Originally published February 22, 2010 — restored with updated historical context.
The weeks leading up to the original publication of this article saw a rise in tensions over control of the Falkland Islands. A combination of oil exploration off the coast of the islands and domestic political pressures facing Argentina’s then-president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, brought the sovereignty dispute back into international attention.
At the time, President Kirchner’s government demanded that ships involved in oil exploration obtain Argentina’s permission before entering waters near the islands. The British government rejected that demand. Although tensions increased, the prospect of another war remained distant.
Argentina claims sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands. Argentina calls the Falklands Islas Malvinas and also maintains a territorial claim in Antarctica.
The United Kingdom has administered the Falkland Islands since 1833, apart from the Argentine occupation during the 1982 Falklands War. Today, the Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are administered separately as another British Overseas Territory.
Geoimportance
Historically, the islands were valuable because of their location in the South Atlantic. They provided useful positions for shipping, whaling and sealing operations, and military activity.
By 2010, potential offshore petroleum resources had added another economic and geopolitical dimension to the sovereignty dispute. However, natural resources are only part of the issue. National identity, sovereignty, strategic geography, and national pride remain central to the dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom.
Geographically, the islands also occupy an important position in the South Atlantic, east of southern South America and north of Antarctica. Argentina’s claims to the Falklands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands also intersect geographically with its claim to a portion of Antarctica.
History
The history of control over the Falkland Islands is complex. Periods without permanent settlement were intermixed with French, Spanish, British, and Argentine involvement.
During the early nineteenth century, a settlement existed at Port Louis. The USS Lexington attacked the settlement in 1831 during a dispute arising from the seizure of American sealing vessels.
Britain reasserted control over the islands in 1833, despite Argentine objections. A permanent British administration followed, and the islands remained under British administration for most of the period that followed.
Argentina later strengthened its physical presence elsewhere in the disputed South Atlantic territories. Argentine scientific activity took place on Thule Island, part of the South Sandwich Islands, including an Argentine installation established there during the 1970s.
The most dramatic episode occurred in 1982, when Argentina’s ruling military junta invaded the Falkland Islands and other British-administered territories in the South Atlantic.
The Argentine government calculated that the United Kingdom might be unwilling or unable to mount a major military response across the South Atlantic. Instead, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s government dispatched a British task force.
The result was the Falklands War, a relatively short but fierce conflict that ended with Argentine forces surrendering on the islands in June 1982.
Today
The Falkland Islands remain a highly sensitive political issue in Argentina, where they are known as the Islas Malvinas. The 1982 war continues to occupy an important place in Argentine national memory.
Memorials commemorate Argentine servicemen who died during the conflict, while maps, public signs, education, and political discourse frequently present the islands as Argentine territory.
The population of the Falkland Islands, meanwhile, has developed a strong local identity closely associated with Britain. Falkland Islanders govern most of their own internal affairs, while the United Kingdom retains responsibility for areas including defence and foreign affairs.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have no permanent indigenous population and are administered separately from the Falkland Islands.
Who Owns the Falkland Islands?
This question requires a distinction between current administration and disputed sovereignty.
The Falkland Islands are currently administered as a British Overseas Territory, and the United Kingdom maintains that it has sovereignty over the islands. Argentina rejects the British claim and maintains that the islands are Argentine territory.
Argentina’s position continues to receive diplomatic support from a number of Latin American countries, while the United Kingdom emphasizes both its sovereignty claim and the principle of self-determination for the islanders.
What Has Changed Since This Article Was Published?
One of the most important developments since the original 2010 article occurred in March 2013, when the Falkland Islands held a referendum on their political status.
Voters were asked whether they wanted the Falkland Islands to retain their political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. 99.8% of participating voters chose to retain that status, with turnout of approximately 92%.
Argentina did not accept the referendum as resolving the sovereignty dispute. The British and Falkland Islands governments, however, regard the result as a strong expression of the islanders’ right to self-determination.
More than sixteen years after this article was first published, the fundamental disagreement therefore remains. The United Kingdom administers the Falkland Islands, the islanders have repeatedly expressed their desire to retain their relationship with the United Kingdom, and Argentina continues to claim sovereignty.
The islands have also become economically more self-sufficient since the period discussed in the original article, with fishing, agriculture, and tourism among important parts of their economy.
Historical note: This Geographic Travels article was originally published on February 22, 2010, during renewed tensions surrounding offshore oil exploration. It has been restored from the archived version while preserving its principal historical details, geographic focus, and arguments. Additional context has been added to reflect developments since its original publication.
