Falkland Islands

“ Independence is a less likely short-term option for the Falkland Islands, given their small size and population – though Nauru, with a population no larger than that of the Falkland Islands, is independent. ”

“ The battle of the Falkland Islands was, perhaps, more like the old-time naval engagements fought by sailing ships of the line than any other naval battle that is likely to take place nowadays. There were no submarines, no destroyers, no aeroplanes or Zeppelins, nor any other of the manifold death-dealing devices that tend to make war so much more hideous than in days gone by. In a word, it was open fighting. Not a torpedo was fired. Not even a mine was dropped, if the survivors who stated that the German ships did not carry them can be believed. ”

“ This area lies within the Dependencies of the Falkland Islands, and is under the control of the British Government, and its geographical position offers exceptional opportunities for the successful prosecution of the industry by providing a sufficient number of safe anchorages and widely separated islands, where shore stations have been established. The Dependencies of the Falkland Islands lie roughly within latitude 50° and 65° S. and longitude 25° and 70° W., and include the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich, South Orkney, and South Shetland Islands, and part of Graham Land. ”

“ The Argentine construction of the Malvinas-Falklands recovery If Ivanov can say that the Falklands, before 1982 were almost ignored in the rest of the world, in Argentina the reality of them, as Falkland Islands, was also deeply ignored. Since almost the beginning of the XX Century, people have been schooled in a peculiar narrative of the Islands as national territory stolen by the UK. It is not the Falkland Islands, but the Islas Malvinas construction what is at stake. ”

“ Falkland Islands (2) , a group of islands in the S. Atlantic, 240 m. E. of Tierra del Fuego; discovered in 1592 by Davis; purchased from the French in 1764 by Spain, but afterwards ceded to Britain, by whom they were occupied in 1833 and used as a convict settlement until 1852; besides E. and W. Falkland there are upwards of 100 small islands, mostly barren; wheat and flax are raised, but sheep-farming is the main industry. ”

“ Ivanov’s Falkland Islands case study amply illustrates the multiple issues that can be encountered in the transition from dependence to sovereignty. Fortunately none of the Caribbean BOTs is saddled with a boundary dispute as obtains with the Falklands, although there are Caribbean examples.
The Falkland study is also valuable for Ivanov’s near exhaustive references to other overseas territories and their multifarious relationships with the sovereign country. The search for models needs not be confined to British experiences. ”

“ But the wind rose steadily, and next morning the spray was dashing over the vessel when we caught sight, through drifting clouds, of the shores of the Falkland Isles. They were wild and dreary shores bordered by rocky islands and scattered reefs, no dwellings anywhere visible on land, nor any boats on sea. In the afternoon, having passed, without seeing it, the mouth of the channel which separates the East from the West Falkland, we anchored in the deep bay which forms the outer harbour of Port Stanley, the chief harbour and village of the islands. ”

“ Such is the loss of Spain; let us now compute the profit of Britain. We have, by obtaining a disavowal of Buccarreli's expedition, and a restitution of our settlement, maintained the honour of the crown, and the superiority of our influence. Beyond this what have we acquired? What, but a bleak and gloomy solitude, an island, thrown aside from human use, stormy in winter, and barren in summer; an island, which not the southern savages have dignified with habitation; where a garrison must be kept in a state that contemplates with envy the exiles of Siberia ”

“ A German newspaper, in speaking of the success of Admiral von Spee at Coronel, also admirably sums up the issue of the battle of the Falkland Islands: "The superiority of our fleet in no way detracts from the glory of our victory, for the very essence of the business of a strategist is the marshalling of a superior fleet at the right place and at the right moment." ”

“ Most of the Stanley houses are brightly painted and two-storied with small tidy gardens. Every family has its own car or two, mostly jeeps as befitting a predominantly off-road country, while there are taxi vans available to the tourists.
Our host Robert, who had invited us to the Falklands, lived together with his daughter Jane in a house located not far from the centre of Stanley. Jane was 15 years old, attending the modern Falkland Islands Community School which boasts science laboratories, Internet rooms, large library, sports hall, and swimming pool. ”

“ Through the whole argument of the faction runs the general errour, that our settlement on Falkland's island was not only lawful, but unquestionable; that our right was not only certain, but acknowledged; and that the equity of our conduct was such, that the Spaniards could not blame or obstruct it, without combating their own conviction, and opposing the general opinion of mankind.
If once it be discovered that, in the opinion of the Spaniards, our settlement was usurped, our claim arbitrary, and our conduct insolent, all that has happened will appear to follow by a natural concatenation. ”

“ Unlike in the Cook Islands, where the Queen of New Zealand has a Queen’s Representative, the Governor-General of New Zealand exercises this function for Niue.
The Falkland Islands is currently a classic Crown colony, with Executive Council and Legislative Council, and a Governor representing the Crown as well as channel of communications to London. The Falkland Islands does not yet have a responsible government. Logically there are three possible next steps – responsible government, associated state status, or independence. ”

“ Apart from its immediate results in the way of relieving British trade in South America and removing the last obstacle to active British military policy in South Africa, the Falkland Islands engagement was of enormous value not only in re-asserting the prestige of the British Navy, but in giving fresh heart to all the Allies after the exhausting struggles to defeat the German advances on the French capital and Calais. ”

“ The one difference in our country is that we did not displace any native peoples in establishing our community.
And it is no good Argentina saying, as it does, that under its administration it would respect the interests of the Islanders; it is the wishes of the Islanders that the UN Charter demands it should respect. The doctrine of interests, like the doctrine of territorial integrity, is the doctrine of colonialism.
The people of the Falkland Islands have no wish to change from British administration to an Argentine administration. ”

“ It is sufficient to talk to any Buenos Aires cabdriver to understand that the Argentine people know that the Falkland Islands will not be “recovered” by Argentina. The only locals who appear not to understand this basic fact of life are a group of war veterans, a small bunch of nationalist fundamentalists, and practically the entire lot of Argentine politicians. ”

“ We have gained political strength, by the increase of our reputation; we have gained real strength, by the reputation of our navy; we have shown Europe, that ten years of war have not exhausted us; and we have enforced our settlement on an island on which, twenty years ago, we durst not venture to look.
These are the gratifications only of honest minds; but there is a time, in which home comes to all. From the present happiness of the publick the patriots themselves may derive advantage. To be harmless though by impotence obtains some degree of kindness ”

“ The Falklands archipelago is made up of two major islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, and several hundred smaller islands including Pebble Island, Keppel Island, Saunders Island, Carcass Island, West Point Island, Jason Islands, New Island, Beaver Island, Staats Island, Weddell Island, Swan Island, Speedwell Island, George Island, Beauchêne Island, Sea Lion Island, Bleaker Island, Lively Island etc. ”

“ The colony is self-supporting, the revenue being largely derived from the drink duties, and there is no public debt. The Falklands are the seat of a colonial bishop. Education is compulsory. The government maintains schools and travelling teachers; the Falkland Islands Company also maintains a school at Darwin, and there is one for those of the Roman Catholic faith in Stanley. ”

“ In October, captain Maltby came to England, and gave the account which I have now epitomised, of his expulsion from Falkland's islands.
From this moment, the whole nation can witness, that no time was lost. The navy was surveyed, the ships refitted, and commanders appointed; and a powerful fleet was assembled, well manned and well stored, with expedition, after so long a peace, perhaps, never known before, and with vigour, which, after the waste of so long a war, scarcely any other nation had been capable of exerting. ”

“ Since the publication of Anson's voyage, they have very much changed their opinion, finding a settlement in Pepys's, or Falkland's island, recommended by the author as necessary to the success of our future expeditions against the coast of Chili, and as such use and importance, that it would produce many advantages in peace, and, in war, would make us masters of the South sea.
Scarcely any degree of judgment is sufficient to restrain the imagination from magnifying that on which it is long detained. ”

“ The islands are surrounded by the South Atlantic Ocean, and separated from Antarctica by the Scotia Sea to the south. Most of their territory is covered by grass and peat, with no natural forest. The weather is cool and wet in summer, colder and windy in winter. It is very similar to the marine British climate, different from our continental Bulgarian climate that has both real warm summers and real cold winters. Not to be forgotten, the seasons in the Falklands are the reverse of those in the Northern Hemisphere; also the sun travels right to left through the northern part of the sky. ”

“ They were so far off as to be of a deep blue color, and in a few hours we sunk them in the northeast. These were the Falkland Islands. We had run between them and the main land of Patagonia. At sunset the second mate, who was at the masthead, said that he saw land on the starboard bow. This must have been the island of Staten Land; and we were now in the region of Cape Horn, with a fine breeze from the northward, topmast and topgallant-studding-sails set, and every prospect of a speedy and pleasant passage round. ”

“ To considerations such as these, it is reasonable to impute that anxiety of the Spaniards, from which the importance of this island is inferred by Junius, one of the few writers of his despicable faction, whose name does not disgrace the page of an opponent. The value of the thing disputed may be very different to him that gains and him that loses it. The Spaniards, by yielding Falkland's island, have admitted a precedent of what they think encroachment; have suffered a breach to be made in the outworks of their empire ”

“ Some years ago, the British Government was disposed to entertain the idea of placing a Convict Establishment on the Falkland Islands (a purpose to which they had been applied by their former occupants) , and it appears that this idea was suggested by the representations of various persons employed in the service of the Crown, in and about the islands, and on the neighbouring continent, to the effect that the locality was highly eligible for the purpose ”

“ We arrived off Port Stanley on the morning of December 7th, and were piloted into harbour through a channel in the line of mines, which had been hastily constructed from empty oil-drums, and laid across the entrance by the Canopus. As there were only three colliers here, the ships were ordered to coal in turn; the remainder, under convoy of the Orama, were following us down from the base.
The Falkland Islands number about two hundred only two of which, East and West Falkland, are of any size. The coast line of both these islands is deeply indented and much resembles one of the Outer Hebrides. ”

“ To encourage tourism, the Falkland Islands Development Corporation has built three lodges for visitors attracted by the abundant wildlife and trout fishing. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. ”

“ Economy Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Economy - overview: The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. ”

“ The following evening the Glasgow arrived amidst congratulations from us all; she had put in to the Falkland Islands to coal, in which assistance was provided by volunteers from amongst the inhabitants. After coaling, she was detached to Rio de Janeiro to go into dry dock, so that the damage to her side might be properly repaired. The same day the Orama, whilst patrolling, met and sank the German storeship Navarra which was set on fire by the Germans when escape was seen to be impossible. ”

“ Towson, in respect to the Falklands, and received in reply the following remarks, whose accuracy has been so strikingly corroborated by Captain Matthews, of the Great Britain, whose letter will be found in another page:—
Local Marine Board, Liverpool, 31st December, 1853: My dear Sir,—The Falkland Islands are the best possible coaling stations for steamers homeward bound from Australia. The Marco Polo and Eagle sighted them on their celebrated homeward passages; consequently they lay in the best track. ”