History, Language & Culture Falkland Islands

English sea captain John Davis, in his ship the Desire, recorded the first sighting of the Falkland Islands in 1592. First claimed by Britain in 1765, the British, French and Spanish periodically had garrisons in the Islands until 1811, when all the garrisons were withdrawn. Subsequently, British and American ships frequently visited the islands. On 6th October 1832, an Argentine military garrison landed in an attempt to establish Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, disregarding the British claim of 67 years prior. On 2nd January 1833, the Royal Navy evicted the Argentine military garrison with no loss of life. The civilian population in the Islands, who had sought permission from Britain to live there, were invited to stay. A year later, a small, permanent British administration was established. In 1845 Stanley was founded and continues to remain the islands’ Capital to this day. In the 19th century Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, became one of the world’s busiest ports. In Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) the spoken language is English and the written language is English.