The Falklands are back in the news in the UK but this time around the Spanish name for the islands, Las Malvinas, often follows the English (I'm sure this wasn't the case during the war in 1982). Hillary Clinton also recently referred to the islands by their Spanish name (in addition to the English name).
This doesn't bother me (a Brit) in the slightest but I know it's a cause of irritation for some. Are both names routinely used in other English-speaking countries (or elsewhere)?
I have no issue with a Spanish-speaking person calling them Las Malvinas, since that is the name for them in their language, being an adaptation of the French name Les Malouines.
The Argentinean insistence that people should call them Las Malvinas when speaking English, is a deliberate political attempt to impose their name for them over the name the inhabitants use, and thereby obtain a reduction in the perception of legitimacy for the autonomous, democratic Falkland Islands government. The Falklands have just the same status as several places in the West Indies, etc. They are self-governing in all areas but defence and foreign policy, and have not taken full independence. But then neither have Montserrat, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Pitcairn Island, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tristan da Cunha, St Helena or Ascension Island. But generally speaking other nations respect the right of the occupants of all those other places I mention, many of which were colonised in just the same way as the Falkland Islands, to govern themselves and choose not to take full independence from Britain. There are places in the world which regret having taken full independence - the Comoros invited the French back, but they refused.
People go on about "decolonisation". But the Falkland islands have substantially been "decolonised" in just the same way that Argentina or New Zealand was "decolonised", ie, government of the territory passed from the colonial power to the colonists. This was in some cases in South America an opportunity to increase abuse of the native population, which the Spanish crown sought to impede.
When I have been in Argentina, I discover that few Argentineans are aware that the Falkland Islands are a self-governing territory. They were very interested to see the stamp in my passport that admitted me for only two weeks. They thought it was an integral part of British territory, like Ireland before independence. Amusingly, when the issue came up on "Any Questions" on Radio 4 on Friday, all of the panelists seemed equally unaware of this, talking of the Falklands as "ours". They aren't, they are the Falklanders'. "What do you learn in school about the Malvinas", Argentineans would ask. They were astonished at the answer "nothing". In Argentina, despite democracy, history lessons still involves rote learning of national positions on various historical issues (or it did 10 years ago when I was shown history texts and sample exam papers.)
I have no issue with a Spanish-speaking person calling them Las Malvinas, since that is the name for them in their language, being an adaptation of the French name Les Malouines.
Of course. But I'm quite surprised at how often the BBC and other media outlets are using the Spanish name alongside the English name - perhaps in an attempt to appear neutral in the debate?
I think you are right, it is an attempt to appear neutral in a debate. But only because the Argentineans have successfully got the world to accept that using the term "Falklands" is equivalent to denying their position, when in fact it is just using the normal word in the language. An example of forcing the debate onto your own terms. I am reminded of similar behaviour by religious authorities, who try to enforce certain of their religious practices onto the rest of us, by saying it would be inflammatory if we didn't "show respect" in this way. Free speech activists fight very hard against such things.
just one remark:
The Falklanders are actually dual-nationals!
They are British Overseas Territories citizens as well as British citizens; however, it doesn't work the other way around.
British citizens are subject to the Falkland Island govenment's immigration regulations. This is unique to the United Kingdon
because the British nationality law covers various categories of citizenship.
I
Falklandski otoki in Slovene, Spanish name (well, Malvinski otoki) might be mentioned in articles as further information on the islands, but not necessarily. In atlases usually both are used.
As far as I know, they are only les Malouines in French. But I haven't researched it, and it may be a question of what French publications I read.
. . .
OK, now I have researched it to the extent of checking French wiki and it soes seem that they are always les îles Malouines. This may be of interest:
Les îles sont appelées en anglais Falkland Islands. Ce nom date de l'expédition menée par John Strong en 1690, qui nomma les îles d'après son seigneur, Anthony Cary, 5e vicomte de Falkland (une petite ville du sud-est de l'Écosse dans le Fife). Les Espagnols nommèrent l'archipel Islas Malvinas, dérivé du nom français « îles Malouines », donné en 1764 par Louis Antoine de Bougainville, d'après les marins et pêcheurs de Saint-Malo, premiers colons connus de ces îles.
Edited by: VinnyD
