Now will UK hand over Malvinas to Argentina ?

UK has finally been made to hand over Chagos to Mauritius. Next comes up the Malvinas or Falklands in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Las Malvinas is located Nearly 480 km east of Patagonia, in the heart of the South Atlantic Ocean.

The Islands host an impressive array of wildlife, from the world’s largest colony of Black-Browed albatrosses to three species of penguins not found in Antarctica: the Golden-Haired Rockhopper penguin, the Black-Banded Magellanic penguin, and the Tangerine-Cheeked King penguin.

Although its proximity to Argentina suggests it was once part of South America, scientists believe the islands were once attached to the African continent.

Consequently, this has lead to theories that the archipelago’s flora and fauna arrived through dispersal.

Home to a similar climate and topography as Tierra del Fuego, the archipelago’s two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, are the most commonly traversed.

Although around 700 more rocky islands and islets make up the archipelago and cover a nearly 4,700 square-mile area. There is a long history of disputes over the land, the Malvinas Islands are marked by times of war.

France, Spain, and Argentina have all claimed the Islands at some point throughout history. However, since 1833 the United Kingdom forcibly occupied the archipelago as an overseas territory.

On the other hand, today, around 3,200 British settlers call the capital of Stanley in East Falkland home. Above all, the archipelago’s wildlife on land and sea truly set it apart.

Creatures like the rare Striated caracara are often sighted circling above the area’s rocky coastline. Similarly, marine mammal species like Elephant seals, Fur seals, and Peale’s dolphins swim throughout the kelp forests of the icy South Atlantic waters.

The governor of the Malvinas Islands has sought to calm its occupies over the territory’s “sovereignty” following the UK’s deal to hand over the Chagos Islands.

The UK has been made to give up ownership of the tropical archipelago to Mauritius, after decades of often fractious negotiations.In light of the move, Argentina has renewed its vow to gain full sovereignty of the Malvinas, with its foreign minister promising “concrete action” to ensure the islands are handed to Buenos Aires.

But in an attempt to assuage the fears of people on another strategically-important group of islands, Malvinas British Governor Alison Blake said the “legal and historical” context of the two territories are “very different”.

The UK obstinate decision to hold on to the South Atlantic territory’s sovereignty is “unwavering” and “remains undiminished”, she said in a statement posted to social media.In the message to residents, she said: “I would like to reassure you that the legal and historical contexts of the Chagos Archipelago and the Falkland Islands are very different.

“UK ministers have been very clear throughout the process that the UK will not agree to anything that runs the risk of jeopardising sovereignty in other Overseas Territories.”

The UK government remains committed to defending the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination, and the UK’s unwavering commitment to defend UK sovereignty remains undiminished.

“But Argentina’s foreign minister, Diana Mondino welcomed the step taken by Sir Keir Starmer’s Government on Thursday towards ending “outdated practices” after the UK announced the decision to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

In a post on X, referring to the Falklands, she said: “Following the path we have already taken, with concrete actions and not empty rhetoric, we will recover full sovereignty over our Malvinas Islands.”

The Malvinas were, are and will always be Argentine.”The Malvinas presently are a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean.

Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands.Argentina even sent its forces in 1982 in a bid to reclaim sovereignty and said it had inherited the Malvinas Islands from Spain in the 1800s.

A brief but bitter war lasting 74 days followed – with 655 Argentinian, 255 British and three Malvinians deaths – before British forces regained control on 14 June 1982.

Gov Blake’s announcement came after a deal which, after years of negotiations, saw the UK hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

This includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, used by the US government as a highly-secretive military base for its warships and long-range bombers.

The treaty will also “address wrongs of the past and demonstrate the commitment of both parties to support the welfare of Chagossians”, according to a joint statement from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth.