History of the Falkland Islands

Scant and controversial evidence suggests that the Yamana people of Tierra del Fuego may have reached the islands at some point in the past, but the islands are believed to have been uninhabited when the first European sailors visited the archipelago.

Throughout the 16th Century, a variety of Spanish, French, Portuguese, English and Dutch vessels sighted land which may have been the Falkland Islands, although the islands were not fully charted until the 17th Century. Throughout the 18th Century, naval bases and trading posts were established on the Falkland Islands by the European colonial powers, uncluding Spain, France and Britain. Various treaties were eventually agreed between Britain and Spain, although the status of the Falklands remained ambiguous, with visitors from various European countries freely harvesting the islands' whales and seals.

During the 19th Century, the islands were claimed by the newly independent Argentine Republic, whose claim was vigorously rejected by Britain, which established a government in 1833 - the same year Charles Darwin visited the . The economy grew through the 19th Century as settlers from Britain and South America established ranches, and the islands became a hub for repair and resupply for vessels rounding the treacherous waters of Cape Horn. During this period, Port Stanley (usually referred to on the islands simply as 'Stanley' or 'Town') became the island's de-facto capital, largely due to its perfect natural harbour.  

Throughout the 20th Century, the sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina continued, with neither side accepting the claims or judicial decisions of the other. These tensions over the islands' sovereignty came to a head in 1982, when the Argentine Military invaded the islands. After 74 days, the islands were reconquered by the British Armed Forces. 694 Argentine, and 255 British troops were killed during the short but vicious war over the islands. The Falkland Islanders attitude towards Argentina hardened in the wake of the invasion, and the Royal Air Force established the vast Mount Pleasant Airbase outside Stanley in 1983 to deter future military conflict. Argentina and the United Kingdom re-established diplomatic relations in the wake of the invasion in 1990, although the sovereignty dispute over the islands has continued since.