The first settlement on the Falkland Islands was by France in 1763. The French colony was at Port Louis on Berkely Sound. The French name Îles Malouines was given to the islands — malouin being the adjective for the Breton port of Saint-Malo. The Spanish name Malvinas is derived from the French adjective.
The United Kingdom first established a colony on the islands in 1765 unaware of the French colony in existence. After confrontation with Spain over sovereignty, an agreement was reached which yielded the islands to the UK. The French colony was ceded to Spain and abandoned previously, and the British abandoned their own colony in 1774, leaving a plaque behind to assert their continuing sovereignty.
The first Argentine claim to islands was in 1820, following independence from Spain in 1817. A settlement and penal colony was established by the Argentines on the islands in 1820. The settlements were later destroyed by the United States following a dispute over fishing rights. The United Kingdom invaded the islands in 1833, and expelled the remainder of the Argentine settlement, and began to populate the island with its own citizens.
The Royal Navy built a base at Port Stanley, and the islands became a strategic point for navigation around Cape Horn. The World War I naval battle, the Battle of Falkland Islands took place in December 1914, with a British victory over the Germans. During World War II, Port Stanley served as a Royal Navy station and serviced ships who took part in the Battle of the River Plate.
Sovereignty over the islands became an issue again in the latter half of the 20th century. Argentina, which never renounced its claim to the islands, used the newly formed United Nations as an avenue for pursuing its claims, and talks between the British and Argentine foreign missions took place in the 1960s. However the talks never came to any meaningful conclusion, and a major sticking point in any negotiations was the 2,000 inhabitants of mainly British descent who prefer that the islands remain a British colony.
On April 30, 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and other British territories in the South Atlantic (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands), encouraged in part by the United Kingdom's reduction in military capacity in the South Atlantic, and as a diversion from poor economic performance at home. World reaction to the invasion ranged from support in the Latin American countries, to opposition in Europe, the Commonwealth, and eventually the United States. The British sent a large expedition force to retake the islands leading to the Falklands War. After a short but fierce naval and air war, the British landed at San Carlos Water on May 21 and a land war followed until the Argentinean forces surrendered on June 14.
Following the war, the British increased their military presence on the islands, constructing RAF Mount Pleasant and increasing the military garrison. Falkland Islanders were also granted full British citizenship. Although the UK and Argentina since resumed diplomatic relations in 1989, no further negotiations on sovereignty have taken place.
www.wikipedia.com
