Stanley, Falkland Islands

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located
about 300 mi (480 km) from the coast of mainland South America, 700 mi (1
100 km) from mainland Antarctica, and 3,800 mi (6,100 km) from Africa. The
two main islands are East Falkland and West Falkland, and there are 776
smaller islands. The islands are a self-governing Overseas Territory of the
United Kingdom. Stanley, on East Falkland, is the capital.

Ever since the re-establishment of British rule in 1833 Argentina has
claimed sovereignty. In pursuit of this claim, which is rejected by the
islanders, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982. This precipitated
the two-month-long undeclared Falklands War between Argentina and the United
Kingdom and resulted in the defeat and withdrawal of the Argentine forces.

Since the war, there has been strong economic growth in both fisheries and
tourism.

Name

The English name for the islands, the "Falkland Islands", derives from the
English mariner John Strong, who in 1690 named the channel between the two
main islands "Falkland Sound" after his patron, Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount
Falkland and this name was later extended to the island group. The Spanish
name, Islas Malvinas, is derived from the French name, "Îles Malouines",
named by Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1764 after the first known
settlers, mariners and fishermen from the Breton port of Saint-Malo in
France. The ISO designation is "Falkland Islands (Malvinas)".

As a result of the continuing sovereignty dispute, the use of many Spanish
names is considered offensive in the Falkland Islands, particularly those
associated with the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands. General Sir
Jeremy Moore would not allow the use of Islas Malvinas in the surrender
document, dismissing it as a propaganda term.

History

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

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

In January 1690, English sailor John Strong, captain of the Welfare, was
heading for Puerto Deseado (now in Argentina); but driven off course by
contrary winds, he reached the Sebald Islands instead and landed at Bold
Cove. He sailed between the two principal islands and called the passage
Falkland Channel" (now Falkland Sound), after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount
Falkland, who as Commissioner of the Admiralty had financed the expedition
(Cary later became First Lord of the Admiralty). The island group later took
its English name from this body of water.

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

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

In January 1765, the British captain John Byron, unaware of the French
presence, explored and claimed Saunders Island, at the western end of the
group, where he named the harbour of Port Egmont. He sailed near other
islands, which he also claimed for King George III. A British settlement was
built at Port Egmont in 1766. Also in 1766, Spain acquired the French colony
and after assuming effective control in 1767, placed the islands under a
governor subordinate to the Buenos Aires colonial administration. Spain
attacked Port Egmont, ending the British presence there in 1770. The
expulsion of the British settlement brought the two countries to the brink
of war, but a peace treaty allowed the British to return to Port Egmont in
1771 with neither side relinquishing sovereignty.

As a result of economic pressures resulting from the forthcoming American
Revolutionary War, the United Kingdom decided to withdraw unilaterally from
many of her overseas settlements, including Port Egmont, in 1774. Upon her
withdrawal in 1776 the UK left behind a plaque asserting her claims. From
1776 until 1811 Spain maintained a settlement administered from Buenos Aires
as part of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. On leaving in 1811, Spain
also left behind a plaque asserting her claims.

On 6 November 1820, Colonel David Jewett raised the flag of the United
Provinces of the River Plate (Argentina) at Port Louis. Jewett was an
American sailor and privateer in the employment of Buenos Aires businessman
Patrick Lynch to captain his ship, the frigate Heroína (Lynch had obtained a
corsair licence from the Buenos Aires Supreme Director Jose Rondeau). Jewett
had put into the islands the previous month, following a disastrous eight
month voyage with most of his crew disabled by scurvy and disease. After
resting in the islands and repairing his ship he returned to Buenos Aires.

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

In January 1833, British forces returned and informed the Argentine
commander that they intended to reassert British sovereignty. The existing
settlers were allowed to remain, with an Irish member of Vernet's settlement
William Dickson, appointed as the Islands' governor. Vernet's deputy,
Matthew Brisbane, returned later that year and was informed that the British
had no objections to the continuation of Vernet's business ventures provided
there was no interference with British control.

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

Sovereignty over the islands again became an issue in the latter half of the
20th century. Argentina, in the pursuit of its claim to the islands, saw the
creation of the United Nations as an opportunity to present its case before
the rest of the world. In 1945, upon signing the UN Charter, Argentina
stated that it reserved its right to sovereignty of the islands, as well as
its right to recover them. The United Kingdom responded in turn by stating
that, as an essential precondition for the fulfilment of UN Resolution 1514
(XV) regarding the de-colonisation of all territories still under foreign
occupation, the Falklanders first had to vote for the British withdrawal at
a referendum to be held on the issue.

Talks between British and Argentine foreign missions took place in the 1960s
but failed to come to any meaningful conclusion. A major sticking point in
all the negotiations was that the two thousand inhabitants of mainly British
descent preferred that the islands remain British territory.

Former Argentine links

There were no air links to the islands until 1971, when the Argentine Air
Force (FAA), which operates the state airline LADE, began amphibious flights
between Comodoro Rivadavia and Stanley using Grumman HU-16 Albatross
aircraft. Following a FAA request, the UK and Argentina reached an agreement
for the FAA to construct the first runway. Flights began using Fokker F27
and continued with Fokker F28 aircraft twice a week until 1982. This was the
only air link to the islands. YPF, the Argentine national oil and gas
company, now part of Repsol YPF, supplied the islands' energy needs.

Falklands War

On 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and other British
territories in the South Atlantic (South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands). The military junta which had ruled Argentina since 1976 sought to
maintain power by diverting public attention from the nation's poor economic
performance and exploiting the long-standing feelings of the Argentines
towards the islands. Several British writers hold that the United Kingdom's
reduction in military capacity in the South Atlantic also encouraged the
invasion.

The United Nations Security Council issued Resolution 502, calling on
Argentina to withdraw forces from the Islands and for both parties to seek a
diplomatic solution. International reaction ranged from support for
Argentina in Latin American countries (except Chile and Colombia), to
opposition in the Commonwealth and Europe (apart from Spain), and eventually
the United States.

The British sent an expeditionary force to retake the islands, leading to
the Falklands War. After short but fierce naval and air battles, the British
landed at San Carlos Water on 21 May, and a land campaign followed until the
Argentine forces surrendered on 14 June 1982.

After the war, the British increased their military presence on the islands,
constructing RAF Mount Pleasant and increasing the military garrison.
Although the United Kingdom and Argentina resumed diplomatic relations in
1992, no further negotiations on sovereignty have taken place.

Politics

Executive authority is vested in the Queen and is exercised by the Governor
on her behalf. The Governor is also responsible for the administration of
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, as these islands have no
native inhabitants. Defence and Foreign Affairs are the responsibility of
the United Kingdom. The current Governor is Alan Huckle, appointed July 2006

Under the constitution, which came into force on 1 January 2009 (which
replaced the 1985 constitution), there is an Executive Council and a
Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands. The Executive Council, which
advises the Governor, is also chaired by the Governor. It consists of the
Chief Executive, Financial Secretary and three Legislative Councillors, who
are elected by the other Legislative Councillors.

The Legislative Council consists of the Chief Executive, Financial Secretary
and the eight Legislative Councillors, of whom five are elected from Stanley
and three from Camp, for four-year terms. It is presided over by the Speaker
currently Keith Biles.

Relations with Argentina

The dispute over control of the islands has continued since the war.
Diplomatic relations between Argentina and the UK were resumed in 1992, and
embassies were reopened in London and Buenos Aires. In 1994, Argentina added
its claim to the islands to the Argentine constitution, stating that this
claim must be pursued in a manner "respectful of the way of life of their
inhabitants and according to the principles of international law".

Falkland Islanders were granted full British citizenship from 1 January 1983
under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983. As Argentina
considers the Falklands to be Argentine territory, they also consider the
Falkland Islanders to be Argentine citizens through the system of jus soli
operated under Argentine nationality law, though this is rejected by the
islanders themselves.

In 1998, in retaliation for the arrest in London of the former Chilean
president Augusto Pinochet, the Chilean government banned flights between
Punta Arenas and Port Stanley, thus isolating the islands from the rest of
the world. Uruguay and Brazil refused to authorise direct flights between
their territories and Port Stanley. This forced the Islands' government to
enter negotiations with the Argentine government and led to Argentina
authorising direct flights between its territory and Stanley, on condition
that Argentine citizens be allowed on the islands. One flight a month,
operated by LAN Airlines, travels between RAF Mount Pleasant on East
Falkland and Río Gallegos in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.

Since the war, successive Argentine governments have stated their intention
to pursue their claim to the islands by peaceful means. On the 22nd
anniversary of the war, Argentina's President Néstor Kirchner gave a speech
insisting that the islands would become part of Argentina. Kirchner,
campaigning for president in 2003, regarded the islands as a top priority.
In June 2003 the issue was brought before a United Nations committee, and
attempts have been made to open talks with the United Kingdom to resolve the
issue of the islands.

In 2007 (exactly 25 years after the Argentine invasion), Argentina renewed
its claim over the Falkland Islands, asking for the UK to resume talks on
sovereignty. In March 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated in a
meeting with Argentine President Cristina Fernández that there would be no
talks over the future sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. As far as the
governments of the UK and of the Falkland Islands are concerned, there is no
issue to resolve. The Falkland Islanders themselves are almost entirely
British and maintain their allegiance to the United Kingdom.

On 22 September 2007, The Guardian reported the UK government was preparing
to stake new claims on the sea floor around the Falklands and other UK
remote island possessions, in order to exploit natural resources that may be
present. In October 2007, a British spokeswoman confirmed that Britain
intended to submit a claim to the UN to extend seabed territory around the
Falklands and South Georgia, in advance of the expiry of the deadline for
territorial claims following Britain's ratification of the 1982 Law of the
Sea Convention. If the claim is disputed, the UN will suspend the claim
until the dispute is settled. The claim is largely theoretical and does not
affect the Antarctic Treaty or confer new rights upon Britain. Neither does
it permit the exploitation of oil or gas reserves, since these are banned by
a protocol to the treaty. It would enable Britain to police fishing within
the zone to prevent over exploitation of natural resources by commercial
fishing in line with Britain's obligations under the treaty. Nevertheless
many commentators have criticised the move for going against the spirit of
the Antarctic Treaty. Argentina has indicated it will challenge any British
claim to Antarctic territory and the area around the Falkland Islands and
South Georgia. Argentina made a similar claim in 2009, and the United
Kingdom quickly protested these claims.

Geography and ecology

The Falkland Islands comprise two main islands, East Falkland and West
Falkland (in Spanish Isla Gran Malvina and Isla Soledad respectively), and
about 776 small islands.The islands are located 212 miles (341 km) from the
Isla de los Estados in Argentina (and 287 miles (462 km) from the Argentine
mainland); 304 miles (489 km) from Chile; 669 miles (1,077 km) west of the
Shag Rocks (South Georgia) and 576 miles (927 km) north of the British
Antarctic Territory (which overlaps with the Argentine and Chilean claims to
Antarctica in that region).

The total land area is 4,700 square miles (12,173 km2), slightly smaller
than Connecticut or Northern Ireland, with a coastline estimated at 800
miles (1288 km).

The two main islands on either side of Falkland Sound make up most of the
land. These are East Falkland, which contains the capital, Stanley, and most
of the population; and West Falkland. Both islands have mountain ranges, the
highest point being Mount Usborne, 2312 feet (705 m) on East Falkland. There
are also some boggy plains, most notably in Lafonia, on the southern half of
East Falkland. Virtually the entire area of the islands is used as pasture
for sheep.

Smaller islands surround the main two. They include Barren Island, Beaver
Island, Bleaker Island, Carcass Island, George Island, Keppel Island, Lively
Island, New Island, Pebble Island, Saunders Island, Sealion Island,
Speedwell Island, Staats Island, Weddell Island, and West Point Island. The
Jason Islands lie to the north west of the main archipelago, and Beauchene
Island some distance to its south. Speedwell Island and George Island are
split from East Falkland by Eagle Passage.

Numerous flora and fauna are found on the Falkland Islands. Notable fauna
include colonies of the Magellanic Penguin.

The islands claim a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) and
an exclusive fishing zone of 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi), which has
been a source of disagreement with Argentina.

Biogeographically, the Falkland Islands are classified as part of the
Neotropical realm, together with South America. It is also classified as
part of the Antarctic Floristic Kingdom.

Climate

Surrounded by cool South Atlantic waters, the Falkland Islands have a
climate very much influenced by the ocean with a narrow annual temperature
range. January averages about 51°F (11°C), with average daily high of 58°F
(14°C), while July averages about 37°F (3°C) with average daily high 40°F
(4°C). Average annual rainfall is 22.58 in (573.6mm). Humidity and winds,
however, are constantly high. Snow is rare, but can occur at almost any time
of year.

Economy

Sheep farming was formerly the main source of income for the islands and
still plays an important part with high quality wool exports going to the
UK: according to the Falklands Islands Meat Company there are more than 500
000 sheep on the islands. Since 1984, efforts to diversify the economy have
made fishing the largest part of the economy and brought increasing income
from tourism.

The government sale of fishing licences to foreign countries has brought in
more than £40 million a year in revenues, and local fishing boats are also
in operation. More than 75% of the fish taken are squid, and most exports
are to Spain. Tourism has grown rapidly, with more than 36,000 visitors in
2004. The islands have become a regular port of call for the growing market
of cruise ships. Attractions include the scenery and wildlife conservation
with penguins, seabirds, seals and sealions, as well as visits to
battlefields, golf, fishing and wreck diving.

An agreement with Argentina had set the terms for exploitation of offshore
resources including large oil reserves; however, in 2007 Argentina
unilaterally withdrew from the agreement. In response, Falklands Oil and Gas
Limited has signed an agreement with BHP Billiton to investigate the
potential exploitation of oil reserves. Climatic conditions of the southern
seas mean that exploitation will be a difficult task, though economically
viable, and the continuing sovereignty dispute with Argentina is hampering
progress.

The UK provides defence and British military expenditures make a significant
contribution to the economy. Except for defence, the islands are self
sufficient; exports account for more than $125 million a year.

The largest company in the islands used to be the Falkland Islands Company
(FIC), a publicly quoted company on the London Stock Exchange. The company
was responsible for the majority of the economic activity on the islands,
though its farms were sold in 1991 to the Falkland Islands Government. The
company now operates several retail outlets in Stanley and is involved in
port services and shipping operations.

The local currency is the Falkland Islands pound, which is in parity with
the pound sterling. Sterling notes and coins circulate interchangeably with
the local currency. The Falkland Islands also mint their own coins, and
issue stamps, which are a source of revenue from overseas collectors.

Demographics

The population is 3,140 (July 2008 est.), about 70 per cent of whom are of
British descent, primarily as a result of Scottish and Welsh immigration to
the islands. The native-born inhabitants call themselves "Islanders";
Kelpers", from the kelp which grows profusely around the islands, is no
longer used in the Islands. People from the United Kingdom who have obtained
Falkland Island status are known locally as 'belongers'.

A few Islanders are of French, Gibraltarian (such as the Pitaluga family),
Portuguese and Scandinavian descent. Some are the descendants of whalers who
reached the Islands during the last two centuries. There is also a small
minority of South Americans, mainly Chilean origin, and in more recent times
many people from Saint Helena have also come to work and live in the Islands

The main religion is Christianity. The main denominations are Church of
England, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, and Lutheran. Smaller numbers
are Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists and Greek Orthodox; with the
latter being due to Greek fishermen passing through. There is also a Bahá'í
congregation. The Islands are the home of the Apostolic Prefecture of the
Falkland Islands.

Since the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 the islanders have
been full British citizens. Under Argentine Law they are eligible for
Argentine citizenship, but due to the Falkland Islands' rejection of the
Argentine claim to sovereignty this is dismissed by most Islanders.

Medical care

The Falkland Islands Government Health and Social Services Department
provides medical care for the islands. The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital
(KEMH) is Stanley's only hospital. It was partially military operated in the
past but is now under complete civilian control. There are no
ophthalmologists or opticians on the islands, although an optician from the
United Kingdom visits about every six months and an ophthalmologist comes to
do cataract surgery and eye examinations on irregular intervals (once every
few years). There are two dentists on the islands.

Transport

The Falkland Islands have two airports with paved runways. The main
international airport is RAF Mount Pleasant, 23 miles (37 km) west of
Stanley. Weekly flights are available to and from Santiago, Chile, via Punta
Arenas, operated by LAN Airlines. Once a month, this flight also stops in
Río Gallegos, Argentina.

The Royal Air Force operates flights from RAF Mount Pleasant to RAF Brize
Norton in Oxfordshire, England with a refuelling stop at RAF Ascension
Island. RAF flights are on TriStars although charter aircraft are often used
if the TriStars are required for operational flights. At present Omni Air
International operates the RAF air link, using DC-10s. British International
(BRINTEL) also operate two Sikorsky S61N helicopters, based at RAF Mount
Pleasant, under contract to the United Kingdom Ministry Of Defence,
primarily for moving military personnel, equipment and supplies around the
islands.

The British Antarctic Survey operates a transcontinental air link between
the Falkland Islands and the Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic
Peninsula and servicing also other British bases in the British Antarctic
Territory using a de Havilland Canada Dash 7.

The smaller Port Stanley Airport, outside the city, is used for internal
flights. The Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS) operates
Islander aircraft that can use the grass airstrips that most settlements
have. Flight schedules are decided a day in advance according to passenger
needs. The night before, the arrival and departure times are announced on
the radio.

The road network has been improved in recent years. However, not many paved
roads exist outside Stanley and RAF Mount Pleasant.

Landmines and ordnance

Depending on the source, between 18,000 and 25,000 land mines remain from
the 1982 war. One source says that Argentina placed 18,000 landmines, The
British Government stated that all but one of their anti-personnel mine were
accounted for. The land mines are located in either 101 or 117 mine fields,
that are dispersed over an area of 8 sq mi (12 km2) in the areas of Port
Stanley, Port Howard, Fox Bay and Goose Green (these areas are now well
marked). Information is available from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)
Operation Centre in Stanley.

Care should still be taken as some beaches were mined, and there have been
concerns the tides could have moved some mines. The same applies where mine
fields are close to rivers. Care should be taken in case mines have been
washed out of the marked area by flooding. There is also ordnance left over
from the war. Between 1997 and 2002, 248 antipersonnel mines were destroyed
in the Falklands, 16 were destroyed in 2003, one in 2005 and six
antipersonnel mines were destroyed in 2006.

In February 2005, the charity Landmine Action proposed a Kyoto-style credit
scheme, which would see a commitment by the British government to clear an
equivalent area of mined land to that currently existing in the Falklands in
more seriously mine-affected countries by March 2009. This proposal was
supported by Falkland Islanders, for whom landmines do not pose a serious
threat in everyday life. The British government has yet to declare its
support or opposition to the idea.

In November 2008, Landmine Action opposed Britain's request for a ten year
extension on the deadline for clearing the landmines. It accused the British
Government of not demonstrating "any evidence of serious plans to complete,
or even begin, this work" and stated "Allowing a well-resourced, technically
capable State such as the United Kingdom to effectively ignore its
responsibilities would set a dangerous and ethically unacceptable precedent.
However, in 2008, the UK Government argued that in stark contrast to
minefields elsewhere, "There have never been any civilian injuries in almost
26 years" in the Falklands.

On 30 November 2009 the Falkland Islands Government announced that mine
clearance was due to begin at Surf Bay on 2 December 2009, and further
clearances were to take place at Sapper Hill, Goose Green and Fox Bay. The
British company BATEC International was chosen to carry out the project.

Military

There is a British military garrison stationed on the Falkland Islands, but
the islands also have their own Falkland Islands Defence Force. This company
sized force is completely funded by the Falklands government. It uses
vehicles such as: quad bikes, inflatable boats and Land Rovers to traverse
the islands terrain. The Falkland Islands Defence Force uses the Steyr AUG
as its main assault rifle.

A front page report in RAF News that Prince William of Wales would serve a 3-month tour of duty in the Falkland Islands, following completion of his 18-month training with the RAF Search and Rescue Force drew a critical response from the Argentine government in January 2009. However, the Ministry of Defence denied that any decision on the Prince's deployment had been raised.