FALKLAND ISLANDS

LOCATION AND COMMUNICATION LINKS

A Self-Governing Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, approximately 480 miles north-east of Cape Horn, and 8,000 miles from Britain.

The Royal Air Force conducts regular flights each week from their base on Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, to the Falklands via Ascension Island, a flight time of 18 hours. Civilians can purchase a limited number of seats on these RAF flights.

There is a weekly air link between the islands and Santiago in Chile. The Airbus jet is operated by a Chilean airline Lan Chile which offers a scheduled flight, each Saturday. Connecting flights from Santiago to London are available via Madrid.

The Ministry of Defence chartered vessels, ply between Britain and the Falklands regularly carrying all types of freight. These ships, and another chartered by the Falkland Islands Company carry the Falklands main export, wool, back to Britain, where brokers sell it to a worldwide market.

GEOGRAPHY

The Falkland Islands comprise two groups, East Falklands (area 2,580 square miles) and West Falklands (2,038 square miles). These two groups lie between latitudes 51 and 55 degrees S and between longitudes 57 and 62 degrees W. The terrain is rugged, with treeless moorlands, bleak yet beautiful hills, wild seas that lash against the coastline and sheltered harbours.

There are colonies of penguins and a rich variety of wild life is to be found in these islands.

The islands are in the same latitude South as London is North, but the mean monthly temperatures are uniformly lower than London which has both higher and lower extremes. The Falklands are exposed and persistent strong winds spoil many sunny days. (The wind reaches gale force one day in five.) The climate is generally dry with an annual rainfall of about 28 inches.

Contrary to general opinion, there is relatively little snowfall, with overnight temperatures in the winter generally falling to zero or minus 1-2.

All varieties of vegetables can be grown during the summer (October-March) while many outdoor types of fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, etc., can also be grown outdoors.

POPULATION AND MAJOR CENTRES

The most recent census gave the population as 2,500, with 250 being nationals of the Island of St Helena. About 200 people live on 85 sheep farms which are scattered island-wide, with the remainder living in the capital Port Stanley.

There are approximately 1,500 British Troops stationed on the Falklands.

The population in the ‘camp’ or farming community has declined as the price of wool on the international market remains static. The Falklands runs 750,000 sheep.

The Town Hail hosts the Post Office, Law Courts, Legislative Council chamber and large hail where dances, discos, plays and major darts tournaments take place.

A small museum offers a section devoted to the 1982 Falklands War.

HISTORY

The islands were discovered in 1592 by a British navigator Captain John Davis in his ship ‘Desire’. Captain John Strong landed on the islands in 1690 naming them ‘Falkland Islands’ after the Lord Chief of the Admiralty.

Earlier in the 17th century seafarers from St Malo had visited the islands and called them ‘lies Malouines’ in French, hence Islas Malvinas in Spanish. There was no indigenous population whatsoever on the islands.

In 1764 they were taken by France and a small colony was established at Port Louis on East Falklands. Two years later France admitted Spain’s prior claim and ceded its rights. In 1767 Britain asserted its domination, and a post was established to survey the group. This was closed by the Spaniards in 1770 and restored in the following year after threat of war. The post was abandoned in 1774 and there was no further formal occupation until 1820 when the United Provinces of South America (later to become Argentina) hoisted their flag at Port Louis (Soledad). This settlement was broken up in 1831 by an American warship owing to the illegal imprisonment, by a German in charge of the settlement, of some American sealers.

In 1833 British warships were sent to reassert Britain’s claim. Argentina refused to leave; its flag was struck and the British flag raised and the Argentine garrison expelled.

In 1844 the capital was moved from Port Louis to Port Stanley where it has remained ever since.

Argentina has, since 1833, refused to accept British sovereignty and has continued to claim the islands. In 1982 Argentine Forces invaded the Falklands and for 10 weeks occupied the islands. A British Task Force liberated the islands and on June 14th, 1982, Argentine Forces surrendered and British rule was re-established, as desired by the inhabitants.

Diplomatic relations between Britain and Argentina were resumed in 1990, but Britain refuses to discuss the sovereignty of the Falklands with Argentine, while the Islanders ‘right to self-determination’ is not recognised by the Argentine Government.

An agreement signed in 1999 by the Argentine, British & Falklands Governments allows Argentine Nationals to visit the Islands. Their passports must be stamped, on entry, by the Falkland Island Government’s Immigration authority.

Argentine dependent relatives have never been refused entry, since 1982, to visit the Argentine War Cemetery at Darwin where the bodies of 260 Argentine Servicemen are buried.

GOVERNMENT

The Falkland Islands Government comprises a Legislature of eight democratically elected members who serve for four years. Three of the eight are elected on to the policy-making Executive Council.

A Governor is appointed, for a three-year term of office, by the Queen. He has no voting powers on either Council.

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

The 2,250 inhabitants are almost exclusively of pure British descent, and the only language is English. The people are popularly described as being ‘More British than the British’.

The culture is totally British, with no Latin influence whatsoever, despite the close proximity of South America. The currency is pounds and pence and is on a par with its British equivalent.

Visitors to the islands are struck by the similarity of the islands to parts of Scotland and the people maintain similar traditions, taking afternoon tea and eating an early evening meal.

Musically the accordion is the traditional instrument and people dance Circassian Circles (local ‘war dance’ as it is known), the barn dance, eight some reels and Gay Gordons, although these types of dances are tending to fade out, as youngsters prefer discos, etc.

Traditionally the population go ‘home’ for their holidays with home being Britain, although many go farther a field now.

The cost of living is about the same as it is in Britain, but with practically all imported goods coming from Britain, freight costs add to the prices of most items. All vehicles are imported, mostly from Britain. The 4 x 4 Land Rover and 4 x 4 Mitsubishi Shogun are the most popular vehicles.

ECONOMY

Sheep farming is the main occupation on the islands’ rough moor land, producing wool for export, chiefly to the United Kingdom.

Since 1985 when the British Government declared a 150 miles fishing zone around the islands, the Falklands have become financially autonomous, relying on Britain only to provide defence through the presence of 1,500 troops. The sale of lucrative fishing licences to foreign fishing companies, primarily from Japan, Taiwan and Korea results in an estimated 25-30 million pounds revenue annually. This money has been used to build a new £14 million community school, which incorporates a gymnasium and a 25-metre swimming pool, hundreds of new houses in the capital Port Stanley, a new radio station, water filtration plant, and renewal of many roads, damaged during the War of 1982. An extensive road building project linking the capital to the rest of the islands is also underway. The Islands have progressed from 5 miles of road in 1982, to 500 miles in 2003.

Sadly, no less than 20,000 mines remain, following the 1982 conflict but all are safely confined to well marked areas which are surrounded by barbed wire fences. Hiking is NOT restricted by the presence of the mines, which are mostly anti-personnel.

The islands are becoming an ever-increasing tourist attraction, offering an excellent variety of wildlife, with no less than five breeding species of penguins including the magnificent King.

Children living on sheep farms are taught initially by radio, and when old enough live in hostels in Stanley and attend the infant, junior and community school where education up to GCSE level can be taught. Sixth form education is conducted in England, where students can then go on to take their place at British universities. The Falkland Islands Government, through its fishing licence revenue, funds all sixth form and University education for the Islands’ students.

SPORT AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES

Rifle shooting is the Falklands national sport and teams have taken part in the National Rifle Association Championships at Bisley ranges in Surrey since the mid1930s. Three marksmen have managed to reach the final of the Queen Prize, with one shooter, Robin Henrickson, achieving this distinction on two occasions.

Football has long been played in the Islands (dating back to the late 1800’s) and traditional games against the Royal Navy Ice Patrol vessel HMS Endurance are the highlight of the season. Internationally, the Falklands team undertook a 3 match tour of Southern Chile in 1997, in celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the formation of the present club, the Falkland Islands Football League.

The Islands sent a team to the 2001 NatWest Island Games on the Isle of Man, and credibly beat the larger Orkney Islands 4 – 1 to win 11/12^th place play-off.

The £14 million community school has a 25 metres swimming pool, a fully equipped gymnasium, and several squash and badminton courts.

The swimming pool was officially opened by Olympic Gold Medallist David Wilkie in 1990. Former IGA secretary Steve Cooil travelled to the Falklands in the mid- 90’s, under the Lord Shackleton Scholarship Fund, and supervised a two weeks coaching course. The Isle of Man swimming club has on several occasions assisted the Falklands’ swimmers by providing free accommodation, coaching and pool usage in Douglas.

While politics and sport should not normally be allowed to entwine they do play a large part in Falklands, particularly while the Argentine claim to the sovereignty of the Falklands prevails. It is important that the Falklands takes its place in international competition in an effort to remind the world’s audience that the islands are still British.

The Falklands first entry into major international competition came in October 1982, when the memories of the Falklands War were still prominent. Two full-bore rifle shooters, Gerald Cheek and Tony Pettersson, travelled to Brisbane, Australia, for the Commonwealth Games, and received a wonderful reception from the Australians.

Four years later in Edinburgh Stan Smith and Brian Summers represented the Falklands in the full-bore shooting events, but with the rifle range in the islands having been destroyed by the invading Argentines in 1982, and little opportunity for practice, the club decided to miss the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. However, with a large, by Falklands standards, immigrant population residing in New Zealand, it was decided to seek sponsorship for two runners to make the 18,000 miles journey, and Peter Biggs and William Goss qualified following an historic run on the Port Stanley airfield, which was held on Christmas Eve and which appeared on television screens throughout Britain and in the host country.

The 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, saw the largest ever Falklands’ contingent with two full-bore rifle shooters, a clay pigeon shooter and a one-eyed marathon runner who took a massive 15 minutes off his previous best time. The rifle shooters, one of whom was Susan Whitney, the only lady in the full-bore events, broke the Falklands pairs score. Ken Aldridge also bettered the Falklands previous individual record.

The 1993 Island Games on the Isle of Wight saw the Falklands enter that arena for the first time, after having an observer attend the 1991 Games in Aland. A magnificent fund raising effort throughout the islands saw a large team of competitors and supporters leave the Falklands for Britain.

Netball, golf, running, pistol and clay pigeon shooting and badminton attracted Falklands participation with the highlight coming in the half-marathon where Tracy Porter and Donna Williams won a bronze medal in the team event. . . the Falklands’ first-ever medal in Commonwealth and Island Games events.

The Falklands have participated in every Island Games since 1993, and now have a proud collection of 1 gold, 5 silver and 11 bronze medals. Former Police sergeant Graham Didlick has a personal collection of 11 medals 1 gold, 4 silver and 6 bronze.

The Falkland Islands Overseas Games Association was founded in 1991 and is gradually gaining the support of the Government and people. The elected members of the Legislature now recognise the importance of Falklands participation at international sporting events and the resulting public relations exercise which accompanies such appearances. An annual subvention, approved by the Falkland Islands’ Government, greatly assists the funding of Overseas sporting participation for the Islands competitors.

The geographical positioning of the Falklands means that the islands will generally be the furthest travelled team when attending Commonwealth or Island Games meetings. However, the Games Association are determined to attend as many international sporting meetings as possible, despite the long distances and high costs.

Patrick Watts