· Conflict episode
Falklands War, 1982
Argentina and the UK fought a war following an Argentine military landing on the islands.
Significance here: The most significant armed conflict arising from the long-running sovereignty dispute.
Political status and decolonisation
Falkland Islands / Malvinas political status
Per the catalogue's instruction to distinguish the sovereignty dispute from islanders' preferences, this bundle documents the long-running Argentina-UK sovereignty dispute, including the 1982 war and Argentina's continued diplomatic campaign, separately from the islanders' own repeatedly expressed preference, most recently in the 2013 referendum. Argentina's characterization of the islands' population is presented as its own attributed position, not as an independently adjudicated fact.
- Reading time
- 1 min read
- Published
- Status verified as of
What is this case about?
The Falkland Islands have been continuously, peacefully and effectively administered by Britain since 1833; Argentina disputes British sovereignty, and the two countries fought the 1982 Falklands War after Argentina's military government landed troops on the islands.[1] A referendum held on 10-11 March 2013 asked islanders whether they supported continuing as a British Overseas Territory; on 92% turnout, 99.8% (1,513 to 3) voted to remain British.[2] Argentina rejected the result as a "meaningless publicity stunt," maintaining its sovereignty claim and characterizing the islands' population as an "implanted British population," while continuing to cite UN resolutions calling for bilateral sovereignty negotiations.[3]
At a glance
Current position
Status verified as of
The Falkland Islands remain a British Overseas Territory. The Argentina-UK sovereignty dispute remains unresolved, with Argentina continuing to press its claim through diplomatic channels and UN resolutions, while Falkland Islanders have repeatedly and overwhelmingly expressed a preference to remain British, most clearly in the 2013 referendum. Argentina rejects the referendum's relevance to the sovereignty question, characterizing the islanders as not entitled to self-determination in this context; this is Argentina's attributed position, not an adjudicated finding of this bundle.[3]
History
History of the Falkland Islands / Malvinas sovereignty dispute
From 1833 British administration through the 1982 war to the 2013 referendum.
42 words · 1 min read
Key dates
Full timeline· Referendum or popular consultation
2013 Falkland Islands sovereignty referendum
Islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory.
Significance here: The clearest and most recent documented expression of islanders' own preference, distinct from the ongoing Argentina-UK sovereignty dispute.
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: The Falkland Islands (Las Malvinas to Argentina) have been continuously, peacefully and effectively administered by Britain since 1833; Argentina disputes British sovereignty, and the two countries fought the 1982 Falklands War after Argentina's military government landed troops on the islands.
- Falklands / Malvinas Dispute (GlobalSecurity.org) link, Historical administration and 1982 war section. Source record
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2.
Claim: A referendum was held on 10-11 March 2013 asking Falkland Islanders whether they supported continuing as a British Overseas Territory in view of Argentina's call for sovereignty negotiations; on 92% turnout of registered voters, 99.8% (1,513 to 3) voted to remain a British Overseas Territory.
- 2013 Falkland Islands sovereignty referendum (Wikipedia) link, Referendum result section. Source record
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3.
Claim: Argentina rejected the 2013 referendum result as a "meaningless publicity stunt," maintaining its sovereignty claim and characterizing the islands' population as an "implanted British population" rather than a people entitled to self-determination, while continuing to cite United Nations resolutions calling on Britain to enter bilateral sovereignty negotiations; this is presented as Argentina's own attributed position, not as an independently adjudicated characterization of the islanders.
- Falkland Islanders vote to stay British (CNN) link, Argentine rejection and position section. Source record