipedia articles I saw, and one of the first "contribution" of mine (before registering). See also Falklands War (or anything on Gibraltar). Unfortunately, while one can be as antiamerican as he/she likes, the British Empire is such an idol that one can't even think to question its POV. Sad. User:Ejrrjs | User talk:Ejrrjs 10:07, 18 Dec 2004 (UTC) Oh dear, what a bunch of uneducated comments. It's not "pro-British" to call the islands by their official name; besides, where is the slagging off of 'pro-Argentine' fiddling with the officially recognised names? It's not a "point of view" to abide by international law and recognise sovereignty as defined by that law; it's a flawed system but it's the best we've got so far. The name of the island is not in dispute (except by uninformed Wikipedians), nor is asking 'what do the Americans call them?' relevant; the Americans don't have sovereignty of the islands and therefore can't name them, although you're welcome to think the world revolves around you and give them a nickname if you want. The islands are recognised by the UN as overseas territories of the UK. Now, that may or may not be an appropriate state of affairs, but claiming that using the official name under international law is 'pro-British' is just farcical and makes Wikipedia look like it's written by a playground of 8 year olds. You may as well have a debate about whether to call Germany 'Germany' or 'Deutschland.' This is the American English language version of Wikipedia and so 'Germany' is used, but it's not what the Germans call their country. UN names should be the Wikipedia standard - CIA factbook is irrelevant, and it speaks volumes that no-one said that using the CIA factbook as the reference is 'pro-American'. Wake up please. Life isn't all about Americans "POVs" and the British Empire ceased to exist 50 years ago. :Thanks for your suggestion. I'll update the article to highlight the UN perspective. According to the UN Committee on decolonization, Falkland Islands (Malvinas) is one of the 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories, along with American Samoa; Anguilla; Bermuda; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; ; Gibraltar; Guam; Montserrat; New Caledonia; Pitcairn; Saint Helena; Tokelau; Turks and Caicos Islands; United States Virgin Islands; and Western Sahara. [http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/gaspd284.doc.htm] User:Ejrrjs | User talk:Ejrrjs 09:21, 31 Jan 2005 (UTC) ===Fair is fair=== Is there a clear explanation for Argentina's claims to the islands, as it stands today? In school we were briefly taught about geographical/geological closeness claims, historico-political reasons, etc. etc. but I haven't seen these clearly stated anywhere. FWIW I'm an Argentinian and I consider all those absolutely ridiculous, but they ''should'' be somewhere because that's what Argentina's government holds in every relevant international forum or summit, in the UN and so on. In Talk:Argentina an anonymous user has just written "LAS MALVINAS SON ARGENTINAS" and I'd like to revert that, but directing s/he to this article. --User:Pablo-flores 11:55, 2 May 2005 (UTC) :Here you have: http://imalvinas.tripod.com/. Why are Argentina's reasons ridiculous? I guess that British interests for the Malvinas strategical position and oil reserves are also ridiculous for you... ::Well, no, the reason Britain has the islands is because it's populated almost exclusively by, well, English-speakers. ::English-speaking squatters. User:Ejrrjs | User talk:Ejrrjs 13:36, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC) :::Squatters who've lived there all their lives. For a fair few generations. No different from the rest of the Americas, really, except a slightly shorter period of occupation. I wouldn't argue that Britain's initial occupation of the islands was possibly wrong, but I'd say that, now it's inhabited by English-speakers, it's become a good idea.User:BovineBeast :::What? The chicken exists because it laid an egg? The island is populated exclusively by English-speakers because the English keep it that way. Tell and Argie to try to set a factory or even buy a house over there. User:Marianocecowski 14:05, 2005 Jun 13 (UTC) ::::Actually, there are 25 Argentinians living in the Falklands as of 2001, the fifth largest nationality, after Islanders, Britons, Australians and Chileans User:BovineBeast But lets not forget, the Falkland Islands were uninhabited originally, so if it had been colonised by the Argentines, they would be squatters as well. == Falkland War == The article mentions the loss of the war in the "Politics" section, and treats it as a previously established fact, but the war is not mentioned anywhere else in the article. This would prove confusing for those not aware of the war. User:Neckro 09:06, 18 Feb 2005 (UTC) ==Self government == According to British overseas territory, the Falklands are in stage #2 of its colonial evolution; thus hardly qualifying as a ''largely Self-governing colony''. User:Ejrrjs | User talk:Ejrrjs 18:50, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC) Could someone give any kind of support to the theory of Falklanders' self-government? User:Ejrrjs | User talk:Ejrrjs 21:32, 3 May 2005 (UTC) [http://www.falklands.gov.fk/3.htm] describes the extent of their self government quite well; they pass their own laws, subject to approval, but foreign policy and defence remains with the UK. -User:Wikibob | User talk:Wikibob 23:06, 2005 May 3 (UTC)

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