British Influence in Gibraltar and the Falklands Islands

For almost two hundred years, the dominion of the British Empire stretched across the globe. With colonies in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Southern Pacific, author George McCartney was entirely correct to espouse of “this vast empire on which the sun never sets”. The complete dominance of the British in many of their colonies lasted through until World War II, when the country began releasing, or “decolonizing” its possessions in favor of new, small independent nations to make their own destinies. Whether success or failure, many of these colonies are still independent nations, actively involved in world affairs. However, to this day, the great authority of Parliament still extends past the shores of fair Britannia, specifically in the cases of Gibraltar and the Falklands Islands. Both hold overs from medieval treaties and holdings, both regions are claimed by Spain and Argentina respectively. Clear from both colonies is their importance before as naval installations, but in the days of lightning warfare, doubt is cast on their continued value to England. For Gibraltar, at stake is Spanish sovereignty and pride in territorial integrity; for Argentina, honor and a right to new, valuable natural resources. Through both times of war and peace, the United Kingdom has held steadfast to these two last colonies, even in the face of threats, blockades and warfare. In many respects, each of the colonies have some precedent to be a part of their home country; however, the reality to this day is that the shadow territories of the British Empire are complex subjects that even years of negotiations have yet to unravel.

In order to understand the British holding of the Rock of Gibraltar today, it is necessary to look at the pen...

... middle of paper ...

...ain, Whitehall has put up a firm stance on the Falklands, mirroring the intensity with which the Thatcher government opposed the Argentine incursion of 1982. Only time will tell if the current confrontation will escalate again.

For both territories, the resurgent discussions on both of the United Kingdom’s disputed territories has spurred Parliament to allow both Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands to form new constitutions, in the form of the Gibraltar Constitution Order of 2006 and the Falkland Islands Constitution of 2009.Both devolutions of self-government represent an important step in British Foreign Policy: each island is without any uncertainty intended to remain territories of the United Kingdom for some time. And though dialogue continues in both cases, the British government is in no quarrel over the retention of some of its last colonies in the world.