Falkland Islands

The Malvinas Islands (in English, Falkland Islands, AFI: [ˈfɔːlklənd ˈaɪləndz]) are an archipelago of South America, located in the Argentine Sea, which is an epicontinental sea of the South Atlantic Ocean adjacent to that country, about 500 km from the coast.

Unlike other islands closer to the mainland, the Falkland Islands have no autochthonous, native or indigenous human population. The first visitors were Europeans who arrived during the European conquest of the Americas between the XVI and XVII. Different countries —France, the United Kingdom, Spain and, from the XIX century, the Río de la Plata— carried out plans of permanent settlement based on their expansionist interests.

According to the United Nations, it is a non-autonomous territory whose administering power is the United Kingdom and whose sovereignty is claimed by Argentina. It is one of the 17 territories on the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories under the supervision of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, in order to examine the situation with respect to the application of Resolution 1514 of the United Nations General Assembly. Therefore, the situation of the archipelago has been examined annually by the Decolonization Committee since 1965 due to Resolution 2065 of the United Nations General Assembly. Legally, the United Nations Organization considers it a sovereign territory still pending by definition, between the United Kingdom —which has administered it since 1833— and Argentina, which demands its return.

Toponymy

Islas Malvinas is a derivation of the French place name îles Malouines, a name given by the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1764, who founded the first settlement on the islands in Puerto Soledad, in memory of the port from Saint-Malo in France. This town was the starting point for the ships and settlers from it.

The name Falkland was extended to the archipelago in British cartography after the Englishman John Strong named the Strait of San Carlos, located between the two islands, Falkland Channel Majors, in 1690. Strong named it after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland, who as commissioner of the British Admiralty had financed the expedition. A descendant of Cary, Lucius Falkland, in 2013 explained how the British place names of the archipelago arose, describing the acts as "piracy", and referring to the islands with their Spanish place names in a letter addressed to the Argentine ambassador in London.

The name "Islas Malvinas" is the usual name in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries (Ilhas Malvinas). It is also the name used in the joint declaration of the presidents of Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile in 1996, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the one used by the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) in its declaration on the matter (2008), and the one used at the Ibero-American Summit of 2007. For the Organization of American States (OAS) the name used officially in Spanish is "Islas Malvinas" and in English "Malvinas Islands". In the United Nations since March 18, 1966 the denomination used in Spanish is "Islas Malvinas (Falklands)" and in English "Falkland Islands (Malvinas)".

The Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Doubts recommends only using the place name "Malvinas" instead of "Falklands". As for the demonym, he recommends "Malvinense".

In May 2014, the colonial authorities of the islands were "enraged" with the British government after receiving documents titled "Malvinas" instead of the English name "Falklands". Several parliamentarians in Westminster also criticized the British government, considering the denomination a "political correctness" and affirmed that this "mistake" could be used to give more weight to the Argentine claim. Interior Ministry officials blamed the error on computer programs. The incident was also claimed to have happened several times after the 2013 referendum. The Ministry for Business and Innovation has also used the name Malvinas in statistics of students from British Overseas Territories studying in Britain, and the British Embassy in Colombia has issued several messages on Twitter mentioning "the Malvinas" instead of "the Falklands". Andrew Rossindell, president of the multi-party group for British Overseas Territories, said that using the word Falklands "is to agree with Argentina and is an insult to the Falkland Islands." Island politician Dick Sawle said he expected "something better from London" and that it is a "scandal, especially after we clearly voted on this (sovereignty) issue."

History

Discovery

First specific map of the islands made by Andrés de San Martín in 1520.

There is controversy surrounding the discovery of the islands, which spills over into the sovereignty dispute. France, Spain and the United Kingdom claimed discovery of the islands to defend their sovereign claims. There is no conclusive evidence to determine which European navigator first sighted them.

The islands have been included on maps and portulanos since 1502. On April 7, 1502, Américo Vespucci spotted an archipelago that could be the Malvinas. Hence its inclusion in the Piri Reis map. The first specific map of the islands was made in 1520 by Andrés de San Martín, a member of the Magellan expedition. On February 4, 1540, a Spanish ship led by Alonso de Camargo arrived at the Malvinas Islands and remained in the archipelago. until December 3 of the same year.

The British government insisted, well into the 20th century, that John Davis had discovered the islands in 1592, and he based his sovereign rights thereon. However, the modern British government and historians acknowledge that John Davis did not discover the islands. By 1592, the date of John Davis' alleged discovery, the islands already appeared on numerous Spanish maps.

The first unquestionable visit was made in 1600 by the Dutch sailor Sebald de Weert. On January 16, on board the Gelcof, he toured the Jason Islands group, located northwest of Great Malvina Island. This is why Dutch maps of the time showed the name Sebald eilanden.

In 1690, Englishman John Strong sailed between the two main islands, coming ashore briefly on January 27. Strong named the San Carlos Strait Falkland Channel. At the beginning of the 18th century the French organized successive exploratory trips to the Malvinas.

British and French interests

The failed expedition of 1749

In 1749 the British Admiralty, led by George Anson, organized an expedition with the apparent objective of making discoveries in the seas of South America and carrying out a survey of the Malvinas coasts. However, the real purpose of the expedition was to establish a naval base, which could be used to attack both Spanish commerce and the colonies in America. The project came to the attention of Ricardo Wall, Spain's ambassador to the United Kingdom., who immediately protested.

Faced with Spain's persistent refusal, the British government agreed to cancel the expedition in 1749. During this diplomatic incident, sovereignty over the islands was not discussed, only whether the British had the right to freely navigate the South Seas. The presentation of the project to the Spanish government shows that the United Kingdom was aware that the current treaties prevented it from navigating through those regions. They also recognized Spanish sovereignty over the islands and for that reason disguised their expedition under a scientific pretext. Spain denied the British request for reasons of expediency and for considering the argument of scientific interest false.

Bougainville founds Port Louis

Louis Antoine de Bougainville, the first Falkland colonizer.

On September 15, 1763, a French expedition commanded by Louis Antoine de Bougainville set sail from the French port of Saint-Maló with the aim of establishing a colony in the Malvinas Islands. The company had the consent of the French monarch Louis XV and was part of the colonial expansion plans promoted by Étienne François de Choiseul.

The two ships with provisions and Acadian families made a stopover in Montevideo, where they were received by the Governor of the square, José Joaquín de Viana. Despite the fact that Spain and France were allies and were united by the Family Pact, the French did not have authorization to form colonies in South America. The Spanish official tried to find out the reason and destination of the expedition, but the French hid it, stating that they were going to India.

Louis Antoine de Bougainville arrived in the Falkland Islands on January 31, 1764. The Port Louis military fort was erected on March 17, 1764, and the formal inauguration ceremony was held on April 5 of the same year. anus. Port Louis had a population of 29 settlers. The act of possession was ratified by Louis XV on September 12, 1764, arguing that the islands were discovered by navigators from Saint-Maló, from which the name Malouines, Spanishized to Malvinas.

On April 8, 1764, Bougainville set out for France to find more supplies and settlers. Early in 1765 she made a second voyage with 130 colonists. In this way, the population of the archipelago amounted to 150 people. Bougainville remained in the Malvinas between January and April; during those months he explored the Patagonian coast in search of wood.

Spanish occupation of the islands

Panorama de Puerto Egmont en 1780, durante la Expedición de Callejas con el bergantín S.M. Rosario.

Since 1766, the year in which the first Spanish governor, Felipe Ruiz Puente, was appointed, there has been an uninterrupted succession of 32 governors who resided permanently in Puerto Soledad and reported directly to the Spanish authorities residing in Buenos Aires. On June 10 In 1770, a Spanish fleet with the mission of dislodging the British from the positions in the Malvinas Islands, belonging by jurisdiction to the Viceroyalty of La Plata, surrendered to the English garrison that had taken possession of the Malvinas enclave months before on behalf of their Your British Majesty. Spain officially achieved the expulsion of the British in the framework of the agreements called the Nutka Conventions, signed between 1790 and 1794.

Plano de las Yslas Malvinas - Real Escuela de Navigation de Cádiz, ca. 1770.

Spanish rule ended as a result of the Napoleonic invasion and the independence of the American provinces.

The Spanish garrison from Puerto Soledad moved to Montevideo in 1811 aboard the brig Gálvez in order to fight against the insurgent government in Buenos Aires. The order signed by Francisco Javier de Elío was transmitted to His Majesty's Minister of State on March 18, 1811. The resolution to withdraw the detachment was taken on January 8, 1811 at the War Board chaired by Gaspar de Vigodet, Captain General and Governor of Montevideo. The total depopulation of the Malvinas Islands occurred.

The Cortes of Cádiz approved on March 30, 1812 the agreement of the Junta de Guerra to abandon the islands.

Argentine occupation of the islands

Argentinian possession of 1820 was known in the UK through the reports of the famous British explorer James Weddell. The news was also published in The Times August 3, 1821. The United Kingdom did not protest the Argentinian occupation in 1820, nor did it make a reservation of sovereignty when it signed the (current) Treaty of friendship, trade and navigation of 1825.

Argentina considers, based on the Uti possidetis iuris, that it became the heir to Spanish sovereignty over the islands. In 1820 the government of the province of Buenos Aires sent a frigate to take possession and reaffirm its rights in the Malvinas, as a succession to Spain, never over the Georgias and South Sandwich Islands or Antarctica, claims added in the XX on a different date. From 1823 he granted Luis María Vernet the exploitation of resources of the islands. On June 10, 1829, the Political and Military Command of the Malvinas Islands was created with a seat on Soledad Island and indefinite jurisdiction in the islands adjacent to Cape Horn. On August 30, 1829 Vernet founded Puerto Luis.

British occupation of the islands

Portrait of the Argentine governor Luis E. Vernet (1792-1871).

Vernet's enforcement activities against whaling ships caused the United States corvette of war Lexington to destroy the Puerto Soledad facility. On January 2, 1833, the British war frigate HMS Clio arrived, under the command of Captain John James Onslow, who informed the Argentine chief that he was going to reaffirm British sovereignty and retake possession of the islands in the name of the King of the United Kingdom. The captain of the schooner Sarandí, José María Pinedo, did not consider himself in a position to resist and chose to embark his men and return to Argentina. The following day the British forces disembarked, hoisted their flag and lowered the one that Pinedo had left, taking possession of the Malvinas.

Naval Battle of the Falklands

The Battle of the Malvinas Islands was a naval combat fought on December 8, 1914, at the beginning of World War I, between the victorious German squadron in the previous battle of Coronel, off the coast of Chile, and a British squadron anchored at Stanley. The combat ended with a British victory and, with the German fleet destroyed and its commander, Count Maximilian von Spee, dead, the result decanted the overseas campaign on the side of the Allies.

Operation Condor

On September 28, 1966, a command made up of 18 Argentine students, workers, trade unionists and journalists carried out a symbolic occupation of the islands called Operation Condor. For this purpose, they diverted an Aerolíneas Argentinas passenger plane, forcing its commander to land in the Malvinas Islands. There they displayed Argentine flags and distributed printed material claiming Argentine sovereignty over the islands. After repatriating, the members of the group were prosecuted in November 1966 in Tierra del Fuego for this act.

Iceed of the Argentine flag after the landing in the Falkland Islands.

Falklands War

Kelpers and Argentine soldiers, April 1982.

June 1982.

At the beginning of 1982, the Military Junta that governed Argentina ordered the invasion of the Malvinas, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands.

On April 2, the Argentine Armed Forces landed in Stanley and ousted the British government. Argentina was established with a military governorship, in addition to a large military force, all headed by Brigadier General Mario Benjamín Menéndez.

In May and June 1982, battles began, resulting in a total of 649 Argentine dead and 255 British dead.

On June 14, the British Armed Forces had reached the vicinity of Puerto Argentino/Stanley and Argentina surrendered.

Political aspects and government

Administratively, Puerto Argentino/Stanley (Stanley) is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of These Islands, which is a Dependent and Non-Self-Governing Territory administered by the United Kingdom.

For the Argentine Republic, which claims sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, the islands are part of the Islas del Atlántico Sur department of the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida and Islas del Atlántico Sur, whose capital is Ushuaia.

British Overseas Territory Government

The House of Government, in Puerto Stanley, is the official residence of the British governor.

Executive power for the British Overseas Territory is vested in King Charles III of the United Kingdom, but in practice is exercised "in Her Majesty's name and on Her Majesty's behalf" by a Governor appointed by the King.

The British Governor can only act on the direction of the Executive Council (or the British Secretary of State in some exceptional cases). The Executive Council (chaired by the Governor) consists of the Chief Executive (appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Executive Council), the Director of Finance, and three elected members of the Legislative Assembly.

Under the territory's constitution, the UK is responsible for the external relations of the islands, retaining the power "to protect the interests of the United Kingdom and to ensure the general good governance of the territory". The Executive Council has jurisdiction over most internal affairs. However, in exceptional circumstances and with the authorization of the UK government in London, the British Governor can suspend the Constitution and take full control of the islands.

The Legislative Assembly, the unicameral legislature, consists of the chief executive, the director of finance, and eight members (five from Puerto Argentino/Stanley and three from Camp) elected to four-year terms by universal suffrage. All politicians in the Falkland Islands are independent, there are no political parties in the archipelago. Since the 2013 general election, members of the Legislative Assembly receive a salary and work full time, likewise, they are forced to give up all other employment.

Dispute over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands

The sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands has been in conflict since 1833 between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Republic. Since 1946 they have been included in the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories under the supervision of the Decolonization Committee, in order to examine the situation regarding the application of the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples, Therefore, the situation of the islands has been examined annually by the Decolonization Committee since 1965.

United Nations Headquarters in New York

For the United Nations Organization, the sovereignty is in dispute, both of the islands and their surrounding maritime spaces, although until both parties resolve the contentious lawsuit, it is accepted that the local administration continue in the hands of the United Kingdom, for whom the Falklands constitute an overseas territory. Argentina rejects the British administration of the Malvinas, which it considers an "integral and indivisible part of its territory that is illegally occupied by an invading power". In this sense, it establishes them as part of the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica. and South Atlantic Islands, where they are grouped together with the South Georgia, South Sandwich and South Orcadas islands in the South Atlantic Islands department.

The continuous Argentine claim over the South Atlantic archipelagos has been reflected in the first transitory provision of the 1994 Constitution, which says:

The Argentine Nation ratifies its legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and the corresponding maritime and island areas, as an integral part of the national territory. The recovery of those territories and the full exercise of sovereignty, respecting the way of life of their inhabitants, and in accordance with the principles of international law, constitute a permanent and irrenunciable objective of the Argentine people.

The UK has not always rejected any negotiations over the sovereignty of the islands. For 15 years, active negotiations between Argentina and the United Kingdom have been maintained, with the transfer of sovereignty put on the table. After the 1982 war, the British government modified its position and has repeated the same protocol formula: « There can be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless and until such time as the islanders so wish» wished").

Although the United Kingdom publicly states that: «The United Kingdom has no doubts about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands» («the United Kingdom has no doubts about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands»), this statement is contradicted by the negotiations that he held with Argentina and the reports that the Foreign Office produced on successive occasions. In 1981 the Research Department of the Foreign & The Commonwealth Office surprised officials by stating that British rights are based "almost entirely on 148-year continuous occupation".

Geography

Land of the interior.

The Malvinas archipelago is made up of more than two hundred islands. Of all these, two islands considered to be the main ones stand out: Gran Malvina Island to the west, with an area of 4,377 km²; and Soledad Island to the east, with 6,353 km². There are a large number of small islands and satellite islets: the most isolated is the small Beauchene Island about 55 kilometers south of Punta del Toro or Punta de la Porpoise at the southern tip of Soledad Island. Some of these satellite groups make up true archipelagos, such as those of the Sebaldes or Sebaldinas islands to the northwest of Gran Malvina Island. To the south of the Malvinas is the Burdwood or Namuncurá bank, in which prospecting indicates the existence of a rich set of mining deposits, including hydrocarbons.

King penguin on Gran Malvina Island.

• Geographical locationSouth of South America. On the South American continental shelf in the South Atlantic Ocean.
• Geographical coordinates
  • Latitude: -51,45
  • Length: -59,00
• Distances The smallest distance from the Falkland Islands to the American continent lies between the Mintay rock to the southwest of Beauchene Island and Cape San Juan on the island of States, 356,4 km. The main town of the Falkland Islands is Puerto Argentino (Stanley This is located on the eastern coast of Soledad Island. This town is located 2310.36 km (right) from the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires and 13 312.74 km from the capital of the United Kingdom, London.
• Total area: according to the CIA The World Factbook 2013is 12 173 km2 and according to the National Geographic Institute of Argentina is 11 410 km2. Both including the two main islands — Soledad: 6353 km2 and Gran Malvina: 4377 km2 — and about 200 smaller islands.
• Coastline: 1288 km (the irregular coasts of the islands provide good natural ports).
• Orography: rocky terrain of archaic rocks, flowering of the Nesocraton of the Desired, covered with pastures and moss, mediumly mountainous, with peñascos and undulating plains. The peats abound. A characteristic geographical element are the so-called “stone rivers”, ancient rivers that periodically transformed into small glaciers, leaving these longitudinal accumulations of pebbles and rolled edges. Under most of the stone rivers still run fresh water.
• Land use:
  • Arable: 0 %
  • Permanent Harvests: 0 %
  • Permanent breaks: 99 %
  • Forests: 0 %
  • Others: 1 % (1993).

Extreme Points

• North: 50°59′44′S 61°27′29′′O / -50.99556, -61.45806 Northeast end of the West Rasa Island, from where you find the least distance to a non-insular point of the American continent, the Medanosa tip in the province of Santa Cruz at 554,8 km.
• West: 50°59′44′S 61°27′29′′O / -50.99556, -61.45806 north-east end of West Rasa Island.
• South: 52°58′S 59°16′O / -52.967, -59.267 Mintay rock southwest of Beauchene Island, from where you find the least distance to a point of the rest of the American continent, Cape San Juan on the island of the States, 356,3 km.
• This: 51°32′S 57°41′O / -51.533, -57.683 Uranie rock southeast of the Voluntary tip of the island Soledad.
• Lower point: 0 msnm.
• Highest point: 51°42′01′S 58°49′33′ / -51.70028, -58.82583 Mount Alberdi (Alberdi)Mount Usbourne) on Soledad Island: 705 msnm.

San Francisco de Paula Bay.

Flora and fauna

Flora

Poa flabella is native to the islands.

The islands are largely covered with shrubs that in some places can reach 2 meters in height. In the moors there are heaths and mosses that overlap with the abundant peat bogs. The existence of an autochthonous tree flora is not known.

Wildlife

The guara was the only native mammal quadruple of the islands.

As on the Patagonian-Fueguian coasts or those of the other islands of the South Atlantic and Western Antarctica, coastal fauna is abundant: pinnipeds (sea lions, sea lions, etc.), cetaceans (southern right whales, dolphins, orcas, etc.) and native birds (penguins of different species, seagulls, caracaras, petrels, pigeons, skuas, cormorants, etc.). The surrounding waters are very rich in edible fish, shellfish, crustaceans and mollusks (octopus, squid, etc.).

The only native terrestrial quadruped mammal, the guará, was exterminated by the British between 1873 and 1876. Wild pigs and hares were also exterminated during this period because they were considered "plagues". The current terrestrial mammalian fauna is entirely alien: domestic and semi-domestic animals (horses and cattle come largely from Argentina), sheep, and recently the attempted acclimatization of reindeer brought from South Georgia Island.

In the mid-1990s, British biologist Mike Bingham reported that overfishing and oil spills were decimating the penguin population. For this reason, Bingham was persecuted and harassed by the colonial administration. In 2003, the British court condemned the government of the islands for its actions. Between 1980 and 1990 the penguin population in the Falkland Islands fell by 84%. Since 1995, the population of Rockhopper and Johnny penguins has stabilized, but at a much lower level than before the establishment of the fishing zones.

Climate

Surrounded by the cold waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, the Falkland Islands have a sub-Antarctic oceanic climate heavily influenced by the sea, having a narrow annual temperature range. The average maximum temperature in January is 12.8 °C, while in July it is around 3.9 °C. More than half of the year the days are rainy, the average annual precipitation is 574 mm, but Soledad Island is generally wetter than Gran Malvina. Humidity and winds are constantly high and the sky is frequently cloudy. Snow is rare and does not accumulate, but it can occur at almost any time of the year except January and February. The winds are very frequent, particularly in winter, with strong westerly winds prevailing. The climate is similar to the Shetland Islands in the United Kingdom, but with less rainfall and longer and slightly more severe winters.

Average climate parameters of Puerto Argentino/Stanley, Falkland Islands (1929-1970)
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	24.4	23.3	21.1	17.2	14.1	10.6	10.0	11.1	15.0	17.8	21.7	21.7	24.4
Average temperature (°C)	13.3	12.8	11.7	9.4	6.7	5.0	4.4	5.0	7.2	8.9	11.1	12.2	9.0
Average temperature (°C)	9	9	8	6	4	2	2	3	3	6	7	8	5.6
Temp. medium (°C)	5.6	5.0	4.4	2.8	1.1	0.0	-0.6	-0.6	0.6	1.7	2.8	3.9	2.2
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	−1.1	−1.1	−2.8	−6.1	−6.7	−11.1	-8.9	-11.1	−10.6	−5.6	−3.3	−1.7	−11.1
Total precipitation (mm)	71.0	58.0	64.0	66.0	66.0	53.0	51.0	51.0	38.0	41.0	51.0	71.0	681.0
Precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	15	12	10	11	13	11	12	9	9	7	10	14	133
Hours of sun	198	161	169	115	77	57	69	90	128	189	200	198	1651
Relative humidity (%)	78	79	82	86	88	89	89	87	84	80	75	77	82.8
Source No. 1: Climate Studies Unit, UEA
Source No. 2: Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI)

Economy

It is worth 10 pesos issued by Luis Vernet before 1833.

Seal of the Falkland Islands of 1/2pence of the year 1891. The sale of postal stamps contributes to the economy of the islanders.

The economy was based on livestock, mainly sheep farming, but since 1987 fishing has been the core of economic activity. In that year the British government of the islands began to sell fishing licenses to foreign companies within the exclusive fishing area of the Malvinas delimited by the United Kingdom. These licenses totaled more than US$40 million a year, which is used to administer the health, education and social assistance systems of the islands. The prawn forms 75% of the fish collected. The dairy industry is used for domestic consumption; the crops feed the winter forage. Exports consist of shipments of high quality wool to the UK, stamps and coins. To encourage tourism, the Falkland Islands Development Corporation has built three cabins for visitors attracted by wildlife and fishing. Currently the islands are self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey^{[citation needed]} announced the presence of a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993 and early seismic surveys suggest the possibility of substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels of oil per day. Oil basins have recently been discovered to the south and north of the archipelago.

An agreement between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1995 sought to eliminate licensing and sovereignty conflicts that could hinder foreign interest in the exploitation of reserves.^{[citation needed]}

Transportation

Airport air terminal.

There were no air links to the islands until 1971, when the Argentine Air Force, which operated the state airline LADE, began amphibious flights between Comodoro Rivadavia and Puerto Stanley. Later, Argentina and the United Kingdom reached an agreement for the construction of an airport in the capital of the islands. Today, this airport is the base for the Falkland Islands Government Air Service, the island's only airline.

The “Malvinas Communications Resumption Agreement” was signed between the governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom on July 14, 1999, after Chile suspended flights to the islands in retaliation for the arrest of Augusto Pinochet in the United Kingdom, and that the governments of Uruguay and Brazil declined to do so from their territories. The Argentine government accepted that LAN Airlines would fly every Saturday from Punta Arenas in southern Chile, stopping on the second Saturday of each month in Río Gallegos for its trip to Mount Pleasant and on the third Saturday on its return trip. provided that Argentine citizens were allowed to travel to the islands. Since November 2003, charter flights from the Argentine mainland were suspended by then-President Néstor Kirchner, considering that such flights should be carried out from Argentina by a national airline and not from Chile by foreign companies. In this matter, the communications manager of Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, Sergio Resumil, assured months later that "from Río Gallegos it will be possible to operate with direct international flights to the Malvinas Islands".

Tourism

Hotel Malvina House.

Tourist stand of the island, in an exhibition in Uruguay, in 2018.

The high tourist season is during the months of October and until the beginning of April, tourists arrive by sea, either on tourist cruises or sailing boats. There are also excursions to the nearby bays and Cabo San Felipe, where penguins are seen.

For land excursions, mini-bus or all-terrain vehicle services are offered at local travel agencies. You can also hire small planes and sailing boats to travel to the different islands that are nearby. Occasionally, cruise ships arrive in the capital city as well. Currently, the Falkland Islands have several hotels such as the Malvina House Hotel, numerous bars, pubs, such as "The Narrows Bar" in Stanley cafes and restaurants.

Demographics

Puerto Argentino/Stanley is the largest town and financial centre in the Falkland Islands.

The islands' population was 2,967 as of July 2003. It is made up mostly of British descent (approximately 70%), mainly descendants of Welsh and Scots who have settled on the territory since the 1833 invasion. UK citizens who have obtained resident status on the islands are known as belongers. However, there are also individuals of Scandinavian ancestry inhabiting the islands. Another part of the population is formed by the descendants of the whalers who arrived in the past centuries. Finally, the rest of the population is made up of a minority from the South American mainland (mainly Chileans, around 10%, while continental Argentines numbered 29 people in 2012) and some individuals from Santa Elena and Tristán de Acuña, who have recently arrived on the islands in search of work.

Residents of the Falklands are known as kelpers; This name derives from the algae found around the islands, called kelp in English. However, they prefer to call themselves islanders (isleños). In Spanish, its adjective is "malvinenses", since "isleño" does not designate any specific place as it can be applied to any person born on any island.

Soledad Island.

At the 2012 census, most residents described their nationality as "Falkland Islander" (59%), followed by British (29%), of from Santa Elena (9.8%) and Chileans (5.4%). The same census also indicated that some 38 born on the mainland of Argentina live on the islands, of which only five were Argentine citizens The 2006 census showed that some residents identified as being of French, Gibraltarian and Scandinavian descent. The same census indicates that only a third of residents were born in the archipelago and that some residents of foreign origin have assimilated into the local culture.

The population of the Malvinas Islands was estimated in 2008 to reach 3,140 inhabitants. According to the 2012 census, Puerto Argentino/Stanley, with a population of 2,121 inhabitants (concentrating 75% of the population), is the most populated area of the archipelago, followed by Mount Pleasant with 369 residents and Camp with 351 people. Most of the population is of working age (between 20 and 60 years). Men outnumber women (53-47%), with the deviation being more prominent in the 20-60 age group. Additionally, the 2006 census reported some 2,478 inhabitants, growing 4% by 2012.

In his annual address, Governor Colin Roberts stated in June 2014 that one of the main problems facing the islands is population. The last census revealed a static and aging population. He predicted that "this will result in employment and service problems for the future." Given this scenario, in 2013 the Legislative Assembly commissioned a study to reform immigration policy. The intention is both to rejuvenate the aging population and to increase the workforce available for oil projects. Roberts stressed the need to "formulate a fair, transparent and simple system" that allows "balancing the need for a larger workforce to facilitate economic growth with the aspiration to preserve the way of life of the Islands".

Culture

The culture of the Malvinas Islands is fundamentally based on British culture and is partly influenced by the cultures of Hispanic South America (mainly Argentine and Chilean). Some terms and place names used by the former gaucho inhabitants of the islands are commonly used in local speech. The official and mainly spoken language is English, using its own variant. In addition, part of the population (10%) is Spanish-speaking.^{[citation required]}

Education

Education in the Falkland Islands is free and compulsory for residents between the ages of 5 and 16. Primary education is available in Port Stanley, at Mount Pleasant Air Base —for the children of civil servants— and in multiple rural settlements. Secondary education is only available in the capital. From the age of 16, students can study at schools in the UK. The Falkland Islands government pays for older students to attend institutions of higher learning, usually in the UK.

High school.

There are two schools in Port Stanley, these are The Infant and Junior School which teaches children from 4 to 11 years old and The Falkland Islands Community School which teaches children from 11 to 16 years old. Some itinerant teachers teach in rural schools in the Camp. Older children can stay in a hostel in the city so they can attend schools there.

As of 2012, the teaching of the Spanish language is compulsory on the islands from the age of three, in primary school. Children receive "compulsory and systematic" classes, even in high school. The choice of language was for tourism and neighboring countries. The teachers are residents of the islands.

Media

There are two newspapers: The Teaberry Express and the Penguin News. Television and radio, in general, have programming from the United Kingdom. The main station radio station is the Falkland Islands Radio Service. In April 2011, broadcasts began on Falkland Islands Television, the first local television station.

Religion

Cathedral of the Church of Christ, belonging to the Anglican religion, located in Puerto Argentino.

The main religion is Christianity (practiced by 67.2% of the population). The main denominations are the Church of England, the Catholic Church, the United Non-Conformist Church, the Evangelical Church, the Witnesses of Jehovah, the Lutheran Church and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The extra-provincial Anglican parish of the Falkland Islands is under the direct jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Malvinas form an Apostolic Prefecture of the Catholic Church that is not included in the Catholic ecclesiastical structures of the United Kingdom or Argentina. Currently, the Catholic Apostolic Prefect of the Malvinas is also rector of the sui iuris mission of Santa Elena and its dependencies.

Sports

The small number of participating teams on the islands means that the Falkland Islands soccer league is made up of a single division, without promotion or relegation. The matches are usually played at the Stanley Stadium, the main venue on the islands. In turn, the winning team does not obtain any classification for any international club tournament, as it is not affiliated with any confederation associated with FIFA.

Its great distance from Europe logistically prevents it from playing any type of competition within UEFA, despite being a British overseas territory. The situation of the archipelago has been examined annually by the Decolonization Committee since 1965, and has legally confronted the United Kingdom (who administers it) and Argentina (who claims its return), so that as a result of the latter's political movements, the islands are prohibited from participating with any Conmebol country. Confrontations between the islands and South American countries are rare, the only confrontation between the Falkland Islands and Argentina was outside of football, in the 2019 Latin American Ice Hockey Cup, a contest that Argentina threatened with boycott and, after numerous claims, the representative of the archipelago had to compete without calling itself the Malvinas or Falkland Islands (participating as "Stanley"), without playing the British anthem or wearing any British symbol on their uniforms. the "Falkland Islands Badminton team" with his name and flag for the 2020 edition of the Badminton PanAm, Pan American Championship in Salvador (Brazil) in which he will participate with the support of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), although he was not exempt from claims.

The representative of the island is the Falkland Islands soccer team, also known as the Falkland Islands soccer team, The organization is in charge of the Falkland Islands Football League (FIFL).

Has played in the Island Games in 2001, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015. Despite being located in South America, it is not a member of Conmebol, and beyond being a British Overseas Territory, was not annexed to UEFA either. Until now, there has never been any formal request from the islands to present themselves as an active member of any continental entity or of FIFA. The Island Games offer the only competitive outlet for island players.

In the 2013 Island Games, held in the Bermuda Islands, they achieved a historic third place after beating the team from Frøya (Norway) 6-0, obtaining a bronze medal. The selection of the The islands has also been the winner of the Small Islands Cup (“Small Islands Cup”) in 2013, an event held between the participating territories of the Island Games, whose population does not exceed 10,000 inhabitants..