Falklands / Malvinas = Falvinas

I have blogged before about the inappropriate randomness of man made frontiers & borders. I think I have also revealed my attitude to the problems caused by European colonisation. Much of this has resulted in long, ongoing, serious, problems, even wars, based on the illogicality.

The history of the Falklands / Malvinas, is very complex & is a good example of this. In short, they were uninhabited & then came under the rule of various European countries seeking routes & wealth. The Dutch were the first in 1600 -> then Captain Strong in 1690 -> followed by the French founding Port Louis in 1764 -> in 1765 Captain Byron founded Port Egremont -> in 1770 the Spanish expelled the British. There is more, but I'm sure you get the picture.

With a history like this who is to say who the islands belong to? At least four countries, probably more, appear to have a claim. The basic flaw, it seems to me, is assert that to  land somehere gives you rights of ownership. In this case it is more complicated because there was no indiginous population with a prior claim.

The islands are nearest to Patagonia in South America, which is partly in Argentina & partly in Chile. So, simplistically it seems logical that maybe they should govern the island. Particularly as there are huge populations of both British & Welsh people living there. The current British population monopoly could possibly change if people from Patagonia decided to emigrate to the Falvinas! Then what would happen to the vote just taken?

Other, even more illogical, similar, examples include Cueta & Melilla which are Spanish enclaves in Morocco. Ditto Gibraltar the British enclave in Spain. Cueta was conquered by Portugal in 1415 & ceded to Spain in 1668. Melilla was conquered in 1469. Gibraltar was conquered by an Anglo Dutch  force in 1704 & ceded to England in 1713. (Enclave - a piece of land which is totally surrounded by a foreign territory).

I doubt any of these disputes over sovereignty & borders will be solved in the short term. Alpha males are very territorial. That doesn't mean that the situation really is irreconcilable. Hopefully, in future, someone with more sense will be in power and negotiate.