Falklands War (apr 2, 1982 – jun 14, 1982)

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The Falklands War was a ten-week conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over the Falkland Islands and its dependency, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The conflict began on 2 April 1982 when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands, followed by the invasion of South Georgia the next day. The British government dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault on the islands. The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with an Argentine surrender on 14 June, returning the islands to British control. In total, 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel, and three Falkland Islanders were killed during the hostilities.

The conflict was a major episode in the protracted dispute over the territories' sovereignty. Argentina asserted that the islands are Argentine territory, while the British government viewed the action as an invasion of a territory that had been a Crown colony since 1841. Falkland Islanders, predominantly descendants of British settlers, strongly supported British sovereignty. Neither state officially declared war, but both declared the islands a war zone. Diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Argentina were restored in 1989 following a joint statement. Argentina adopted a new constitution in 1994, declaring the Falkland Islands as part of one of its provinces by law.

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