Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute

Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) is disputed by Argentina and the United Kingdom. The British claim to sovereignty dates from 1690, when they made the first recorded landing on the islands, and the United Kingdom has exercised de facto sovereignty over the archipelago almost continuously since 1833. Argentina bases its claim on its succession to Spanish sovereignty following its independence and views the British as a colonial power, as the latter sent naval forces to remove the Argentine authorities in January 1833 and took control of the islands afterward. The dispute escalated again in 1982, when Argentina invaded the islands, precipitating the Falklands War.

While Argentina claims a right to colonise the territory for economic gain, Britain has supported the right of self-determination of Falkland islanders. Today, Falkland Islanders overwhelmingly prefer to remain British. Following the British victory in the Falklands War, they were granted full British citizenship under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983. Argentina rejects the case for self-determination, as it views the islanders as "transplanted people" brought in by the British, ignoring the portion of the population with Argentinian origins and that there was no native people to begin with. Instead, Argentina argues that they do not have UN-recognised rights to self-determination, and instead argues for territorial integrity. Several South American countries and organizations support the Argentinian position, while the European Union recognizes the British administration. Most other countries do not take sides in the sovereignty dispute over the islands.