Although there's some evidence that Patagonian Indians reached the Falklands in rudimentary canoes, the islands were uninhabited when Europeans began to frequent the South Atlantic in the 17th century. A British expedition made the first documented landing in 1690, whereupon they claimed the islands for the crown and named the sound between the two main islands after a British naval officer, Viscount Falkland. The name was later applied to the whole island group.
No European power established a settlement on the islands until France landed a garrison at Port Louis on East Falkland in 1764. (A small community of fishermen from St Malo lent the islands their French name, Îles Malouines, from which the Spanish Islas Malvinas derives.) When Spain caught wind of the settlers' presence, they pressured the French government to remove the garrison by citing the papal Treaty of Tordesillas, which had divided the New World between Spain and Portugal. The French complied, and in 1767 the Spanish went on to oust a British settlement at West Falkland's Port Egmont too. (Under threat of war, Spain restored the settlement the following year; the British gave it up of their own accord in 1774, though they held tight to their territorial claims.) The Spanish erected a penal colony at Port Louis, only to abandon it in the early 18th century as the town's ranks swelled with maverick whalers and sealers.
In the late 1820s, nearly a decade after Buenos Aires declared its independence from Spain, a government-backed entrepreneur from Buenos Aires, Louis Vernet, moved to the Falklands and asserted himself as its governor. In 1831, his seizure of three American sealing ships triggered reprisals from a hot-headed US naval officer, whose retaliatory attack left Port Louis beyond restoration. Vernet scampered back to Buenos Aires, leaving a token Argentine force in Port Louis until 1833, when they were expelled by the returning British.
Under the Brits, the Falklands languished in isolation until the mid-19th century, when sheep ranching replaced cattle and wool became an important export commodity. The English-owned Falkland Islands Company swallowed most of the island's best land, and all remaining pastoral land was occupied by immigrant shepherds by the 1870s. With each succeeding generation, more and more landowners retreated to Britain and ran their businesses as absentees. The UK granted the islands colonial status in 1892.
In the 1970s, the local government began encouraging the sale and subdivision of large landholdings to slow high rates of emigration, and nearly every unit was snapped up by local family farmers. Other major changes to the economy came with the expansion of deep-sea fishing in the surrounding South Atlantic and with the Falklands War.
Since their departure in 1833, no Argentine government had given up claims of sovereignty over the Falklands. Though the British were slow to publicly acknowledge Argentina's seriousness, by the late 1960s, they began to view the distant islands as a politically burdensome anachronism to be discarded with all judicious speed. Britain's alliances with Argentina's military government - giving the latter a significant voice in issues of the Falklands' transportation, fuel supplies, shipping and immigration - began to worry the pro-British islanders. Argentina's brutal Dirty War in 1976 did little to alleviate their concerns.
The waiting period for an official handover proved too lengthy for Argentina's itchy-fingered military junta, and in April 1982 they invaded the Falklands and set up outposts in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The seizure briefly rallied Argentines behind their government, until Britain sent a naval task force to retake the islands. After 72 days and nearly 1000 casualties (three-quarters of whom were Argentine), the war ended with Argentina's surrender and its president's resignation. Following the war, most Falklanders wanted little to do with Argentina, preferring to emphasize their ties with Britain and build upon their relationship with Chile. Today, Argentine president Carlos Menem continues to publicly renounce the use of force to support his country's claim to the islands while also bragging that the Falklands will be Argentine by the turn of the century.
English is both the official language and the language of preference in the Falkland Islands, as the populace is almost universally of British descent. A handful of immigrants also hail from South America, mostly from Chile, and roughly 2000 British military personnel - locally known as 'squaddies' - reside in the Mt Pleasant airport complex. Because of the islands' isolation and small population, most Falklanders are skilled at doing everything they need to survive, supplementing seasonal work like peat cutting and sheep shearing with their own mechanical and agricultural projects.
Falklanders are also exceptionally hospitable, often welcoming visitors into their homes for a 'smoko,' the traditional midmorning tea or coffee break. This is especially common in 'camp' - the islanders' name for anyplace outside Stanley - where visitors of any kind can be infrequent. When visiting people in camp, it's customary to bring a small gift - rum is a favorite.
A highlight of island life is the annual summer sports meetings, bringing together the usually isolated islanders to share stories, meet new people and catch up with old friends. Visitors are welcome to join in the festivities, which include horse racing, bull riding and sheepdog trials. The meets take place in Stanley between Christmas and New Year's Day and on West Falkland usually toward the end of February. West Falkland's sports rotate yearly between settlements.
The Falklands are not a cheap place to visit, which not surprisingly has more to do with the dearth of visitors than any glut. Flights to the islands are expensive, and there's little in the way of tourist infrastructure once you're there. Most facilities, however, are excellent, and guests pay accordingly. B&Bs and self-catering cabins are the cheapest accommodation options aside from camping. For such lodging and a three-meal day, expect to pay at least US$50. A moderate hike in standards can easily double that figure. For upscale accommodation (or the Falklands version thereof) and an allowance for inter-island travel, double your budget again.
The Falkland Islands pound is on par with the UK pound sterling, which circulates alongside the local currency. Credit cards are not widely used, but travelers' checks are readily accepted. Brits with guarantee cards can cash personal checks up to £50 at the Standard Chartered Bank in Stanley.
Approximately 1280km (800mi) east-southeast of the Falklands, the ice-capped island of South Georgia pokes out of the Atlantic just enough to make the Falklands look positively cosmopolitan. More than half its sharp, glacier-strewn terrain lies under a year-round blanket of snow and ice, with only the coastal fringes sporting any vegetation - mainly patches of tussock grass, moss and lichen. The island's few hardy inhabitants consist of a small British military detachment at King Edward Point and a British Antarctic Survey research team stationed at the island's northwesternmost tip.
Captain James Cook made the first landing on South Georgia in January 1775. His descriptions of the island - and more specifically of its massive fur seal population - were published two years later, and the news set off a rush of blubber-bent sealers. By the 1830s, the fur seals had been all but exterminated and the hunters turned their attention to elephant seals, 'sea leopards' (probably Weddell seals) and later to the five species of whale that inhabit the local waters.
The first whaling station on South Georgia sprang up at Grytviken in 1904, employing up to 300 men during the industry's heyday. Over the years, some 175,000 whales were processed here, including a 33.5m (110ft) female blue whale, the largest animal ever recorded. Grytviken's operations continued until the early 1960s, when whaling finally proved unprofitable and the station was abandoned. Today, many of its buildings, including the whalers' church and the various rendering halls, are open to visitors. The South Georgia Whaling Museum, housed in the former manager's house, features exhibits detailing the social and working lives of the whalers and displays on the wildlife and history of the island. The station's cemetery is the final resting place of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton.
Despite the slaughter of the past century, South Georgia's wildlife is once again varied and abundant. Fur seals are back in high numbers, and there are more than five million pairs of macaroni penguins and two huge king penguin colonies. Two thousand reindeer (introduced by the whaling companies) also roam the inland valleys.
Boats for day trips can be chartered in settlements throughout the islands. Rental cars are available in Stanley, and some camp lodges provide 4WDs with driver-guides for their guests. Visitors may use their home driver's licenses for up to 12 months. Driving is on the left.
Facts at a Glance
Environment
History
Economic Profile
Culture
Events
Facts for the Traveler
Money & Costs
When to Go
Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
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Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Recommended Reading
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