The Malvinas Islands, Falkland Islands, Islas Malvinas or whatever you want to call them.
The Malvinas Islands are located off the coast of Argentina in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Some of us remember way back in the early 1980’s, the scuffle that was the Falklands War. I was only a kid then, and I vaguely remember watching some war ships fire their rounds on TV during the news updates.
Basically, the story is that Argentina invades the Falkland Islands, which are controlled under the United Kingdom. The British PM at the time, Margaret ‘The Iron Lady’ Thatcher, did not like that and decided to take them back. After a short-ish fight (a whole 74 days), the English win the conflict.
You can read more about the history of this conflict at the Falklands War page at Wikipedia, or in this book for more detail.
Even today, maps produced in Argentina show the Falkland Islands (U.K.) as the Islas Malvinas (Arg).
Argentina lost a few hundred men during the conflict – and there is a big memorial in Buenos Aires that commemorates the fallen there.
The Falkland Islands Memorial
I’ve included a picture of the memorial below.
What makes this memorial ironic is that the Argentine Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas memorial to those who died is literally situated across the road from an English Clock Tower – a gift from the English to Argentina in the 1800s.
I took this photo, standing in front of the memorial and this sight was located directly ahead:
I wanted to point out this irony to the two armed guards who were stiffly standing next to the memorial, but realised from my Kosovo experience they had big guns I didn’t possess.
More Falkland Islands Stuff
Check out more at The Battle for the Falklands and Battle Atlas of the Falklands War 1982 by Land, Sea and Air.
Other things to do in Argentina – throw bricks at a bank, check out Beaver Dams in Tierra Del Fuego, and devour the Best Steak everytime.
For more travel thingys on Argentina, see:
- Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina – a great place to chill your six pack of beer
- The Best Buses In The World
- Evitas Grave in Buenos Aires, Argentina – An Interesting Mausoleum
- Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil – How To Wet Yourself
- Boca Juniors Stadium – A First Hand Experience of South American Football: La Apertura
- Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina – Funny Grave Site and Head Stone
- Argentina Wine Tours – Pickle Your Liver at Mendoza, Argentina
- Falkland Islands War Memorial in Buenos Aires – The Ultimate in Irony
- See Beaver Dams – In South America
- Best Steak In The World: Don’t Cry For Meat… Argentina…
- Global Financial Crisis – If you thought US Banks had an image problem..
Yes I was young too and do you know what, the only thing I really recall is Prince Andrew and the Fergie relationship being played out whilst he was in the Falklands. How sad, that this is my memory of such a terrible time for our fellow human beings.
Call them Malvinas, Argentina has historical rights on them, although a crazy military dictator had invaded it by force, having Argentine geographical and historical arguments in favor of it. We are in XXI-th century, “colonies” should dissapear. UK, US, France, Spain, and even Nehterlands, should dettach those territories owned by force and violence a couple centuries ago. bye. nice blog
It’s definitely one of the world’s most intriguing territorial disputes!