laitimes

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

author:International point blowing wind
Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

The Falkland Islands are located near mainland South America and Antarctica, and Argentina calls it the Marshall Islands for short.

With a population of only 3,000 people and an area of 12,100 square kilometers, it is known as the "Penguin Capital". This is a very unique place in the world where various penguins living in flocks in cold climates have become a symbol of the Falkland Islands, but behind it lies a history of bloody conflict.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

In the 18th century, the French and British came to settle in Falkland, and then the Spaniards paid the French to take over the islands, and the British claimed sovereignty on the grounds that they were the first to discover the place.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Argentina became independent from Spain and declared its successor to Falkland, and in 1833, the British expelled the island's Argentine military from full jurisdiction. The sovereignty dispute is not resolved, and many negotiations between the two countries have not yielded results.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

In April 1982, Argentina launched a sudden invasion of the area. The British nation, 13,000 kilometers from the Falklands, was shocked, so British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher decided to send a mobile fleet to the Falklands, marking the beginning of the Falklands War.

At first, everyone predicted an overwhelming victory for the Royal Navy, which had the most advanced equipment in the world. However, British warships, whose air defense capabilities were exposed, were sunk one after another by the attack of the Argentine Air Force. In particular, the anti-ship missile "Exocet", purchased by Argentina from France, easily sank the then most advanced destroyer "Sheffield" and the large container ship "Atlantic Conveyor" into the sea.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

As a result, the war situation became chaotic. The British forced landings everywhere, and the perceived Argentine troops carried out relentless bombing raids. In the process, the British landing ship Sir Galahad was sunk and a large number of soldiers were thrown into the icy sea.

Britain even dispatched aircraft carriers, electronically guided missiles, and was called the world's first modern war. Argentina was supposed to work hard, but the deployment of troops was improper, the command was chaotic, the supply lines were weak, and the soldiers were hungry and cold.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

This is no longer a "conflict", but a "war". For Britain and Argentina, the Falkland Islands in 1982 was hell.

Both armies, caught in the cycle of war, were riddled with mines on each island. The Falklands War ended with British victory, ending 74 days of fighting, but its scars were everywhere. Tens of thousands of mines are said to remain uncleared and a series of suicides by soldiers returning from the Falklands due to mental illness.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

However, the penguins of the Falkland Islands have achieved a huge boom. Anti-personnel mines are not adapted to the weight of penguins, and minefields that cannot be cleared become the home of penguins.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

In exchange for effective control of the Falkland Islands, Britain set up areas where humans could not live, and penguins established self-government there.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

The people who know the process best are the local residents. Unlike the wars waged by humans, penguins have overcome species barriers and achieved co-prosperous coexistence on the same land.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

Humans, who should be the only civilized animals on earth, have a sense of envy for penguins. Humans are complete outsiders here, and animals behave more naturally in front of humans.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

There are only 3,000 people in Falkland as a whole, 20% of whom have two or three jobs, and the unemployment rate on the island is about 1%, which is almost full employment. The tourism and retail industries are the most lacking and have the most part-time workers. Falkland is a British Overseas Territory, and defence and foreign affairs are under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom, with the rest under the jurisdiction of the Home Rule Government.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles
Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

Due to tensions with Argentina, Falkland relies on Argentina's neighbor Chile for both trade and foreign flights, with only one flight per week, increasing the flow of overnight tourists in disguise, and many people come to Falkland to do cruise ships to Antarctica, stopping for half a day to see penguins.

Falkland Island: Penguins living happily on mine piles

Penguin Weekly, the island's only media, claims to be the best tabloid in the world, and the three employees "depend on each other", and there is another problem in addition to the lack of people, because there are few people and small circles, and they can only write about the parents of the neighbors.

Read on