Falklands History & Culture

The English navigator, John Davis, aboard the "Desire" made the first confirmed sighting of the Islands in 1592. Today the Falkland Island flag and Coat-of-Arms depict the sailing ship "Desire" along with the legend "Desire the Right". The first landing is attributed to the British Captain, John Strong, in 1690 at Bold Cove, Port Howard on West Falkland.

Small settlements were established at different locations around the Islands during the 18th and 19th centuries by Britain, France, Spain and the Spanish Viceroyalty of the River Plate but none of these lasted for more than a few years. Of note were a British settlement at Port Egmont, Saunders Island (where today a Union flag can be hoisted from an ammunition box) and a French settlement at Port Louis, now privately owned.

Early visitors were sealers, whalers and penguin hunters from different corners of the World. Many imported domestic animals and left these at various locations as a food source for future voyages. Cattle in particular spread rapidly throughout the Islands. Travel was on horseback and South American gauchos made their mark. Stone and turf corrals were constructed and remains of these can be seen scattered across the Islands, though mainly on East Falkland.

During the early 1830s "HMS Beagle" visited the Islands with the naturalist, Charles Darwin on board. Darwin not only collected flora, fauna and fossils important to the conception of "On the Origin of Species" but also commented on the geological features now known as "stone runs" and the number of shipwrecks around the Islands. The latter are due to the proximity of Cape Horn and a combination of cruel winds and concealed rocks. As trade in the Islands grew, so did the number of visiting ships and further wrecks resulted. Many can still be seen around the coast of the archipelago.

1833 saw the re-assertion by Britain of its sovereignty, which dated from Britain’s claim in 1765. The British flag was entrusted to a British subject at Port Louis, which had suffered from various hostilities, mainly concerning sealing operations. A military administrator was put in charge there a year later. Governor Moody was appointed in 1841. By 1845 the capital had been moved to its present site and named Stanley, after the Colonial Secretary, Geoffrey Smith Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby.

Stanley became an important port for vessels involved in whaling and rounding Cape Horn. Settlements and farms were built around the Islands and sheep farming took over from cattle ranching as the mainstay of the economy.

Falkland Islanders participated in both World Wars. "Battle Day" is commemorated by a monument on Ross Road and an annual holiday on 8th December; in 1914 a member of the Falkland Islands Defence Force observed the approach of the German fleet and the subsequent British victory ensured their supremacy in South Atlantic. In December 1939, a similar victory was secured when a Royal Navy Squadron defeated the German battleship, the Graf Spee, in the Battle of the River Plate. An Act of Remembrance is observed at the Cross of Sacrifice in November as in many other parts of the World.

From 2nd April until 14th June 1982, Argentine troops occupied the Falkland Islands. A British Task Force was sent to recover the Islands and their landing at Blue Beach, San Carlos on May 21st is now commemorated each year as "Landing Day". Fierce fighting took place on land, at sea and in the air with a number of Islanders aiding the British military wherever and whenever possible. Following the final battles on the hills around Stanley, Argentine Forces surrendered to Major General Jeremy Moore of the British Forces. A surrender document was signed at the Secretariat Building, in the room now named the "Liberation Room". Liberation Day is commemorated by a public holiday on 14th June with services in Christchurch Cathedral and at the Liberation Monument. Other, smaller memorials are situated at locations around the Islands relevant to battles that took place.

Today the Islands enjoy a healthy economy based on the sale of fishing licences, tourism and agricultural products including fine wool, mutton and beef. Offshore oil exploration is underway with drilling licences granted to a number of international companies.

For further information on the history and culture of the Falklands see Recommended Reading. or read a more detailed account on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office webpage.