Falkland Islands

By Thulung at 30 January, 2009, 12:23 am

Mister-Rai.com --- Falkland Islands! The Falkland Islands (also called: Islas Malvinas in Spanish) is British overseas territories in the South Atlantic Ocean, it is located about 480 km from the mainland South America and 1,080 km west of the Shag Rocks, South Georgia, another British Territory in South Atlantic Ocean and 940 km north of the British Antarctic Territory. Falkland Islands consist of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, with some other 780 smaller islands. It is roughly half the size of Wales, UK.
Stanley, built on Stanley Harbour on the East Falkland, is the capital of Falkland. The islands are a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom and the inhabitant of Falkland Islands are full British citizens. But the Falkland was once been the subject of a claim to sovereignty by Argentina for which the two countries: UK and Argentina went to war, when Argentine force invaded the islands on 2 of April 1982, but ended soon after Argentine surrendered on 14 June 1982. Since the war there has been strong economic growth in fisheries and tourism in Falkland. Sheep farming is also plays an important role in the economy, with about half a million sheep in the islands.
The Falkland Islands with the population of about 3,000 uses English as their official language. Majority of the inhabitants of the islands trace their origin to 19th century Scottish immigrants, but Scandinavian and Chilean are also among others living in the Falkland. Native born are called ‘Islanders’, I repeat though they are of Scottish origins they are not Highlanders down there, but Islanders. The highest point is Mount Osborne, 705m above the sea level, on the Eat Falkland. Temperature of the island could be 24 C in summer to -5 C during winter.
Falkland Islands has to main airport with paved runways. RAF Mount Pleasant, about 50km west of Stanley in the East Falklands serves as the international airport and Stanley airport, which is a smaller airport located just outside Stanley serves as regional airport within the Islands. LAN Chile flies once a week from Santiago, Chile. Defence of the islands is maintained by UK Government with number of marines stationed in the island at most times, but Falklands also has its own defence force, Falkland Islands Defence Force, fully funded by Falklands Government.