September 5, 2018
King penguins on the Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago off the southernmost point of South America. Officially, the population of 3,000 resides in a British overseas territory, meaning that they are a part of the British Empire.
In 1833, Great Britain claimed the islands and has been responsible for their defense and foreign relations ever since. Argentina claims, however, that it acquired the Falkland Islands when it gained independence from Spain in 1816.
The dispute grew into an armed struggle in 1982, which resulted in nearly a thousand deaths and no meaningful change to the sovereignty or status of the islands. Although Argentina officially added its claim to the constitution in 1994, the majority of the islands’ citizens have stated that they wish to remain a British overseas territory.
With no official resolution between the two parties, the status of the Falkland Islands remains in dispute.