What state is the Falkland Islands a colony of? Falkland Islands: population, economy and political system. Science and culture of the Falkland Islands

This is disputed territory.

In fact, the islands are a British overseas territory called the Falkland Islands. This is an important transit point on the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. But British 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 islands got their 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 Falkland. This name was later extended to the whole 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 island settlers 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 troops invaded the Falkland Islands, but were forced to capitulate.

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 considers the Falkland Islands to be part of its province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands and the flag is the flag of this province.

Coat of arms- is a blue shield with the sailing ship "Desire" ("Desire") on the sea 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 emblem reflects the most common vegetation of the islands. In the 19th 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 A constitutional monarchy, a British Overseas Territory.
head of state The monarch of Great Britain represented by the governor.
Head of the government- British Prime Minister.
Capital and largest city

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

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

Nature

The Falkland Islands consist of two large islands (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. The total length of the coastline is about 1300 km, the coast is heavily indented. The islands of West and East Falkland are separated by the Falkland Channel. The highest point of the archipelago is Mount Usborne on East Falkland (705 m) and Mount Adam on West Falkland Island (700 m). There are no long rivers on the islands, 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. Western winds prevail. The average water temperature in summer is 8-15º. A powerful cold current carries a large number of icebergs. Frequent fogs. There is no permanent 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. 14 species of marine mammals live in coastal waters.

Black-headed albatross

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

Vegetation: cereal meadows and moorlands. The flora and fauna of the archipelago were greatly changed during colonization. Today, almost the entire territory of the islands is used as pasture for sheep. Introduced species of plants and animals cause damage to local flora and fauna.

Attractions Falkland Islands

City of Stanley

The administrative center and the only city of the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands. Population - more than 2,000 people.
The city houses the Falkland Islands Museum, the residences of the governor and government, as well as 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 sea elephants and sea lions are extensive. Large herds of dolphins and killer whales are found off the coast of the archipelago.
An important moment in the life of the islands is the annual summer sports competition, which unites the islanders scattered on their isolated farms. Competitions include horse racing, a variety of rodeos and shepherd dog competitions.

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

Story

It is believed that the islands were discovered in 1591-1592. English navigator John Davies. But the Spaniards believe that this is not the case. Since there were no indigenous people on the islands, it is now difficult to say how things really were. The islands changed hands several times.

John Davies
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, the British captain John Byron, unaware of the presence of the French on the islands, explored Saunders Island at the western tip of the archipelago and announced its annexation to Great Britain. He named the bay 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 give up their claims to the islands.
The British left the Falklands in 1776, but installed a commemorative plaque here to confirm their rights to this territory. In 1776-1811. Spanish settlements remained on the islands. But in 1811, the Spaniards also left the islands, leaving a tablet here to prove their rights.
In 1816, Argentina claimed the islands as its own. In 1832, Argentina decided to restore the settlement and set up a penal colony there, but it did not succeed. 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, the 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 Stanley, and the islands became a strategically important point for navigation in the Cape Horn area.
During the First World War, the Falklands hosted a battle between the German and British naval forces.
During World War II, Port Stanley served as a repair base for British ships that took 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 its rights to the archipelago. The UK responded that the islanders should vote to secede from the UK 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 Falkland issue: the two thousandth population of the islands, mostly of British origin, chose 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 unit and parts of the SAS (Special Air Service) to the islands in order to return the Falklands by force. Argentina was defeated, but continues to dispute both the name of the islands and the territorial affiliation.

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

- (Falkland Islands, Spanish Islas Malvinas), an archipelago consisting of two main. and almost 100 smaller islands in South. Atlantic. European travelers first visited the islands in con. 18th century, and then F.o. alternately were a colony of France, ... ... The World History

FALKLAND (MALVINSKY) ISLANDS- Territory 12 thousand square kilometers, population 2 thousand people (1987). The main branch of agriculture is meat and wool sheep breeding. In total, there are more than 600 thousand sheep ... World sheep breeding

Falkland (Malvinas) Islands- (English Falkland Islands, Spanish Islas Malvinas), a territory disputed between Great Britain and Argentina, on the archipelago of the same name in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Consists of two large islands West Falkland (Gran Malvina) and ... ... Encyclopedic reference book "Latin America"

- (Falkland Islands, Islas Malvinas), in the southwest of the Atlantic Ocean. British possession. 12.2 thousand km2. Population 2 thousand people (1992). Height up to 706 m. Meadows, cushion plants, swamps. Sheep breeding. Administrative center and ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Falkland Islands) island in the southwest. parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Controversial Ter. UK and Argentina. First post, stamps ed. in 1878. Before that, from 1861, use. name stamps. (eng.) about wow and the inscription "paid". In 1928, due to a lack of ... ... Big philatelic dictionary

See Falkland (Malvinas) Islands... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Coordinates: 51°45′00″ S sh. 59 ° 0 ... Wikipedia

See Falkland (Malvinas) Islands. * * * MALVINA ISLANDS MALVINA ISLANDS, see Falkland Islands (see FALKLAND ISLANDS) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Exist., Number of synonyms: 1 Falkland Islands (3) ASIS Synonym Dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

The Malvinas Islands are a small archipelago located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It consists of 2 large and many small pieces of land, the number of which is approximately 776. The area of ​​\u200b\u200ball the sites taken together is 12 thousand km 2. The Falklands is the second and more common name given to the Malvinas Islands. The archipelago's location coordinates are 51.75 ° S. sh. 59°W e. The history of this paradise is overshadowed by the struggle of two states that are trying to secure the territory for themselves.

History of the origin of the conflict

The 16th century was marked by the discovery of many previously unexplored territories. The Malvinas Islands are no exception. The controversy over their discoverer continues to this day. Argentina insists that the first European to set foot on this piece of land was the Spanish sailor Esteban Gomez, and it happened in 1520. But Great Britain assures that it was discovered only in 1592 by the Briton John Deyvich. History tells us that for more than 200 years a Spanish garrison was located on the territory of the archipelago. That is, the Malvinas Islands were part of Spain. But in 1810, independence was proclaimed by Argentina, and the military sailed away from these lands to their homeland. Such active events in Argentina led to the fact that the Falkland archipelago was simply forgotten. And only ten years later, Captain Dzhuetom with a detachment of paratroopers arrived here and announced the rights of his state to this territory.

This distribution of power lasted 12 years. But the British sea expedition arrived on the islands and made a coup, subjugating the Malvinas Islands to Great Britain. Argentina at that time was still a very young state and could not give the due rebuff to the invaders. But she also did not intend to humbly transfer part of her lands to another country. Thus, the conflict over the Malvinas Islands originated due to the seizure of foreign territory by England.

Period of seeking a peaceful solution

As you know, Great Britain was one of the largest colonial countries in the world. But in the 1960s, this system collapsed. Argentina, taking advantage of the situation, tried to regain power over the Falklands through diplomacy. So, during this period, an airfield and telephone communications appeared on the island. Most UN members supported such an initiative. But England did not want to give up the territory on any terms. After all, it was not only about a piece of land, which is located quite far from the main part of the state. The British were interested in deposits of natural resources such as gas and oil. Another factor was that England was practically a monopolist in catching sea crustaceans - krill, and she was not going to share it with anyone.

Then the well-known iron lady Margaret Thatcher was in power in the UK. Having started military operations against Argentina, she strengthened her position in power. The Malvinas (Falkland) Islands were given a separate place in her policy of returning England to the status of a great state.

Military benefit of Argentina

The dispute between England and Argentina over the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands was beneficial not only to the first of them. In 1981, Argentina experienced a military coup and dictator Leopoldo Galtieri seized power. He just needed to enlist the support of ordinary citizens, and victory in a quick little war should have served its purpose. After all, if the Malvinas Islands returned, Argentina would show the whole world that it is a strong and independent state.

The beginning of the war

General Galtieri began to carefully prepare the operation to return the archipelago. It was decided to name her in honor of the ship of Captain Juet - "Rosario". The beginning was to be May 25, 1982. This date was not chosen by chance, since on this day Argentina celebrated its national holiday, which later had to be proclaimed as the Day of the Malvinas Islands. But a traitor crept into the ranks of the Argentines, and British intelligence received all the data about this plan. The answer to such actions from England was the Spartan submarine, which was sent to patrol the waters of the South Atlantic. Upon learning of this, Galtieri moved the start to April 2, 1982, and on that day the Argentine troops landed on the Malvinas and easily coped with a small group of British.

England took a tough stance, as she believed that her national interests were hurt. And she expected support from all countries of the European continent. Latin America, on the contrary, was on the side of Argentina, because the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands, in their opinion, had long been time to recognize the authority of their real homeland. But France did not take an unequivocal position in this conflict, because it was unprofitable for her to turn away from Argentina. This country bought combat aircraft from France. In addition, the Republic of Peru, as an ally of Argentina, bought anti-ship missiles from the French.

A look at the war between the USA and the USSR

In this war, the USSR was ready to support Argentina with its military equipment for lowering food prices. But at that time the Soviet Union itself was in a state of unresolved military conflict (the war in Afghanistan). Therefore, all the support that Argentina received was expressed in long speeches at UN meetings. We didn't even talk about activity. Even the opposite happened: the USSR simply washed its hands of it and completely pulled back from the Anglo-Argentine conflict.

The United States, on the other hand, did not step aside. At that time, the President of the United States was R. Reagan, who, after the persuasion of the Minister of Defense K. Weinberg, fully supported Great Britain. The United States immediately imposed sanctions against Argentina. And at the UN Security Council, the United States, together with Britain, vetoed a resolution regarding the Falklands conflict. The two states even agreed to put pressure on the USSR if it decided to intervene.

Active military operations

After seizing control of the archipelago, Great Britain immediately sent a large naval force to ensure that this territory was returned to the rule of the English crown. On April 12, 1982, the British government placed a blockade on the Malvinas Islands. The war was already in full swing. stated that if Argentine ships were seen within a radius of 200 miles from this territory, they would be immediately sunk. Argentina's response was a ban on the use of English banks for its citizens.

The aviation of Argentina also could not take an active part in hostilities, especially in maintaining the garrison and supplying it with everything necessary. This happened due to the fact that the jets could not land on the strip that was available on the island, as it was too short.

Thanks to the support of the United States, Britain was able to use their military base on this site. This facilitated access to a remote territory. On April 25, the British captured the island of South Georgia, which had previously been under the rule of Argentina. The military surrendered without a fight and gave up their post without resistance. Then a new phase of the war began.

Sea and air action phase

On May 1, 1982, the Falklands area was finally engulfed in war. British planes raided Port Stanley, and Argentina responded by sending aircraft to attack the British ships. The next day, an event occurred that became the most difficult for Argentina in the entire war. An English submarine sank an enemy cruiser, killing 323 people. This was the reason that the Argentine fleet was withdrawn back to the shores of their native country. He did not take any further part in hostilities.

Argentina found itself in a difficult position, and it remained only to rely on aviation. At the same time, obsolete free-falling bombs were dropped on the British fleet, which in most cases did not even explode.

But the British side also had losses that shocked the whole country. On May 4, an anti-ship missile delivered from France hit one of the British destroyers badly. This caused it to flood. But at that time, Argentina had only five such missiles, which led to the rapid depletion of this stock.

Calm before the storm

Such a military breakthrough by Argentina led to two weeks of relative calm. Of course, skirmishes continued, but they were few. These include the British military operation to destroy 11 Argentine aircraft on Pebble Island. At the same time, the UN tried to persuade the parties to end the war and negotiate peacefully. But no one wanted to give up. Argentina, in turn, decided to respond to the sanctions of other countries against it. She banned her citizens from flying to countries that have adopted anti-Argentine sanctions.

Land War

England prepared its marines in advance for landing on the islands. This happened on the night of May 21-22. The landing took place in the bay of San Carlos, where this was not expected at all. The resistance of the Argentines was weak, but the next morning the situation changed. Argentina raided ships that were moored in the bay.

On May 25, one of the planes shot down a British ship carrying helicopters. It sank a few days later. And the British ground detachment has already taken strong positions on the island itself. On May 28, an Argentine garrison was attacked in the area of ​​the settlements of Guz-Nrin and Darwin, as a result of which, after a very difficult battle, he was forced to retreat.

On June 12, with heavy losses, British troops occupied the heights of the Two Sisters, Mount Harriet and Moonit Longdon, previously controlled by the Argentines. June 14 and all other heights were subordinated to the troops of England.

Britain did not release 600 Argentines from captivity for some time, thus trying to manipulate their homeland into signing a more favorable peace treaty.

Side losses

During the 74-day military conflict, Argentina lost 649 people, one cruiser, one submarine, one patrol boat, four transport ships, one fishing trawler, 22 attack aircraft, 11 fighters, about 100 aircraft and helicopters. 11 thousand people were taken prisoner. In addition, it was resonant that after the end of the war, another 3 soldiers were killed, taken prisoner by England.

The United Kingdom lost 258 men, two frigates, two destroyers, one container ship, one landing craft, one landing craft, 34 helicopters and aircraft in this war.

Modern stage of the conflict

At the end of the war, the warring countries never signed a formal treaty. Only in 1990 diplomatic relations were established again. In recent years, the conflict has again gained momentum. The reason for this was the receipt by one of the British companies of permission to near the Malvinas Islands. Argentina opposed this state of affairs, because oil will actually be produced near the coast of this state.

Argentina's response was also a law of February 16, 2010, which states that only those ships that have received permission to swim at a distance of 500 km from the country's coast are entitled to swim. But this did not stop the British, and the oil platform was installed on 21 February.

In 2013, the public once again drew attention to the Malvinas Islands. The referendum, which would determine the country's ownership, was to be held on March 10 and 11. Residents had the opportunity to choose which state they would like to belong to. When the results were calculated, it turned out that 91% of the inhabitants of the islands came to the elections. With an undeniable result of 99.8%, the UK won, leaving no chance for Argentina to object.

Thus, in the last century there was a short war for the Falklands, or Malvinas Islands. The Shantar Islands, located in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, are somewhat reminiscent of this archipelago. After all, this is also a small piece of territory beyond the outskirts of the mainland. But if two states decide to fight for it, many people will die. The history of the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands proves that the more informed, purposeful and well-planned opponent wins the fight.

The history of previous wars has not yet known such as this. She is a unique phenomenon. Although it was very short, the rivals fought a fierce battle, using all the latest achievements of the technical process for this. And for Great Britain, it was also a war at a great distance. The main goal was not the territory itself, but the resources that it could give to the victorious country.

The Falklands War between Great Britain and Argentina became one of the most notable events in British foreign policy of the 20th century. This is the reign of Margaret Thatcher (1979 to 1990).

Below is information about the islands and the history of the conflict.

The Falkland (Malvinas) Islands are an archipelago in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean with a total area of ​​12.2 thousand square kilometers. It consists of two large islands - East Falkland (Soledad) and West Falkland (Gran Malvina) - and about 200 small islands and rocks.

The Falkland Islands are located 13,000 kilometers from Great Britain and 400 kilometers from Argentina.

The islands were discovered in 1591-1592 by the English navigator John Davis. Since 1765 belonged to Spain.

In 1820, after declaring independence from Spain, the United Provinces of La Plata (future Argentina) claimed their rights to the Falklands, which the Spaniards called the Malvinas Islands. In 1829, an Argentine military governor was landed on their territory with a small detachment of soldiers. In 1833, English ships arrived on the islands and declared the archipelago a British possession, and the Argentines who were on it were taken to their homeland.

Since the 1960s, Argentina has increased its diplomatic activity for the elimination of the colonial regime in the Falklands and the extension of its sovereignty to the islands. This problem was even considered at a UN meeting, and the majority spoke in favor of decolonization.

In 1972, Argentina built an airfield and established a telephone connection. Scientific cooperation began in 1976. But the government of England did not give the Falklanders equal rights with the inhabitants of Great Britain and even denied them the right to own property on the islands. Relations escalated when, in 1975, the British government sent a commission headed by Lord Shelkton to the Falklands to study

After the Conservatives led by Margaret Thatcher came to power in May 1979, Anglo-Argentine relations deteriorated, negotiations in New York in April-May 1980 came to a standstill.

The diplomatic solution of the territorial dispute seemed impossible to the military government of Argentina, headed by President General Leopoldo Galtieri, and it moved to decisive action.

On March 19, 1982, on the island of South Georgia, a desert island administered from the Falkland capital Port Stanley and located 800 miles from the archipelago, several dozen Argentine workers landed on the pretext that they needed to dismantle an old whaling station. They raised the Argentine flag on the island.

English soldiers tried to expel the Argentines, but troops came to the aid of the workers.

On April 2, 1982, Argentine troops also landed on the Falkland Islands. A company of 80 British Marines stationed at Port Stanley, on the orders of Governor Rex Hunt, capitulated without resistance. Galtieri appointed the commander of the Argentine Expeditionary Force, General Mario Menendoz, as the new governor. England on the same day broke off diplomatic relations with Argentina.

On April 3, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling on the parties to resolve the conflict over the Falklands through negotiations. England demanded the withdrawal of Argentine troops as a condition for the start of negotiations. Buenos Aires, agreeing to negotiations, refused to withdraw troops.

On April 5, a British squadron of 40 ships headed by the Hermes and Invisible aircraft carriers with a 10,000 expeditionary force on board sailed from Portsmouth (USA) to the South Atlantic.

On April 7, the British Secretary of Defense announced that starting from April 12, the British fleet would sink all Argentine ships that were within a radius of 200 miles (over 320 kilometers) and closer to the Falkland Islands. Argentina responded by calling in reservists and deploying additional troops to the islands. The airfield at Port Stanley began to be converted to receive military aircraft.

On April 25, the British squadron landed troops on the island of South Georgia, which captured the Argentine garrison without a fight.

On April 30, England imposed a complete military and naval blockade of the Falklands. British aviation from aircraft carriers attacked the positions of the Argentines on the islands, disabled both airfields and damaged several enemy combat aircraft and helicopters.

On May 2, a submarine sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano, which was outside the 200-mile exclusion zone declared by the British. 386 crew members were killed. Argentine aircraft sank the British destroyer Sheffield on the same day, killing 30 people. The British government gave Argentina an ultimatum to withdraw Argentine troops from the Falklands within 48 hours. The ultimatum was not accepted, and on May 2 an English frigate sank an Argentine tanker.

In mid-May, British commandos raided Pebble Island and destroyed the enemy planes and weapons depots located there. On May 17 and 21, the British side demanded the withdrawal of Argentine troops from the Falklands within 14 days. Argentina again refused. On May 21, British troops landed in the Falklands. The operation involved 22,000 soldiers, two aircraft carriers, seven destroyers, seven landing ships, three nuclear submarines, 40 Harrier VTOL fighters and 35 helicopters. Two days later, the British captured the villages of Port Darwin and Goose Green on East Falkland Island.

On May 26, the Argentine government proposed to withdraw the troops of both sides to their bases within 30 days and transfer the islands to the United Nations for the period of negotiations. The British did not respond to the Argentine proposals.

On June 14, a ceasefire was reached, and on June 15, the 10,000-strong Argentine garrison, led by General Menendos, capitulated.

Shortly after the surrender, President Galtieri resigned. Power in Argentina passed to a civilian government. General Galtieri was sentenced to 12 years in prison for starting a war with England, of which he served seven.

As a result of the war over the Falklands, British sovereignty was restored.

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 as a mark of respect for his patron Anthony Carey, 5th Viscount of Falkland. This name was later extended to the entire group of islands. The Spanish name, Islas Malvinas, comes from the French name, Îles Malouines, given by Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1764 in honor of the first known island settlers, 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 the Falkland Islands by Argentine troops in 1982. The commander of the British forces in the Falklands conflict, General Sir Jeremy Moore, did not allow the use of the name "Malvinas" in the document on the surrender of the Argentine side, rejecting it as a propaganda term.

Geography

The Falkland Islands consist of two large ones (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 (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 islands of West and East Falkland are separated by the Falkland Channel. 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. There are no long rivers on the islands, but there are a large number of streams that usually flow into the nearest fjord or bay.

The climate of the islands is characterized as temperate cool, oceanic. Western winds prevail. Temperature changes during the year are relatively small. Average monthly temperatures vary 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 under the influence of powerful cold currents. One of them - Falkland (Malvinas) - follows from the Falkland Islands to La Plata Bay. The speed of the current 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 rainfall is about 574 mm, the level of precipitation is approximately constant throughout the year. The western part of the archipelago is more arid than the eastern part. Thus, the level of precipitation in Port Stanley, on the east coast, is about 630 mm, while in the extreme west of the Falkland Islands it is only about 430 mm. Snowfall can occur in winter, but is only temporary and does not create long-term snow cover. Frequent fogs.

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 died out in the middle of the 19th century with the beginning of mass colonization). 14 species of marine mammals live in coastal waters. A large number of seabirds nest on the islands (more than 60 species), among them it is worth noting the black-browed albatross, 60% of whose nesting sites are located on the Falkland Islands. In addition, 5 species of penguins nest in the archipelago. Not a single species of reptiles and amphibians lives on the islands. About 200 species of insects have been recorded, 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 endemic species 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 cereal meadows and moorlands. 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 changed during colonization. Today, almost the entire territory of the islands is used as pasture for sheep. Introduced species of plants and animals cause damage to local flora and fauna.

Story
It is alleged that the islands were discovered in 1591-1592 by the English navigator John Davis, who commanded the 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 repeatedly changed hands. There were no indigenous people.

In 1763-1765, the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville explored the islands. In 1764 he founded the first settlement on the island of East Falkland, called Port Saint-Louis (since 1828 - Port Louis). In January 1765, the British captain John Byron, unaware of the presence of the French on the islands, explored Saunders Island at the eastern tip of the archipelago and announced its annexation to Great Britain. Captain Byron named the bay 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, having consolidated its power here in 1767, appointed a governor. In 1770, the Spanish attacked Port Egmont and drove the British off the island. This led to the fact that the two countries were on the brink of war, but a later peace treaty 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 Revolutionary War, Great Britain unilaterally abandoned many of its overseas possessions, including Port Egmont. Leaving the Falklands in 1776, the British installed a commemorative plaque here to confirm their rights to this territory. From 1776 until 1811, a Spanish settlement remained on the islands, administered from Buenos Aires as part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. In 1811, the Spaniards left the islands, also leaving a tablet 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. Juett was a US privateer in the service of Patrick Lynch, a businessman from Buenos Aires, on whose ship he sailed (Lynch himself received a letter of marque from José 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 declaring independence in 1816, Argentina claimed the islands as its own). He was engaged in seal hunting and the Argentine government issued him a fishing permit (according to English historians, the Argentine government owed a large amount to Vernet's partner, Jorge Pacheco, and in order to somehow pay off his debt, he issued the required permit). In 1831, Vernet seized several American ships that were also hunting seals, believing that they violated his rights. The American consul in Argentina responded by saying that the United States did 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 sent ship arrested several residents of the settlement, took some with him, a few people decided to stay. At the same time, there is a version that the settlement (at least, powder magazines and guns) 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 rebellion broke out and the governor was killed. Vernet never returned to the settlement he founded, but it is alleged 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 power on the islands. The island settlers were allowed to stay. One of them, William Dickson, an Irish shopkeeper, was instructed to raise the British flag over the island on Sundays and in sight of an approaching ship. However, despite this, until 1834, the Falkland Islands, in fact, were self-governing. And only on January 10, 1834, the 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 area. During the First World War, near the Falkland Islands, a battle took place between the German cruiser squadron of Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee and the English squadron of Vice Admiral Frederick Sturdy. During World War II, Port Stanley served as a repair base for British ships that took part in the Battle of La Plata.

The question of the territorial affiliation of the islands again arose in the second half of the twentieth century. Argentina saw the creation of the UN as an opportunity to declare to the rest of the countries its rights to the archipelago. At the signing of the UN Charter in 1945, Argentina declared that it retained the rights to own the Falkland Islands and the right to get them back. Britain responded in the spirit that the islanders must vote to secede from the UK 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 1960s, negotiations were held between the British and Argentine representatives, but they did not lead to any clear solution to the Falkland 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 area of ​​the archipelago on December 8, 1914, a battle took place between the German cruiser squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee and the English squadron (Vice Admiral F. D. Sturdi).

The German command tried to intensify the actions of its fleet on the British sea lanes 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 near Cape Coronel, he defeated an English squadron of cruisers.

Having completed the task of diverting significant forces of the English fleet, the German squadron received an order to break through back to Germany. Not knowing the location of the English ships, Spee decided to strike at the English naval base of Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, where the English squadron was located (1 battleship, 2 battleships, 3 armored and 2 light cruisers). Encountering unexpectedly strong resistance, Spee tried to leave, but the English ships overtook him. Spee ordered the light cruisers and transports to withdraw in various directions. They were pursued by British armored and light cruisers, while the battlecruisers engaged the German armored cruisers and sank them. 2 German light 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 freed from the need to allocate significant forces to secondary theaters of operations, and the German command lost a strong cruiser squadron. Spee himself died 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 force to the islands in order to return 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 tense

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, which considers them its overseas territory. The issue of the independence of the territory is also being considered, in the event of the proclamation of which South Georgia, which is part of the archipelago, but related to another overseas territory of Great Britain (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands), will remain British.

British military bases are located on the islands - the Mount Pleasant Air Force Base and the Mare Harbor Naval Base.

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

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

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

The Argentine Olympic team starred in a video that tells about the preparations in the city of Port Stanley for the XXX Summer Olympic Games under the slogan “To win in England, we train in Argentina”, which caused indignation 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 entirely based on sheep farming. Today, the economy of the archipelago depends mainly on sheep breeding, industrial fishing, fish processing, tourism and agriculture. More than 80% of the territory of the islands is occupied by pastures, according to the statistics of the island government, there are about 500,000 sheep in the Falkland archipelago. Approximately 60% of the herds are located in East Falkland and approximately 40% in West Falkland. The Falkland Islands is an exporter of high quality wool that goes mainly to the UK. There are also slaughterhouses on East Island.

Wells are being drilled to explore 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 2786 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 of the archipelago. Port Stanley is home to 2115 people (71.57% of the population of the archipelago).

The language of most of the population is English, but Spanish (7.68%), German (0.6%) and French (0.5%) are also common. About 1.83% of the population speaks English uncertainly or does not speak this language at all. 67.17% of the population of the archipelago professes Christianity, 31.51% declared 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 immigrants from the UK, St. Helena, Chile, Australia and other countries.