The Falkland Islands

So I'm headed to the Falkland Islands from the Cape Verde Islands on an Atlantic transit as described in the previous posts... Here is a little about the Falklands before I arrive and Detail them myself... There is much more to learn about these islands.  Look it up if you wish.

The Falkland Islands (pronounced /ˈfɔːlklənd/; Spanish: Islas Malvinas)[4] are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located approximately 250 nautical miles (460 km; 290 mi) from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago, consisting of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands, is a self-governing British Overseas Territory.[5] The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland.

Ever since the re-establishment of British rule in 1833, Argentina has claimed sovereignty.[6] In pursuit of this claim, which is rejected by the islanders,[7] 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.

The Falkland Islands took their English name from "Falkland Sound", the channel between the two main islands, which was in turn named after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland by Captain John Strong, who landed on the islands in 1690.[8] The Spanish name, Islas Malvinas, is derived from the French name,[9] 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.[9] The ISO designation is Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and its ISO country code is FK.[10]

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.[11] General Sir Jeremy Moore would not allow the use of Islas Malvinas in the surrender document, dismissing it as a propaganda term.[12]

 

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.[13] Artefacts including arrowheads and the remains of a canoe have been found on the islands.[14] There was also the presence of the Falkland Island fox, or Warrah (now extinct), but warrahs 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 appeared on maps in the Falkland Island region from the early 16th century, so either Ferdinand Magellan or another early expedition 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 that members of his crew called "Islas de Sansón y de los Patos" ("Islands of Samson and the Ducks"). These were probably the Jason Islands, northwest of West Falkland, and the names "Islas de Sansón" (or "San Antón," "San Son," and "Ascensión") were used for the Falklands on Spanish maps during this period.[13] Piri Reis, a Turkish admiral of the time who drew reasonably accurate maps, showed islands that may well have been the Falkland Islands.[15]

Early Explorers

There is some dispute about which European explorer first set foot on the islands. The islands appear on numerous Spanish and other maps beginning in the 1520s.[14] 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.[16] He was separated from Cavendish off the coast of what is now southern Argentina by a severe storm and discovered the islands. For a time the islands were known as "Davis Land".[13] 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 them the name of "Hawkins' Maidenland." Many give the credit to Sebald de Weert, a Dutchman, who discovered the islands in 1600.[14]

In January 1690, Captain John Strong of the Welfare was heading for Puerto Deseado (now in Argentina). 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.

References

1. Joshua Project. "Ethnic People Groups of Falkland Islands". Joshua Project. http://www.joshuaproject.net/countries.php?rog3=FK. Retrieved 28 February 2010.

2. Falkland Islands Government (30 August 2007). "Falkland Islands Government appoints new Chief Executive". Press release. http://www.falklands.gov.fk/news-2007.php. Retrieved 29 October 2007.

3. a b "Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)". CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fk.html. Retrieved 5 March 2010.

 

4. "WordReference, English-Spanish Dictionary. ''Falklands: the Falklands, las (islas) Malvinas''". Wordreference.com. http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=Falklands&B10=Buscar&dict=enes. Retrieved 15 March 2010.

5. "Welcome to the Falkland Islands Government Legislative Assembly Website". The Falkland Islands Government. http://www.falklands.gov.fk/assembly/. Retrieved 13 June 2010.

6. "Islas Malvinas, Georgias del Sur y Sandwich del Sur". Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores [Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs]. http://www.cancilleria.gov.ar/portal/seree/malvinas/home.html. Retrieved 6 March 2010.

7. "Country Profile: Falkland Islands, Sovereignty of the Islands". Countries & Regions. Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 27 July 2007. http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/country-profiles/south-america/falkland-islands?profile=history&pg=3. Retrieved 4 April 2008.

8. Peter J. Pepper. "Port Desire and the Discovery of the Falklands". Falkland Islands Newsletter, No. 78, March 2001. http://www.falklands.info/history/histarticle19.html. Retrieved 6 March 2010.

9. a b "Falkland Islands Guide". Blog at Worldpress.com. http://falklandislandsguide.wordpress.com/. Retrieved 6 March 2010.

10. "English country names and code elements". International Organization for Standardization. http://www.iso.org/iso/english_country_names_and_code_elements#f.. Retrieved 6 March 2010.

11. "AGREEMENT OF 14th JULY 1999". Falklands.info. http://www.falklands.info/background/99agree.html. Retrieved 23 July 2007.

12. "PSYOP of the Falkland Islands War". psywar.org. http://www.psywar.org/falklands.php. Retrieved 23 July 2007.

13. a b c "History : Falkland Islands : Locations : Welcome to the Learning Zone : Visit & Learn". Royalnavy.mod.uk. http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/visitandlearn/learning-zone/locations/falkland-islands/history/. Retrieved 15 March 2010.

14. a b c "Falkland Islands". Britishislesgenweb.org. 20 January 2009. http://www.britishislesgenweb.org/index.php/falkland-islands. Retrieved 15 March 2010.

15. "Piri Reis and the Hapgood Hypotheses". Saudi Aramco World. Saudi Aramco World. 1980. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198001/piri.reis.and.the.hapgood.hypotheses.htm. Retrieved 10 April 2010. Piri Reis' information appears to have been partly based on an original chart drawn or used by Christopher Columbus and captured by the Turks from the Spanish.