Why does Argentina care so much about the Falklands?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

They're one of the most meaningless territories on Earth, and the last time they tried to take them they got more soldiers killed than 1/5 of the Falklands population and undoubtedy the cost of the operation is well more than the Falklands economy even if they had kept it (Of course they did deserve their ass-kicking due to being ran by a right-wing military dictatorship, even if it was at the hands of Margaret Thatcher). Really doesn't make any sense.

[minionofmidas]

A lot of these South American countries have weird territorial claims against each other. Territory-based nationalism because there was little else to build a nation on.

At least British possession of the Falklands really doesn't make any sense.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

At least British possession of the Falklands really doesn't make any sense.

It's a no-brainer who the population of it would support.

[afleitch]

A lot of these South American countries have weird territorial claims against each other. Territory-based nationalism because there was little else to build a nation on.

At least British possession of the Falklands really doesn't make any sense.

Britain has had an interest in the Falklands since before Argentina was a nation.

[GMantis]

A lot of these South American countries have weird territorial claims against each other. Territory-based nationalism because there was little else to build a nation on.

At least British possession of the Falklands really doesn't make any sense.

Britain has had an interest in the Falklands since before Argentina was a nation.

Well, Britain has had intests all over the world. Haven't launched millitary campaigns to defend any other in recent years, though.

[minionofmidas]

Re BRTD, Afleitch:

Yes... not what I meant.

Re BRTD: If the majority of the population of an expensive apartment block on the Lower West Side decided to be part of Liechtenstein on account of the lower tax rates, would you support that as well? (Just taking that to its logical conclusion.)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

You're talking about a weakly justified seccesionist campaign, with very superficial justification. The inhabitants of the Falklands certainly have more ties to Britain, considering there are no indigenous inhabitants and they're all descendents of British settlers who came before Argentina was a country even.

A lot of these South American countries have weird territorial claims against each other. Territory-based nationalism because there was little else to build a nation on.

At least British possession of the Falklands really doesn't make any sense.

Britain has had an interest in the Falklands since before Argentina was a nation.

Well, Britain has had intests all over the world. Haven't launched millitary campaigns to defend any other in recent years, though.

In recent years none of the others have been invaded.

[JSojourner]

A lot of these South American countries have weird territorial claims against each other. Territory-based nationalism because there was little else to build a nation on.

At least British possession of the Falklands really doesn't make any sense.

Britain has had an interest in the Falklands since before Argentina was a nation.

Andrew,

I've heard some amusing epithets from both sides about how the other simply wants control of the sheep...for prurient reasons.  ;-) 

BAAAAA!!!!

[Boris]

Could the UK technically have invoked NATO's collective defense accords in 1982?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

You're talking about a weakly justified seccesionist campaign, with very superficial justification. The inhabitants of the Falklands certainly have more ties to Britain, considering there are no indigenous inhabitants and they're all descendants of British settlers who came before Argentina was a country even.

The British didn't have a continual presence in the islands until 1833, and displaced/absorbed an Argentine settlement founded in 1829 to do so.

Argentina's precursor was established in 1816 and was established on basically its modern borders in 1830.

The waters around the Falklands are of more value than the islands themselves, but one needs the islands to establish a claim to the waters.

And before you bring up the earlier British settlement at Port Egmont, let me remind you that the Spanish evicted them and kept a settlement at Port Louis (Puerto Soledad) going until 1811.

The Argentine claims have more than mere puffery behind them, especially to East Falkland.  That said, to put the Falklands under Argentine rule on the basis of them would be ludicrous.