Falkland Islands

[Scarlett]

Im was just watching a programme about the Falklands, and they look amazing. Has anyone been? what is the climate like? And why is it full of British people?

[luckystrike]

The Falklands are full of British People as they are a British dependency. The Falkland Islands are made up of two large islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, as well as about 200 smaller ones. The islands, also claimed by Argentina, have long been a subject of contention between the two countries. The disagreement escalated to an armed conflict in April 1982, when Argentine forces invaded and occupied the islands for about ten weeks. They were defeated by a British task force and surrendered on 14 June.

British claims are based on the belief that John Davis, an English explorer, sighted the Falkland Islands in 1592 and that in 1765 the British settled on West Falkland. But in 1764 French colonists established a settlement on East Falkland, which the Spanish bought in 1770. Argentina overthrew the Spanish in 1816 and claimed sovereignty of the islands in 1820. The British left the islands in 1774 but regained control in 1833.

Geologically, the Falkland Islands are connected with Patagonia on the Argentine mainland by a raised submarine plateau. Divided by two deep fjords, the north part of East Falkland is traversed by a range of hills known as Wickham Heights, rising to 705 metres (2,312 feet) at Mount Usborne. Marshlands and grazing pastures predominate in the south. Stanley, the islands' capital and main city, lies on the east coast of East Falkland. West Falkland is hilly, especially in the east where the Hornby Mountains run parallel to Falkland Sound. No trees grow in the islands' chilly, windy and damp climate. Many islanders raise sheep and export the wool.

[KebabMeister]

I understand the waters around the area provide over 90% of the worlds squid as well?

Isn't there oil rumoured to be there too?

[qapmoc]

Experts from the renowned, Edinburgh-based British Geological Survey have long believed that enormous oil reserves, possibly up to 60 billion barrels, lie beneath the deep waters surrounding the Falklands. If this estimate is correct, the islands' oil reserves would almost equal those of Libya and Nigeria combined, and even amount to half the Iraqi reserves. The astronomical estimate is the result of a study conducted by geologist Phil Richards, who has been researching the Falklands' potential oil reserves for the past 15 years. "I am convinced that these figures are correct," he says.

The Falkland Islands deposits aren't even mentioned in the lists of known oil reserves kept by the oil giants Shell, BP and Exxon. These multinationals, known in industry parlance as the majors, already have their hands full in regions such as West Africa, the Brazilian coastal waters and the Caspian Sea. Until now, searching for black gold in the rough and deep seas (up to 10,000 feet) of the South Atlantic seemed too complex and expensive, as well as being a highly speculative proposition. It's a risk the major corporations prefer to hand over to smaller oil exploration outfits. After all, if the venture turns out to be unsuccessful, the majors won't have incurred any costs.