It's OURS. No, we still say it's OURS.

Apparently,  Argentina isn't comfortable within its boundaries. It has reasserted its claim to the British overseas territories of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas to Argentines) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. In addition Argentina claims part of Antarctica as Argentine Antarctica, a claim which overlaps British and Chilean assertions.

And a 50 kilometer (31 mi) long border with Chile in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is awaiting demarcation as required under a 1998 treaty.

Argentina occupied the Falklands in the 1982 Falklands War. To reclaim them, Britain staged its bombers and troop carriers from the mid-Atlantic island of Ascension, refueling them in flight.

As for tourism today, the Falklands bills itself as "a sanctuary for rare and spectacular wildlife. From cliff-top colonies of nesting black-browed albatross, to sprawling elephant seal harems - the Falklands offer unrivaled wildlife access."

Lan Chile ran a weekly Saturday morning flight from Punta Arenas to the Falkland capital for years, but I don't see it on the Lan timetable just now. The other way in by air is via the British Ministry of Defense's MoD Airbridge - twice weekly non-commercial flights from the United Kingdom.

"Flights fly south from the RAF base at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire every Sunday and Wednesday, and north from the Falklands every Monday and Thursday. Flight time is appproximately 20 hours, including a refuelling stop on Ascension Island at the mid-way point (where visitors can stop-over should they choose)."

We'll have much more about the MoD Airbridge in December, as we're planning an Airbridge flight from Ascension to Brize Norton.

(Photo of Buenos Aires from the Argentina Gallery at EarthPhotos.com.)

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