The Political Status of the Falkland Islands

The recent debate over the political status of the Falkland Islands has brought to light questions regarding the ability of a sovereign state to decide its own political status, and the role of the U.N. in settling debates regarding the claim to established lands. The Falkland Islands is currently of discussion due to recent events involving Britain and Argentina. However, the larger role of political geographical debate in the future needs to be analyzed for possible changes in today’s world.

The Falkland Islands are a small group of islands off the east tip of South America. The islands are said to have been first discovered in 1594, and changed hands many times, until becoming a British colony in 1833 (“History of Falkland Islands”, 2013). In 1982, Argentina landed military forces on the Falkland Islands to reclaim them as Argentinian territory. This action prompted the British to send in air, land, and sea reinforcements. The war between the two countries last until June 14th, 1982. Argentina suffered significantly more causalities from this war than Britain did (Dugdale-Pointon, 2006) . Much of the war is said to be over pride. Argentina feels that they have a rightful claim to the land, as they claimed it in 1816. Britain colonized the islands in 1833, and has been established there ever since. Neither side wanted to cede the islands to the other country. In addition, the islands are established as a strong stop-over for shipping routes. This also makes the islands them a desirable piece of real estate.

Recently, Argentina has again started to demand that the islands be returned, as Britain has no rightful claim, because Britain established the islands under colonial rule. Argentina also claims that Britain has failed to abide by a 1965 U.N. resolution regarding the islands. According to the UK, the residents “have a right to self-determination as enshrined in the U.N. Charter”. The government chose to pose the question