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* History: The Falkland Islands were first claimed by the British in the 18th century. In 1765, Captain John Byron took possession of the islands for Britain and named them the Falkland Islands in honour of Viscount Falkland. The British established a settlement on the islands in 1766, but the settlement was abandoned in 1774. In 1776, the Spanish re-established their claim to the islands, but they were expelled by the British in 1778. The British re-established their settlement in 1833, and it has remained a British Overseas Territory ever since.
* Geography: The Falkland Islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 450 miles east of Argentina. The islands are made up of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, and a number of smaller islands. The total land area of the islands is about 4,700 square miles.
* Population: The Falkland Islands have a population of about 3,000 people. The majority of the population is of British descent, with some Argentines and Chileans also living on the islands.
* Economy: The economy of the Falkland Islands is based on fishing, sheep farming, and tourism. The islands also have a small oil and gas industry.
* Politics: The Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory. The islands have their own parliament and government, but they are still under the ultimate authority of the British government.
The Falklands War of 1982 was a major military conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. The war began when Argentina invaded the islands on April 2, 1982. The British responded by sending a naval task force to retake the islands. The task force arrived on May 21, 1982, and after a brief conflict, the Argentine forces surrendered on June 14, 1982. The war resulted in the death of 255 British soldiers, sailors, and airmen, and 649 Argentine soldiers, sailors, and airmen.