Most of our blog posts until now have been rather lighthearted. We have written at great lengths about British food, the weather, English language learning and a touch of sport. While trying to keep the British theme in tact, today's blog is about a slightly more sensitive subject that is very close to the hearts of many - the Falkland Islands (also known as Las Malvinas).
The Falkland Islands are located in the South Atlantic, 350 miles off the Southern tip of Argentina. The weather is cold and the Falkland Islands are quite barren, supporting more sheep and penguins than people, with around 2,300 inhabitants.
The Islands have been colonised many times since they were first sighted in 1500 by a Portuguese voyage, but they have been under British ruling since 1840. Argentines claim that the British abandoned the Islands in the 1770's, and are, mainly due to their close proximity, part of Argentina. This debate has caused much tension between the two countries.
Simmering tensions between Britain and Argentina reached its climax in 1982 resulting in the Falklands War, but the debate of who the Islands should belong to continues to be very topical in the British press. According to the British government, as well as being rich in oil and having an excellently positioned military base, it's the fact that the island's inhabitants themselves feel British and do not want to be governed by Argentina that makes them reluctant to hand them over.
Argentine Oxford University lecturer, Esteban Hubner, expert in International Relations and Political Science, asked his students their views and whether they could think of a solution. The majority argued that the British people living in the UK do not feel passionate about the Islands and simply see them as a distant far off land. Some felt that 'the Argentines have as much right to reclaim the land as the Romans have to claim back England'1, while others were adamant that they should be returned.
After the students had discussed a number of different solutions, there was one that was narrowly voted as being the best. That was to make the land autonomous, for it's inhabitants to have two passports and three flags.
What are you views on this debate? Do you think there is a better solution?
The Falkland Islands are located in the South Atlantic, 350 miles off the Southern tip of Argentina. The weather is cold and the Falkland Islands are quite barren, supporting more sheep and penguins than people, with around 2,300 inhabitants.
The Islands have been colonised many times since they were first sighted in 1500 by a Portuguese voyage, but they have been under British ruling since 1840. Argentines claim that the British abandoned the Islands in the 1770's, and are, mainly due to their close proximity, part of Argentina. This debate has caused much tension between the two countries.
Simmering tensions between Britain and Argentina reached its climax in 1982 resulting in the Falklands War, but the debate of who the Islands should belong to continues to be very topical in the British press. According to the British government, as well as being rich in oil and having an excellently positioned military base, it's the fact that the island's inhabitants themselves feel British and do not want to be governed by Argentina that makes them reluctant to hand them over.
Argentine Oxford University lecturer, Esteban Hubner, expert in International Relations and Political Science, asked his students their views and whether they could think of a solution. The majority argued that the British people living in the UK do not feel passionate about the Islands and simply see them as a distant far off land. Some felt that 'the Argentines have as much right to reclaim the land as the Romans have to claim back England'1, while others were adamant that they should be returned.
After the students had discussed a number of different solutions, there was one that was narrowly voted as being the best. That was to make the land autonomous, for it's inhabitants to have two passports and three flags.
What are you views on this debate? Do you think there is a better solution?
