Falkland Islands, 1/15/24
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
I read that the atmosphere in Stanley
is that of a small English or Scottish town, a size conducive to just walking
to see the sights, driving is on the left here so be aware as you cross
streets. The town was founded in 1843, named the capital in 1845, and is
currently home to most of the population of this archipelago. There are two
main islands, West Falkland and East Falkland, the latter is where we’ll be,
plus there are hundreds of smaller islets. The port’s site has a good
deep-water anchorage, and it became a popular spot for ship provisioning and
repairs for ships rounding Cape Horn. This was one spot that was claimed by
Europeans that did not have human inhabitants at the time. Since I knew very
little about the history here, I did some digging and was surprised at the
number of times sovereignty changed. The first to claim the eastern island and
actually start a colony were the French in 1764. They called the islands Îles
Mauoines which the Spanish or Argentines translated to Islas Malvinas; they’re
still known by that name in Argentina today. About a year after the colonists
from France arrived another settlement was started by the British on West
Falkland. Neither of these colonies lasted long but when the British departed, they left a plaque saying they still claimed the land. Over the next few years, it was mostly whalers and sealers who hunted the South Atlantic who went to the
islands as a haven from storms. Argentina was next to try to set up a settlement, but the Napoleonic wars got in the way, then they were battling for independence, so the Malvinas were somewhat forgotten. The British returned in
1834 and have stayed ever since.
The first time I remember hearing
about the Falkland Islands, and I suspect it was the same for most of the rest
of the world, was when an Argentine force invaded them in April 1982. The
reigning military junta there needed some propping up so they were hoping to
promote some patriotism with this action, plus they really didn’t think the
British would retaliate, severely underestimating Margaret Thatcher’s resolve.
A British expeditionary force arrived in May, battling until June 11 when the
Argentine garrison in Stanley surrendered, although it took until 1995 to
complete the peace talks. Interesting that the junta of General Leopoldo
Galtieri toppled afterwards, becoming someone to forget, but on January 10 the
islanders still celebrate Margaret Thatcher Day to remember her determined
response and support.
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