The Falkland Islands, also known as the Malvinas Islands, are home to many birdlife and sheep farms. It comprises 740 islands, mainly divided into East and West Falkland.
Stanley is known as the capital city of Falkland and is located in the east region. The region’s government is the self-governing British overseas territory.
It is 8000 miles (almost 13000 km) from the United Kingdom. The entire Falkland Island is 12173 square kilometers.
1. Facts About the Falkland Islands
In this article, we will discover some significant facts about this place.
1.1. History
The Falkland Islands’ main human history goes back 200 years.
The British sailor John Davis may have been the first to reach this place in 1592, but the Netherlander Sebald de Weerdt made the first undisputed landing around 1600.
In 1765, the British were the first to settle on the West Islands, but they were driven off shortly by the Spanish in 1770. The Spanish bought out the French settlement in 1767.
After that, Spain controlled East Falkland (called Soledad Island) until 1811. Stanley was founded in 1845, and it remained the island’s capital.
Later, in 1885, some 1,800 British people settled on these Islands, and from 1885 onwards, they were under the British. Argentina never accepted it and fought the war with British forces in 1982.
1.2. Government and Community
The population of these islands is around 3700 and mainly consists of Falkland Islanders and people of British descent.
Nearly the total population is of British descent, & 10 percent of the population is Spanish. The people are equivalent to the average medium-sized village in Britain.
As these are British overseas territories, the King or Queen of Britain is the official head of the state. A governor-appointed United Kingdom government heads the islands’ government.
The Legislative Assembly consists of 10 members, eight of whom are elected for a four-year term, while the remaining two are the chief executive and the director of finance. The governor appoints both, and they have no voting rights.
1.3. The Economy
Standard Chartered Bank is the only working bank in the country. It, therefore, becomes challenging to exchange Falkland’s currency outside.
The entire area of the two main islands ( East Falkland & West Falkland), outside of the capital city, Stanley, is the hub of sheep farming, the island’s main economic activity.
The sheep ranching business started in an organized way in 1852, with the founding of The Falkland Islands Company (Charter by Royal Charter in 1851). The sheep farms vary in size and keep several thousand sheep on one farm.
Several hundred thousand tons of sheep wool & meat are sold annually in the United Kingdom and Britain. Sheep farming is the leading economic activity on this island.
The government made policies to promote small & locally owned sheep farmhouses in the late 20th century to increase the participation of the local population.
In 1987, the government began allowing foreigners to obtain fishing licenses to diversify the islands’ economy.
This move paid a rich dividend, and the revenue generated from fishing became one of the economy’s significant revenue generators. As per the study, the Falkland government is trying to explore oil extraction and exploration.
Stanley is the main city & harbor port. It is well-connected by road and has a commercial harbor that harbors commercial cruise ships.
1.4. Tourism and Food
Eco-tourism and marine tourism have been rapidly developing since the start of the 21st century and are playing a leading role in the island’s economy.
Pebble Island is famous for the spherical pebbles found here. Small boats stop at outlying islands, and large cruise ships stop at Stanley Port. The visiting cruise liners made these islands popular as tourist destinations.
Land Rover rentals are available in Stanley. The speed limit is 40 km/h in Stanley, and it is 65 km/h for the rest of the area.
Falkland is expensive due to the weather conditions and because most essentials are imported. There are very few hotels in Stanley with numerous beds and complimentary breakfasts.
This place also has excellent internet connectivity. The cable and wireless company offers citizens SIM cards and mobile phones. The visitor center also provides computers and Wi-Fi hotspots.
The Falkland people are primarily traditional British, and their food habits are similar to those of Britain. Fish, chips, roast beef, mutton, and tea are readily available. Stanley has a few good restaurants and pubs.
Direct flights are available from Britain, and Santiago is the only nearest airport interchange hub. Due to poor landing strips, baggage weight rules are strictly followed.
1.5. Weather
The Islands have somewhat spring weather throughout the year due to their location on the Atlantic Ocean.
Summer daytime temperatures range from 15 to 19 degrees Celsius, while winter daytime temperatures range between 04 and 08 degrees Celsius.
Peat is found in most islands, making it potentially dangerous for fire conditions.
Strong winds are common in many parts of the islands. It generally rains in the southeastern part of the region, and the far western islands get very little yearly precipitation.
The weather on the east coast is relatively better than on the entire island. Coastline tussock grass covers most of the offshore islands. Due to the chilly, damp climate, no plantation and vegetation are possible.
1.6. Falkland’s War
The Falkland Islands are a British territory. Not much attention was given to the International era until, in 1982, a war broke out between Britain and Argentina over the land’s control.
In ongoing territorial disputes, on 19th March 1982, Argentina captured British-controlled South Georgia and raised the Argentina flag. It was a more political move by the Junta’s military to gain mileage in Argentina’s internal politics.
On April 2nd, the Argentinian troops invaded the islands and captured the port city of Stanley.
By April 1982, Argentina had stationed more than 10000 troops. Argentina’s citizens very well took the move of Argentina’s military rulers, and demonstrations took place in support of the government.
Two aircraft carriers, HMS Hermes and the HMS Invincible, along with troop carriers, Queen Elizabeth 2 and Canberra, sailed towards the war zone.
Most European power support was withdrawn from the European Military base in Argentina. Except for Chile, most Latin American countries supported Argentina.
The major event occurred when the United States supported Britain and allowed its Air missile communication system.
On the other side, Chile provoked Argentina over the dispute over islands in the Beagle Channel.
The threat from Chile made Argentina keep its trained soldiers on the Chile border; most soldiers sent to these Islands were untrained and poorly equipped.
On April 25, the British troops recaptured South Georgia Island via Ascension Island and captured Argentina’s old U.S.-made diesel-electric submarines.
In a week, a British nuclear submarine sunk Argentina’s cruiser General Belgrano. These events forced Argentina to keep ships at the port and not go to the war zone.
In this process, Argentina lost 20–30 percent of its fighter planes.
Weakened Argentina Forces, materially and morally, could not stop the British troops from landing on the Islands.
After landing at Port San Carlos, the British infantry advanced towards Stanley. After many days of fighting, the British infantry captured the high ground west of Stanley.
2. Final Remarks
The Falkland Islands are on a development path today. With British support, it is growing as a travel destination.
The regions are rich today because of tourism, commercial fishing, and sheep farming. People are living here peacefully. Traveling to Falkland is a little tricky, but it is worth it to see the lifestyle of the island’s people.
Last Updated on July 8, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty
