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Daily News Analysis

Falkland Islands                

24th February, 2022 Geography

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Context:

  • Beijing’s support for Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands, had stirred discussions around the long-standing dispute.

 

About:

  • Location: Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf.
  • Parts: The archipelago consists of two main islands, West Falkland and East Falkland, and 776 smaller islands.
  • Physical Features: The islands are predominantly mountainous and hilly, with the major exception being the depressed plains of Lafonia (a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland)
  • Climate Zone: The islands lie on the boundary of the subantarctic oceanic and tundra climate zones. The climate of the islands is cold, windy and humid maritime.
  • Biogeography: The Falkland Islands are biogeographically part of the Antarctic zone, with strong connections to the flora and fauna of Patagonia in mainland South America.

 

Brief information on the dispute:

  • Since the 18th century, the Falkland Islands, located off the coast of Argentina in the south Atlantic Ocean, have always been subjected to colonisation and conquests by Britain, France, Spain and Argentina.
  • Prior to the 1700s, the islands were uninhabited, with France first establishing a colony there in 1764.
  • The next year, when the British arrived to claim the islands for themselves, it marked the start of a dispute that has been ongoing ever since.

 

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-uk-objected-china-backing-argentinas-claim-falkland-islands-7778630/