Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Falkland Islands shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Falkland Islands offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Falkland Islands at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Falkland Islands? Wrong! If the Falkland Islands is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Falkland Islands then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Falkland Islands? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Falkland Islands and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Falkland Islands wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Falkland Islands then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Falkland Islands site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Falkland Islands, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Falkland Islands, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Country or territory|native_name = Falkland Islands|common_name = Falkland Islands|image_flag = Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg|image_coat = Coa Falkland.svg|image_map = LocationFalklandIslands.png|national_motto = "Desire the right"|national_anthem = "God Save the Queen"]|capital = Stanley, Falkland Islands|latd=51 |latm=42 |latNS=S |longd=57 |longm=51 |longEW=W|largest_city = Stanley, Falkland Islands|government_type = British Overseas Territory|leader_title3 = Chief Executive|leader_name1 = [Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|leader_name2 = Alan Huckle|area_rank = 162nd|area_magnitude = 1 E10|area_km2 = 12,173|area_sq_mi = 4,700 -->|population_density_rank = 229th|GDP_PPP = $75 million|GDP_PPP_rank = 223th|GDP_PPP_year = 2005|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $25,000 (2002 estimate)|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = not ranked|sovereignty_type = British overseas territory [19821|currency_code = FKP|country_code =|time_zone =|utc_offset = -4|time_zone_DST =|utc_offset_DST = -3|cctld = [.fk (GBP).-->The Falkland Islands ( WordReference, English-Spanish Dictionary. Falklands: the Falklands, las (islas) Malvinas.) are an [archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located 300 miles (483 km) from the coast of Argentina, 671 miles (1,080 km) west of the Shag Rocks (South Georgia) (South Georgia), and 584 miles (940 km) north of Antarctica (Elephant Island (South Shetland Islands)). They consist of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, together with 776 smaller islands.{{cite web | title = The Islands: Location | work = Falkland Islands Government web site | publisher = | url = http://www.falklands.gov.fk/location.php | date = 2007 | accessdate =2007-04-08--> Stanley, Falkland Islands, on East Falkland, is the [capital city. The islands are a self-governing [British overseas territories of the [United Kingdom, but have been the subject of a [Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands by Argentina since the [1833 invasion of the Falkland Islands.[http://www.cancilleria.gov.ar/portal/seree/malvinas/home.html Argentine official claim — Origin of the sovereignty dispute (Spanish and English)

In pursuit of this claim in 1982, the islands were 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands, precipitating the two-month-long undeclared Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom, which resulted in the defeat and withdrawal of Argentine forces. Since the war there has been strong economic growth in both fishery and tourism. The inhabitants of the islands are British nationality law (since a British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983) and under Argentine Law are eligible for Argentine nationality law. de acuerdo al Derecho Positivo de la Argentina son Ciudadanos de la Nación Argentina por el solo hecho de nacer en su territorio, siguiendo el principio de Ius soli Many trace their origins on the islands to early 19th-century Scotland immigration. The islands' residents reject the Argentine sovereignty claim.{{cite web | title = Country Profile: Falkland Islands | work = Countries & Regions | publisher =[Foreign and Commonwealth Office | url =http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1018965238550 | date = [2006-11-09 | accessdate =2007-02-21-->

Name The islands are referred to in the English language as " Falkland Islands". This name dates from an expedition led by John Strong in 1690, who named the islands after his patron, Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland. The Spanish language name for the islands, "Islas Malvinas", is derived from the French language name "Îles Malouines", bestowed in 1764 by Louis Antoine de Bougainville, after the mariners and fishermen from the Brittany port of Saint-Malo who became the island's first known human settlers.

The ISO 3166 designation is "Falkland Islands (Malvinas)".

Due to the ongoing sovereignty dispute, the use of many Spanish names is considered offensive in the Falkland Islands, particularly those associated with the Falklands War. General Sir Jeremy Moore would not allow the use of Islas Malvinas in the surrender document, dismissing it as a propaganda term.

History The Falkland Islands have had a complex history since their discovery, with French colonial empires, British Empire, Spanish Empire, and Argentina all claiming possession, and establishing as well as abandoning settlements on the islands. The Falklands Crisis (1770) was nearly the cause of a war between France, Spain and Britain. The Spanish government's claim was continued by Argentina after the Argentine Declaration of Independence in 1816 and the Argentine War of Independence in 1817. The United Kingdom took control of the islands by force with the 1833 invasion of the Falkland Islands following the destruction of the Argentine settlement at Port Louis, Falkland Islands by the United States sloop USS Lexington (1825) (28 December 1831). Argentina has continued to claim sovereignty over the islands, and the dispute was used by the National Reorganization Process as a reason to invade and briefly occupy the islands before being defeated in the two-month-long Falklands War in 1982 by a United Kingdom task force which returned the islands to British control.The islands were uninhabited when they were first discovered by Age of Discovery. There is disputed evidence of prior settlement by humans, based on:

The first European explorer to sight the islands is widely thought to be Sebald de Weert, a Dutch Empire sailor, in 1600. Although several British and Spanish historians maintain their own explorers discovered the islands earlier, some older maps, particularly Dutch ones, used the name "Sebald Islands", after de Weert.

In January 1690, Kingdom of England sailor John Strong, captain of the Welfare, was heading for Puerto Deseado (in Argentina); but driven off course by contrary winds, he reached the Sebald Islands instead and landed at Bold Cove. He sailed between the two principal islands and called the passage "Falkland Channel" (now Falkland Sound), after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland (1659–1694), who as Commissioner of the Admiralty had financed the expedition, later becoming First Lord of the Admiralty. From this body of water the island group later took its collective English name.

The first settlement on the Falkland Islands, called Port St. Louis, was founded by the French navigator and military commander Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1764 on Berkeley Sound, in present-day Port Louis, Falkland Islands, East Falkland.

Unaware of the French presence, in January 1765 British captain John Byron explored and claimed Saunders Island, Falkland Islands, at the western end of the group, where he named the harbour of Port Egmont, and sailed near other islands, which he also claimed for George III of the United Kingdom. A British settlement was built at Port Egmont in 1766. Also in 1766, Spain acquired the French colony, and after assuming effective control in 1767, placed the islands under a governor subordinate to the Government of the Río de la Plata#Buenos Aires Province governors. Spain attacked Port Egmont, ending the British presence there in 1770. The expulsion of the British settlement Falkland Crisis (1770), but a peace treaty allowed the British to return in 1771 with neither side relinquishing sovereignty. A brief history of the Falkland Islands Part 2 - Fort St. Louis and Port Egmont., Accessed 2007-09-08

As a result of economic pressures resulting from the upcoming American Revolutionary War, the United Kingdom unilaterally chose to withdraw from many of her overseas settlements in 1774. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS: Part 2 - Fort St. Louis and Port Egmont FALKLAND ISLANDS TIMELINE: A Chronology of events in the history of the Falkland Islands Upon her withdrawal in 1776 the UK left behind a commemorative plaque asserting her claims. From then on, Spain alone maintained a settlement ruled from Buenos Aires under the control of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata until 1811. On leaving in 1811, Spain, too, left behind a plaque asserting her claims.

When Argentina declared its independence from Spain in 1816, it laid claim to the islands according to the uti possidetis juris principle, since they had been under the administrative jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. On 6 November 1820, Colonel David Jewett, an American sailor at the service of Buenos Aires and captain of the frigate Heroina, raised the flag of the United Provinces of the River Plate (which later became Argentina) at Port Louis. He warned the British and American seal hunting ships present that they did not have authorisation to hunt seals in the area, and then returned to Buenos Aires; the sealers ignored his warning.

Occupation began in 1826 with the foundation of a settlement and a penal colony. The settlement was destroyed by United States warships in 1831 after the Argentinian governor of the islands Luis Vernet seized U.S. seal hunting ships during a dispute over fishing rights. They left behind escaped prisoners and pirates. In November 1832, Argentina sent another governor who was killed in a mutiny.

In January 1833, British forces returned and informed the Argentine commander that they intended to assert British sovereignty. The existing settlers were allowed to remain, with an Ireland member of Vernet's settlement, William Dickson, appointed as the Islands' governor. Vernet's deputy, Matthew Brisbane, returned later that year and was informed that the British had no objections to the continuation of Vernet's business ventures provided there was no interference with British control.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Apcbg/Darwin-1834 Extracts from the Diary of Charles Darwin

.The Royal Navy built a base at Stanley, Falkland Islands, and the islands became a strategic point for navigation around Cape Horn. A World War I naval battle, the Battle of Falkland Islands, took place in December 1914, with a British victory over the German Empire. During World War II, Stanley served as a Royal Navy station and serviced ships which took part in the Battle of the River Plate.

Sovereignty over the islands became an issue again in the latter half of the 20th century. Argentina, which had never renounced its claim to the islands, saw the creation of the United Nations as an opportunity to present its case before the rest of the world. In 1945, upon signing the United Nations Charter, Argentina stated that it reserved its right to sovereignty of the islands, as well as its right to recover them. The United Kingdom responded in turn by stating that, as an essential precondition for the fulfilment of UN Resolution 1514, regarding the de-colonisation of all territories still under foreign occupation, the Falklanders first had to vote for the British withdrawal at a referendum to be held on the issue.

.Talks between British and Argentine foreign missions took place in the 1960s, but failed to come to any meaningful conclusion. A major sticking point in all the negotiations was that the two thousand inhabitants of mainly British descent preferred that the islands remain British territory.

Argentine links There were no air links to the islands until 1971, when the Argentine Air Force (FAA), which operates the state airline LADE, began amphibious aircraft between Comodoro Rivadavia and Stanley using HU-16 Albatross aircraft. Commemorative Stamps of first flights

Following a FAA request, the UK and Argentina reached an agreement for the FAA to construct the first runway. Flights began using Fokker F27 and continued with Fokker F28 aircraft twice a week until 1982. This was the only air link to the islands.

Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, the Argentine national oil and gas company, now part of Repsol YPF, supplied the islands' energy needs.

Falklands War On 2 April 1982, Argentina 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands and other British territories in the South Atlantic (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands). The National Reorganization Process which had ruled Argentina since 1976 sought to maintain power by diverting public attention from the nation's Economy of Argentina#Post-World War II. They attempted to do this by playing off long-standing feelings of the Argentines towards the islands. British writers hold that the United Kingdom's reduction in military capacity in the South Atlantic also encouraged the invasion.

The United Nations Security Council issued United Nations Security Council Resolution 502, calling on Argentina to withdraw forces from the Islands and to both parties to seek a diplomatic solution. HistoryCentral. United Nations Resolution 502, Adopted by the Security Council at its 2350th meeting held on 3 April 1982. International reaction ranged from support in the Latin American countries (with the exception of Chile), to opposition in Europe (with the exception of Spain), the Commonwealth, and eventually the United States. The British sent an expeditionary force to retake the islands, leading to the Falklands War. After short but fierce naval and air battles, the British landed at San Carlos Water on 21 May, and a land campaign followed until the Argentine forces surrendered on 14 June.

Following the war, the British increased their military presence on the islands, constructing RAF Mount Pleasant and increasing the military garrison. Although the United Kingdom and Argentina resumed diplomatic relations in 1989, no further negotiations on sovereignty have taken place.

Politics

Executive (government) is vested in the Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and is exercised by the Governor of the Falkland Islands on her behalf. The Governor is also responsible for the administration of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, as these islands have no native inhabitants. Defence and Foreign Affairs are the responsibility of the United Kingdom. The current Governor is Alan Huckle, appointed July 2006.

Under the constitution, the latest version of which came into force in 1985, there is an Executive Council and a Legislative Council. The Executive Council, which advises the Governor, is also chaired by the Governor. It consists of the Chief Executive, Financial Secretary and three Legislative Councillors, who are elected by the other Legislative Councillors. The Legislative Council consists of the Chief Executive, Financial Secretary and the eight Legislative Councillors, of whom five are elected from Stanley and three from Camp (Falkland Islands), for four-year terms. It is presided over by the Speaker, currently Darwin Lewis Clifton.

The loss of the war against the United Kingdom over control of the islands led to the collapse of the Argentine National Reorganization Process in 1983. Disputes over control of the islands continue. In 1992 Argentina and Britain resumed deplomatic relations and reopened their embassies in each other's countries. In 1998, in retaliation to former Chilean president Augusto Pinochet's arrest in London, the Chilean government banned flights between Punta Arenas and Port Stanley, thus isolating the islands from the rest of the world. Uruguay and Brazil refused to authorise direct flights between their territories and Port Stanley, forcing the Islands' government to enter negotiations with the Argentine government which led to Argentina authorising direct flights between its territory and Stanley, on condition that Argentine citizens be allowed on the islands. AGREEMENT OF 14th JULY 1999 In 2001, British Prime Minister Tony Blair became the first Prime Minister to visit Argentina since the war. On the twenty-second anniversary of the war, Argentina's President Néstor Kirchner gave a speech insisting that the islands would once again be part of Argentina. Kirchner, Argentine general election, 2003 in 2003, regarded the islands as a top priority. In June 2003 the issue was brought before a United Nations committee, and attempts have been made to open talks with the United Kingdom to resolve the issue of the islands. As far as the Falkland Islands Government and people are concerned, there is no issue to resolve. The Falkland Islanders themselves are almost entirely British and maintain their allegiance to the United Kingdom. Falkland Islands Government Overview.

On 2 April 2007 (exactly 25 years after the Argentine invasion), Argentina renewed its claim over the Falkland Islands, asking for the UK to resume talks on sovereignty.

Falkland Islanders were granted full British citizenship from 1 January 1983 under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983.

22 September 2007, The Guardian reported the UK government was preparing to stake new claims on the sea floor around the Falklands and other UK remote island possessions, in order to exploit natural resources that may be present. In October 2007, a British spokeswoman confirmed that Britain intended to submit a claim to the UN to extend seabed territory around the Falklands and South Georgia, in advance of the expiry of the deadline for territorial claims following Britains ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Table of Contents to the UN Law of the Sea Convention. If the claim is disputed, the UN will suspend the claim until the dispute is settled. The claim is largely theoretical and does not affect the Antarctic Treaty System or confirm new rights upon Britain. Neither does it permit the exploitation of oil or gas reserves, since these are banned by a protocol to the treaty. It would enable Britain to police fishing within the zone to prevent over exploitation of natural resources by commercial fishing in line with Britain's obligations under the treaty. Nevertheless many commentators have criticised the move for going against the spirit of the Antarctic Treaty System. Argentina has indicated it will challenge any British claim to Antarctic territory and the area around the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

Geography The Falkland Islands comprise two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland (in Spanish Isla Gran Malvina and Isla Soledad respectively), and about 776 small islands. The total land area is 4,700 square miles (12,173 square kilometre), approximately the same area as Connecticut or Northern Ireland, with a coastline estimated at 800 miles (1,288 km).

Much of the land is part of the two main islands separated by the Falkland Sound: East Falkland, home to the capital of Stanley, Falkland Islands and the majority of the population, and West Falkland. Both islands have mountain ranges, rising to 2,313 foot (unit of length) (705 metre) at Mount Usborne on East Falkland. There are also some boggy plains, most notably Lafonia, on the southern half of East Falkland. Virtually the entire area of the islands is used as pasture for domestic sheep.

Smaller islands surround the main two. They include Barren Island (Falkland Islands), Beaver Island (Falkland Islands), Bleaker Island, Carcass Island, George Island, Keppel Island, Lively Island, New Island, Pebble Island, Saunders Island (Falkland Islands), Sealion Island, Speedwell Island, Staats Island, Weddell Island, and West Point Island. The Jason Islands lie to the north west of the main archipelago, and Beauchene Island some distance to its south. Speedwell Island and George Island are split from East Falkland by Eagle Passage.

The islands claim a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22 km) and an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 nautical miles (370 km), which has been a source of disagreement with Argentina.

Surrounded by cool Atlantic Ocean waters, the Falkland Islands have a cold oceanic climate with a narrow temperature range of about 19Celsius (66Fahrenheit) in summer and 2°C (36°F) in winter. Rainfall is relatively low at about 24 inches. Humidity and winds, however, are constantly high. Snow is rare, but can occur at almost any time of year.

Biogeography, the Falkland islands are classified as part of the Neotropical realm, together with South America. It is also classified as part of the Antarctic Floristic Kingdom.

Economy Domestic sheep farming (as of 2002, there were 583,000 sheep on the islandhttp://www.falklands-meat.com/statement.htm) was formerly the main source of income for the islands, and still plays an important part with high quality wool exports going to the UK, but efforts to diversify introduced in 1984 have made fishing the largest part of the economy and brought increasing income from tourism.

The government sale of fishing licences to foreign countries has brought in more than Falkland Islands pound40 million a year in revenues, and local fishing boats are also in operation. More than 75% of the fish taken are squid, and most exports are to Spain. Tourism has shown rapid growth, with more than 30,000 visitors in 2001. The islands have become a regular port of call for the growing market of cruise ships. Attractions include the scenery and wildlife conservation with penguins, seabirds, pinniped and sealions, as well as visits to battlefields, golf, fishing and wreck diving.

An agreement with Argentina had set the terms for exploitation of offshore resources including large oil reserves, however, in 2007 Argentina unilaterally withdrew from the agreement. In response, Falklands Oil and Gas Limited has signed an agreement with BHP Billiton to investigate the potential exploitation of oil reserves. Climatic conditions of the southern seas mean that exploitation will be a difficult task, though economically viable, and the continuing sovereignty dispute with Argentina is hampering progress.

Defence is provided by the UK, and British military expenditures make a significant contribution to the economy. The islands are self sufficient except for defence; exports account for more than £125 million a year.

The largest company in the islands used to be the Falkland Islands Company (FIC), a publicly quoted company on the London Stock Exchange which was responsible for the majority of the economic activity on the islands, though its farms were sold in 1991 to the Falkland Islands Government. The FIC now operates several retail outlets in Stanley and is involved in port services and shipping operation.

The currency in use is the Falkland Islands pound, which remains in parity with the pound sterling. Sterling notes and coins circulate interchangeably with the local currency. The Falkland Islands also mint (coin) their own coins, and Postage stamps and postal history of the Falkland Islands, which forms a source of revenue from overseas collectors.

Demographics with whale bone arch, Stanley, Falkland Islands.The population is 2,967 (July 2003 estimate), the majority of which are of British descent (approximately 70%). The native-born inhabitants call themselves "Islanders". Outsiders often call Islanders "Kelpers", from the kelp which grows profusely around the islands, but the name is no longer used in the Islands. Those people from the United Kingdom who have obtained Falkland Island status became what are known locally as 'belongers'. Many islanders are of Scottish people and Welsh people descent. However, a few Islanders are of French people, Gibraltarian (such as the Pitalaugas), Portuguese people and Scandinavian descent. Some are the descendants of whaling who reached the Islands during the last two centuries. Furthermore there is a small minority of South American, mainly Chilean origin, and in more recent times many people from Saint Helena have also come to work in the Islands. The Falkland Islands have been a centre of English language learning for South Americans.

The main religion is Christianity. The main denominations are Church of England, Roman Catholic Church, United Free Church, and Lutheranism-based denominations. Other smaller numbers of Christian churches are active, including Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventist Church and Greek Orthodox Church; with the latter being due to Greek fishermen passing through.

There is also a tiny Bahai presence .

Medical care The Falkland Islands Government Health and Social Services Department provides medical care for the islands. The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) is Stanley's only hospital. It was partially military operated in the past but is now under complete civilian control.http://www.falklands.gov.fk/4b.htm There are no ophthalmology or opticians on the islands, although an optician from the United Kingdom visits about every six months and an ophthalmologist comes to do cataract surgery and eye exams on irregular intervals (once every few years). There are two dentists on the islands.

Broadcasting and telecommunications Broadcasting

Telephone The Falkland Islands has a modern telecommunications network providing fixed line telephone and DSL and dial-up access in Stanley.

Telephony is provided to outlying settlements using microwave radio relay.

A GSM mobile network was installed in 2005 which provided coverage of Stanley, Mount Pleasant and surrounding areas.

Transport of the British Antarctic Survey at Stanley, Falkland Islands. The Falkland Islands has two airports with paved runways. RAF Mount Pleasant, thirty miles west of Stanley, acts as the main international airport, with flights operated by the Royal Air Force to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England via a refueling stop at RAF Ascension Island. RAF flights are on Lockheed L-1011 although it is common for charter aircraft to be used if the TriStars are required for operational flights. At present (December 2006) the RAF air link is operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic, using Boeing 747s. Weekly flights are also available to/from Santiago, Chile, operated by LAN (airline).

Port Stanley Airport is a smaller airport outside the city, and is used for internal flights. Most settlements have grass air strips which are served by Britten-Norman Islander aircraft of the Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS). The internal flight schedule is decided a day in advance according to passenger needs and an announcement made on the radio detailing arrival and departure times the night before. The British International Helicopters company also operate two H-3 Sea King helicopters for passenger flights between the islands. The British Antarctic Survey operates a transcontinental air link between the Falkland Islands and the Rothera Research Station airfield, servicing also other British bases in the British Antarctic Territory using a de Havilland Canada Dash 7.

The road network has been improved in recent years. However, not too many paved roads exist outside Stanley and the RAF base.

Landmines and ordnance Approximately twenty five thousand land mines remaining from the 1982 war are securely and clearly fenced off. Free maps are available from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) office in Stanley. Care should still be taken as some beaches were mined, and there have been concerns the tides could have moved some mines. The same applies where mine fields are close to rivers. Care should be taken in case mines have been washed out of the marked area by flooding. There is also unexploded ordnance left over from the war, although finds of this type are becoming rarer with the passage of time.

In February 2005, the charity Landmine Action proposed a Kyoto Protocol-style credit scheme, which would see a commitment by the British government to clear an equivalent area of mined land to that currently existing in the Falklands in more seriously mine-affected countries by March 2009. This proposal was supported by Falkland Islanders, for whom landmines do not pose a serious threat in everyday life, but the British government is yet to declare its support or opposition to the idea.

See also {{columns|width=270px|col1 = |col2 = -->

External links

References ( Complete text in Spanish) ISBN 950-694-546-2



{{Infobox Country or territory|native_name = Falkland Islands|common_name = Falkland Islands|image_flag = Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg|image_coat = Coa Falkland.svg|image_map = LocationFalklandIslands.png|national_motto = "Desire the right"|national_anthem = "God Save the Queen"]|capital = Stanley, Falkland Islands|latd=51 |latm=42 |latNS=S |longd=57 |longm=51 |longEW=W|largest_city = Stanley, Falkland Islands|government_type = British Overseas Territory|leader_title3 = Chief Executive|leader_name1 = [Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|leader_name2 = Alan Huckle|area_rank = 162nd|area_magnitude = 1 E10|area_km2 = 12,173|area_sq_mi = 4,700 -->|population_density_rank = 229th|GDP_PPP = $75 million|GDP_PPP_rank = 223th|GDP_PPP_year = 2005|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $25,000 (2002 estimate)|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = not ranked|sovereignty_type = British overseas territory [19821|currency_code = FKP|country_code =|time_zone =|utc_offset = -4|time_zone_DST =|utc_offset_DST = -3|cctld = [.fk (GBP).-->The Falkland Islands ( WordReference, English-Spanish Dictionary. Falklands: the Falklands, las (islas) Malvinas.) are an [archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located 300 miles (483 km) from the coast of Argentina, 671 miles (1,080 km) west of the Shag Rocks (South Georgia) (South Georgia), and 584 miles (940 km) north of Antarctica (Elephant Island (South Shetland Islands)). They consist of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, together with 776 smaller islands.{{cite web | title = The Islands: Location | work = Falkland Islands Government web site | publisher = | url = http://www.falklands.gov.fk/location.php | date = 2007 | accessdate =2007-04-08--> Stanley, Falkland Islands, on East Falkland, is the [capital city. The islands are a self-governing [British overseas territories of the [United Kingdom, but have been the subject of a [Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands by Argentina since the [1833 invasion of the Falkland Islands.[http://www.cancilleria.gov.ar/portal/seree/malvinas/home.html Argentine official claim — Origin of the sovereignty dispute (Spanish and English)

In pursuit of this claim in 1982, the islands were 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands, precipitating the two-month-long undeclared Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom, which resulted in the defeat and withdrawal of Argentine forces. Since the war there has been strong economic growth in both fishery and tourism. The inhabitants of the islands are British nationality law (since a British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983) and under Argentine Law are eligible for Argentine nationality law. de acuerdo al Derecho Positivo de la Argentina son Ciudadanos de la Nación Argentina por el solo hecho de nacer en su territorio, siguiendo el principio de Ius soli Many trace their origins on the islands to early 19th-century Scotland immigration. The islands' residents reject the Argentine sovereignty claim.{{cite web | title = Country Profile: Falkland Islands | work = Countries & Regions | publisher =[Foreign and Commonwealth Office | url =http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1018965238550 | date = [2006-11-09 | accessdate =2007-02-21-->

Name The islands are referred to in the English language as " Falkland Islands". This name dates from an expedition led by John Strong in 1690, who named the islands after his patron, Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland. The Spanish language name for the islands, "Islas Malvinas", is derived from the French language name "Îles Malouines", bestowed in 1764 by Louis Antoine de Bougainville, after the mariners and fishermen from the Brittany port of Saint-Malo who became the island's first known human settlers.

The ISO 3166 designation is "Falkland Islands (Malvinas)".

Due to the ongoing sovereignty dispute, the use of many Spanish names is considered offensive in the Falkland Islands, particularly those associated with the Falklands War. General Sir Jeremy Moore would not allow the use of Islas Malvinas in the surrender document, dismissing it as a propaganda term.

History The Falkland Islands have had a complex history since their discovery, with French colonial empires, British Empire, Spanish Empire, and Argentina all claiming possession, and establishing as well as abandoning settlements on the islands. The Falklands Crisis (1770) was nearly the cause of a war between France, Spain and Britain. The Spanish government's claim was continued by Argentina after the Argentine Declaration of Independence in 1816 and the Argentine War of Independence in 1817. The United Kingdom took control of the islands by force with the 1833 invasion of the Falkland Islands following the destruction of the Argentine settlement at Port Louis, Falkland Islands by the United States sloop USS Lexington (1825) (28 December 1831). Argentina has continued to claim sovereignty over the islands, and the dispute was used by the National Reorganization Process as a reason to invade and briefly occupy the islands before being defeated in the two-month-long Falklands War in 1982 by a United Kingdom task force which returned the islands to British control.The islands were uninhabited when they were first discovered by Age of Discovery. There is disputed evidence of prior settlement by humans, based on:

The first European explorer to sight the islands is widely thought to be Sebald de Weert, a Dutch Empire sailor, in 1600. Although several British and Spanish historians maintain their own explorers discovered the islands earlier, some older maps, particularly Dutch ones, used the name "Sebald Islands", after de Weert.

In January 1690, Kingdom of England sailor John Strong, captain of the Welfare, was heading for Puerto Deseado (in Argentina); but driven off course by contrary winds, he reached the Sebald Islands instead and landed at Bold Cove. He sailed between the two principal islands and called the passage "Falkland Channel" (now Falkland Sound), after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland (1659–1694), who as Commissioner of the Admiralty had financed the expedition, later becoming First Lord of the Admiralty. From this body of water the island group later took its collective English name.

The first settlement on the Falkland Islands, called Port St. Louis, was founded by the French navigator and military commander Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1764 on Berkeley Sound, in present-day Port Louis, Falkland Islands, East Falkland.

Unaware of the French presence, in January 1765 British captain John Byron explored and claimed Saunders Island, Falkland Islands, at the western end of the group, where he named the harbour of Port Egmont, and sailed near other islands, which he also claimed for George III of the United Kingdom. A British settlement was built at Port Egmont in 1766. Also in 1766, Spain acquired the French colony, and after assuming effective control in 1767, placed the islands under a governor subordinate to the Government of the Río de la Plata#Buenos Aires Province governors. Spain attacked Port Egmont, ending the British presence there in 1770. The expulsion of the British settlement Falkland Crisis (1770), but a peace treaty allowed the British to return in 1771 with neither side relinquishing sovereignty. A brief history of the Falkland Islands Part 2 - Fort St. Louis and Port Egmont., Accessed 2007-09-08

As a result of economic pressures resulting from the upcoming American Revolutionary War, the United Kingdom unilaterally chose to withdraw from many of her overseas settlements in 1774. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS: Part 2 - Fort St. Louis and Port Egmont FALKLAND ISLANDS TIMELINE: A Chronology of events in the history of the Falkland Islands Upon her withdrawal in 1776 the UK left behind a commemorative plaque asserting her claims. From then on, Spain alone maintained a settlement ruled from Buenos Aires under the control of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata until 1811. On leaving in 1811, Spain, too, left behind a plaque asserting her claims.

When Argentina declared its independence from Spain in 1816, it laid claim to the islands according to the uti possidetis juris principle, since they had been under the administrative jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. On 6 November 1820, Colonel David Jewett, an American sailor at the service of Buenos Aires and captain of the frigate Heroina, raised the flag of the United Provinces of the River Plate (which later became Argentina) at Port Louis. He warned the British and American seal hunting ships present that they did not have authorisation to hunt seals in the area, and then returned to Buenos Aires; the sealers ignored his warning.

Occupation began in 1826 with the foundation of a settlement and a penal colony. The settlement was destroyed by United States warships in 1831 after the Argentinian governor of the islands Luis Vernet seized U.S. seal hunting ships during a dispute over fishing rights. They left behind escaped prisoners and pirates. In November 1832, Argentina sent another governor who was killed in a mutiny.

In January 1833, British forces returned and informed the Argentine commander that they intended to assert British sovereignty. The existing settlers were allowed to remain, with an Ireland member of Vernet's settlement, William Dickson, appointed as the Islands' governor. Vernet's deputy, Matthew Brisbane, returned later that year and was informed that the British had no objections to the continuation of Vernet's business ventures provided there was no interference with British control.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Apcbg/Darwin-1834 Extracts from the Diary of Charles Darwin

.The Royal Navy built a base at Stanley, Falkland Islands, and the islands became a strategic point for navigation around Cape Horn. A World War I naval battle, the Battle of Falkland Islands, took place in December 1914, with a British victory over the German Empire. During World War II, Stanley served as a Royal Navy station and serviced ships which took part in the Battle of the River Plate.

Sovereignty over the islands became an issue again in the latter half of the 20th century. Argentina, which had never renounced its claim to the islands, saw the creation of the United Nations as an opportunity to present its case before the rest of the world. In 1945, upon signing the United Nations Charter, Argentina stated that it reserved its right to sovereignty of the islands, as well as its right to recover them. The United Kingdom responded in turn by stating that, as an essential precondition for the fulfilment of UN Resolution 1514, regarding the de-colonisation of all territories still under foreign occupation, the Falklanders first had to vote for the British withdrawal at a referendum to be held on the issue.

.Talks between British and Argentine foreign missions took place in the 1960s, but failed to come to any meaningful conclusion. A major sticking point in all the negotiations was that the two thousand inhabitants of mainly British descent preferred that the islands remain British territory.

Argentine links There were no air links to the islands until 1971, when the Argentine Air Force (FAA), which operates the state airline LADE, began amphibious aircraft between Comodoro Rivadavia and Stanley using HU-16 Albatross aircraft. Commemorative Stamps of first flights

Following a FAA request, the UK and Argentina reached an agreement for the FAA to construct the first runway. Flights began using Fokker F27 and continued with Fokker F28 aircraft twice a week until 1982. This was the only air link to the islands.

Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, the Argentine national oil and gas company, now part of Repsol YPF, supplied the islands' energy needs.

Falklands War On 2 April 1982, Argentina 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands and other British territories in the South Atlantic (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands). The National Reorganization Process which had ruled Argentina since 1976 sought to maintain power by diverting public attention from the nation's Economy of Argentina#Post-World War II. They attempted to do this by playing off long-standing feelings of the Argentines towards the islands. British writers hold that the United Kingdom's reduction in military capacity in the South Atlantic also encouraged the invasion.

The United Nations Security Council issued United Nations Security Council Resolution 502, calling on Argentina to withdraw forces from the Islands and to both parties to seek a diplomatic solution. HistoryCentral. United Nations Resolution 502, Adopted by the Security Council at its 2350th meeting held on 3 April 1982. International reaction ranged from support in the Latin American countries (with the exception of Chile), to opposition in Europe (with the exception of Spain), the Commonwealth, and eventually the United States. The British sent an expeditionary force to retake the islands, leading to the Falklands War. After short but fierce naval and air battles, the British landed at San Carlos Water on 21 May, and a land campaign followed until the Argentine forces surrendered on 14 June.

Following the war, the British increased their military presence on the islands, constructing RAF Mount Pleasant and increasing the military garrison. Although the United Kingdom and Argentina resumed diplomatic relations in 1989, no further negotiations on sovereignty have taken place.

Politics

Executive (government) is vested in the Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and is exercised by the Governor of the Falkland Islands on her behalf. The Governor is also responsible for the administration of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, as these islands have no native inhabitants. Defence and Foreign Affairs are the responsibility of the United Kingdom. The current Governor is Alan Huckle, appointed July 2006.

Under the constitution, the latest version of which came into force in 1985, there is an Executive Council and a Legislative Council. The Executive Council, which advises the Governor, is also chaired by the Governor. It consists of the Chief Executive, Financial Secretary and three Legislative Councillors, who are elected by the other Legislative Councillors. The Legislative Council consists of the Chief Executive, Financial Secretary and the eight Legislative Councillors, of whom five are elected from Stanley and three from Camp (Falkland Islands), for four-year terms. It is presided over by the Speaker, currently Darwin Lewis Clifton.

The loss of the war against the United Kingdom over control of the islands led to the collapse of the Argentine National Reorganization Process in 1983. Disputes over control of the islands continue. In 1992 Argentina and Britain resumed deplomatic relations and reopened their embassies in each other's countries. In 1998, in retaliation to former Chilean president Augusto Pinochet's arrest in London, the Chilean government banned flights between Punta Arenas and Port Stanley, thus isolating the islands from the rest of the world. Uruguay and Brazil refused to authorise direct flights between their territories and Port Stanley, forcing the Islands' government to enter negotiations with the Argentine government which led to Argentina authorising direct flights between its territory and Stanley, on condition that Argentine citizens be allowed on the islands. AGREEMENT OF 14th JULY 1999 In 2001, British Prime Minister Tony Blair became the first Prime Minister to visit Argentina since the war. On the twenty-second anniversary of the war, Argentina's President Néstor Kirchner gave a speech insisting that the islands would once again be part of Argentina. Kirchner, Argentine general election, 2003 in 2003, regarded the islands as a top priority. In June 2003 the issue was brought before a United Nations committee, and attempts have been made to open talks with the United Kingdom to resolve the issue of the islands. As far as the Falkland Islands Government and people are concerned, there is no issue to resolve. The Falkland Islanders themselves are almost entirely British and maintain their allegiance to the United Kingdom. Falkland Islands Government Overview.

On 2 April 2007 (exactly 25 years after the Argentine invasion), Argentina renewed its claim over the Falkland Islands, asking for the UK to resume talks on sovereignty.

Falkland Islanders were granted full British citizenship from 1 January 1983 under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983.

22 September 2007, The Guardian reported the UK government was preparing to stake new claims on the sea floor around the Falklands and other UK remote island possessions, in order to exploit natural resources that may be present. In October 2007, a British spokeswoman confirmed that Britain intended to submit a claim to the UN to extend seabed territory around the Falklands and South Georgia, in advance of the expiry of the deadline for territorial claims following Britains ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Table of Contents to the UN Law of the Sea Convention. If the claim is disputed, the UN will suspend the claim until the dispute is settled. The claim is largely theoretical and does not affect the Antarctic Treaty System or confirm new rights upon Britain. Neither does it permit the exploitation of oil or gas reserves, since these are banned by a protocol to the treaty. It would enable Britain to police fishing within the zone to prevent over exploitation of natural resources by commercial fishing in line with Britain's obligations under the treaty. Nevertheless many commentators have criticised the move for going against the spirit of the Antarctic Treaty System. Argentina has indicated it will challenge any British claim to Antarctic territory and the area around the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

Geography The Falkland Islands comprise two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland (in Spanish Isla Gran Malvina and Isla Soledad respectively), and about 776 small islands. The total land area is 4,700 square miles (12,173 square kilometre), approximately the same area as Connecticut or Northern Ireland, with a coastline estimated at 800 miles (1,288 km).

Much of the land is part of the two main islands separated by the Falkland Sound: East Falkland, home to the capital of Stanley, Falkland Islands and the majority of the population, and West Falkland. Both islands have mountain ranges, rising to 2,313 foot (unit of length) (705 metre) at Mount Usborne on East Falkland. There are also some boggy plains, most notably Lafonia, on the southern half of East Falkland. Virtually the entire area of the islands is used as pasture for domestic sheep.

Smaller islands surround the main two. They include Barren Island (Falkland Islands), Beaver Island (Falkland Islands), Bleaker Island, Carcass Island, George Island, Keppel Island, Lively Island, New Island, Pebble Island, Saunders Island (Falkland Islands), Sealion Island, Speedwell Island, Staats Island, Weddell Island, and West Point Island. The Jason Islands lie to the north west of the main archipelago, and Beauchene Island some distance to its south. Speedwell Island and George Island are split from East Falkland by Eagle Passage.

The islands claim a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22 km) and an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 nautical miles (370 km), which has been a source of disagreement with Argentina.

Surrounded by cool Atlantic Ocean waters, the Falkland Islands have a cold oceanic climate with a narrow temperature range of about 19Celsius (66Fahrenheit) in summer and 2°C (36°F) in winter. Rainfall is relatively low at about 24 inches. Humidity and winds, however, are constantly high. Snow is rare, but can occur at almost any time of year.

Biogeography, the Falkland islands are classified as part of the Neotropical realm, together with South America. It is also classified as part of the Antarctic Floristic Kingdom.

Economy Domestic sheep farming (as of 2002, there were 583,000 sheep on the islandhttp://www.falklands-meat.com/statement.htm) was formerly the main source of income for the islands, and still plays an important part with high quality wool exports going to the UK, but efforts to diversify introduced in 1984 have made fishing the largest part of the economy and brought increasing income from tourism.

The government sale of fishing licences to foreign countries has brought in more than Falkland Islands pound40 million a year in revenues, and local fishing boats are also in operation. More than 75% of the fish taken are squid, and most exports are to Spain. Tourism has shown rapid growth, with more than 30,000 visitors in 2001. The islands have become a regular port of call for the growing market of cruise ships. Attractions include the scenery and wildlife conservation with penguins, seabirds, pinniped and sealions, as well as visits to battlefields, golf, fishing and wreck diving.

An agreement with Argentina had set the terms for exploitation of offshore resources including large oil reserves, however, in 2007 Argentina unilaterally withdrew from the agreement. In response, Falklands Oil and Gas Limited has signed an agreement with BHP Billiton to investigate the potential exploitation of oil reserves. Climatic conditions of the southern seas mean that exploitation will be a difficult task, though economically viable, and the continuing sovereignty dispute with Argentina is hampering progress.

Defence is provided by the UK, and British military expenditures make a significant contribution to the economy. The islands are self sufficient except for defence; exports account for more than £125 million a year.

The largest company in the islands used to be the Falkland Islands Company (FIC), a publicly quoted company on the London Stock Exchange which was responsible for the majority of the economic activity on the islands, though its farms were sold in 1991 to the Falkland Islands Government. The FIC now operates several retail outlets in Stanley and is involved in port services and shipping operation.

The currency in use is the Falkland Islands pound, which remains in parity with the pound sterling. Sterling notes and coins circulate interchangeably with the local currency. The Falkland Islands also mint (coin) their own coins, and Postage stamps and postal history of the Falkland Islands, which forms a source of revenue from overseas collectors.

Demographics with whale bone arch, Stanley, Falkland Islands.The population is 2,967 (July 2003 estimate), the majority of which are of British descent (approximately 70%). The native-born inhabitants call themselves "Islanders". Outsiders often call Islanders "Kelpers", from the kelp which grows profusely around the islands, but the name is no longer used in the Islands. Those people from the United Kingdom who have obtained Falkland Island status became what are known locally as 'belongers'. Many islanders are of Scottish people and Welsh people descent. However, a few Islanders are of French people, Gibraltarian (such as the Pitalaugas), Portuguese people and Scandinavian descent. Some are the descendants of whaling who reached the Islands during the last two centuries. Furthermore there is a small minority of South American, mainly Chilean origin, and in more recent times many people from Saint Helena have also come to work in the Islands. The Falkland Islands have been a centre of English language learning for South Americans.

The main religion is Christianity. The main denominations are Church of England, Roman Catholic Church, United Free Church, and Lutheranism-based denominations. Other smaller numbers of Christian churches are active, including Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventist Church and Greek Orthodox Church; with the latter being due to Greek fishermen passing through.

There is also a tiny Bahai presence .

Medical care The Falkland Islands Government Health and Social Services Department provides medical care for the islands. The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) is Stanley's only hospital. It was partially military operated in the past but is now under complete civilian control.http://www.falklands.gov.fk/4b.htm There are no ophthalmology or opticians on the islands, although an optician from the United Kingdom visits about every six months and an ophthalmologist comes to do cataract surgery and eye exams on irregular intervals (once every few years). There are two dentists on the islands.

Broadcasting and telecommunications Broadcasting

Telephone The Falkland Islands has a modern telecommunications network providing fixed line telephone and DSL and dial-up access in Stanley.

Telephony is provided to outlying settlements using microwave radio relay.

A GSM mobile network was installed in 2005 which provided coverage of Stanley, Mount Pleasant and surrounding areas.

Transport of the British Antarctic Survey at Stanley, Falkland Islands. The Falkland Islands has two airports with paved runways. RAF Mount Pleasant, thirty miles west of Stanley, acts as the main international airport, with flights operated by the Royal Air Force to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England via a refueling stop at RAF Ascension Island. RAF flights are on Lockheed L-1011 although it is common for charter aircraft to be used if the TriStars are required for operational flights. At present (December 2006) the RAF air link is operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic, using Boeing 747s. Weekly flights are also available to/from Santiago, Chile, operated by LAN (airline).

Port Stanley Airport is a smaller airport outside the city, and is used for internal flights. Most settlements have grass air strips which are served by Britten-Norman Islander aircraft of the Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS). The internal flight schedule is decided a day in advance according to passenger needs and an announcement made on the radio detailing arrival and departure times the night before. The British International Helicopters company also operate two H-3 Sea King helicopters for passenger flights between the islands. The British Antarctic Survey operates a transcontinental air link between the Falkland Islands and the Rothera Research Station airfield, servicing also other British bases in the British Antarctic Territory using a de Havilland Canada Dash 7.

The road network has been improved in recent years. However, not too many paved roads exist outside Stanley and the RAF base.

Landmines and ordnance Approximately twenty five thousand land mines remaining from the 1982 war are securely and clearly fenced off. Free maps are available from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) office in Stanley. Care should still be taken as some beaches were mined, and there have been concerns the tides could have moved some mines. The same applies where mine fields are close to rivers. Care should be taken in case mines have been washed out of the marked area by flooding. There is also unexploded ordnance left over from the war, although finds of this type are becoming rarer with the passage of time.

In February 2005, the charity Landmine Action proposed a Kyoto Protocol-style credit scheme, which would see a commitment by the British government to clear an equivalent area of mined land to that currently existing in the Falklands in more seriously mine-affected countries by March 2009. This proposal was supported by Falkland Islanders, for whom landmines do not pose a serious threat in everyday life, but the British government is yet to declare its support or opposition to the idea.

See also {{columns|width=270px|col1 = |col2 = -->

External links

References ( Complete text in Spanish) ISBN 950-694-546-2





Falkland Islands Official Tourism Website - HOME
Promoting the islands as a tourist destination, with lots of information.

Falkland Islands Holidays
The longest established tour operator in the Falkland Islands.

Falkland Islands | British Red Cross
Information about the Falkland Islands branch of the British Red Cross ... Address: PO Box 465 Port Stanley Falkland Islands . Fax: (00) 500 21014

Falkland Islands Chamber of Commerce
A directory of businesses on the islands.

Falkland Islands Government
Relations with Argentina and the Sovereignty question. History, government, economy, the people, oil exploration, wildlife, tourism.

Falkland Islands Association.
Supporting the right of the Falkland Islanders to self-determination.

Falkland Islands - A history of the 1982 conflict
The Falkland Islands History 1982. ... Falkland Islands History Timeline . 1500 to 1982 Overview. This timeline traces the history of the Falkland Islands from their discovery ...

Falkland Islands
A charity working to protect the unique wildlife of the Falkland Islands and the South Atlantic.

Falkland Islands Journal - Current Contents
Falkland islands journal – Cover images . Click on image to see larger version

The Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel Trust
Built in their memory of the 258 British dead who lost their lives in the fierce actions fought at sea, on land, and in the air during the 1982 Falklands War.

 

Falkland Islands



 
Copyright © 2008 Hintcenter.com - All rights reserved.
Home | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
All Trademarks belong to their repective owners. Many aspects of this page are used under
commercial commons license from Yahoo!