Island Games: Get to know... Falkland Islands

Hitherto unfamiliar names such as Belgrano, Exocet and Goose Green have resonated down through the succeeding decades.

‘I think most people would remember the Falklands from the 1982 conflict,’ said Sally Ellis, media attache for the Falklands’ Island Games team.

‘That was obviously a very stressful time for the islands but it also catapulted us into a better time, in terms of our economic development.’

Stronger ties with the UK followed and with relations still very problematic between the Falklands and Argentina, regular MoD flights to England remain an important lifeline.

A resolution to remain British was illustrated in 2013 by a 99.8% referendum result.

Another legacy of the conflict was the presence of the 20,000 mines that were laid. Their clearance ceased in 1983 after several casualties, restarted in 2009 and was only completed in 2020.

The islands are now self-governing, through its elected legislative assembly, and also self-financing – with the exception, like Guernsey, of defence.

‘We export a lot of fish,’ Sally said. ‘If you’ve ever eaten squid or calamari anywhere in Europe, then that’s very likely to have come from the Falklands.’

• Stay tuned to the Guernsey Press as we build up to next month's NatWest International Island Games and prepare to bring you the best coverage in print, podcast, and across our social channels via @guernseypress and @gsypresssport on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Tourism is growing in the islands, with the natural landscape and wildlife attracting visits from cruise ships.

‘We have a very good quality of life, with the beach within easy reach during your lunch hour, where you can sit and eat your lunch – just you and the penguins,’ said Sally.

‘We have zero unemployment and, in fact, lots of people have several jobs because we’re short of workforce. We’re always having to entice people to the Falklands.’

Two thirds of the population live in the east-coast capital, Stanley, which is the only town. The remaining 1,000 or so – equivalent to the population of Torteval – are spread over an area 60 times larger than all the Channel Islands combined, made up of more than 700 islands, many of which are uninhabited.

‘We have amazing, white, sandy beaches that look quite Caribbean but then you put your foot in the water and realise you are in the Southern Ocean,’ said Sally.

At the time of writing, the sea temperature in Stanley is 6C (43F).

The talk of the islands recently has been the long-awaited resumption of flights to and from Chile, which were suspended during Covid.

In addition, the Falklands has been busy with scientists going to and coming from the Antarctic for research purposes.

Among the chief gripes of the resident population are the price of fresh vegetables, the cost of internet services and the weather, Sally told us.

Although the islands haven’t developed a national delicacy as such, the keeping of large numbers of hardy sheep on the windswept farmland has had its influence.

‘Our traditional Christmas Day meal is lamb, which we usually have roasted,’ Sally said, ‘or barbecued, as of course we have a mid-summer Christmas here.’

Falklanders enjoy horse racing, with the annual two-day meeting at Stanley – starting on Boxing Day – being the biggest sports event on the calendar.

Another race meeting at Easter time – at the end of the growing season – also involves several other sports including sheep-shearing, in which the Falklands competes internationally. A team from the islands will be among 30 flocking to Edinburgh for the Golden Shear Championships just two weeks before the Island Games.

‘We’re big darts players here as well and we also have the most southerly certified marathon course in the world, which we use for an event every March,’ said Sally.

You might imagine that the isolated location of the Falklands means there are no sporting rivals for islanders but in many sports they are able to arrange matches between civilians and military personnel.

‘It’s great to have that opposition just 35 miles up the road from Stanley,’ Sally said.

• ABOUT THE FALKLAND ISLANDS

Area: 12,173 sq km (4,700 sq miles)

Population: 3,662 (2021 census)

Population density: 0.3 per sq. km

Time zone: 4 hours behind Guernsey

Distance from Guernsey: 12,418 km (7,716 m)

Total IG medals won: 19 (1G, 5S, 13B)

Medals won in 2003: 3 (1S, 2B)

Competitors coming to Guernsey: 76

Route: Flight to UK either with the MoD via Ascension Island or with LATAM via Chile, transfer to UK airport or ferry port for flight/ferry to Guernsey

Sports in which competing: Archery, badminton, basketball, bowls, cycling, golf, football, shooting, swimming, table tennis

Biggest sports star: Louis Baillon (hockey, Olympic gold medallist in 1908)

National delicacy: Roast lamb

Parliamentary representation: eight members elected to the Falkland legislative assembly