Just where are the Falklands Islands

A.� They are situated in the southern most reaches of the South Atlantic Ocean. Their closest neighbours are Antarctica and Argentina.

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Q. How many people live there

A. The islands have a population of 2805, plus 2,000 British military personnel.

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Q. Why are the British military there

A.� The islands have British sovereignty, the official language is English and the governor, appointed by the UK parliament, is Donald Lamont.

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Q. How do you get there ... asked Giorgiodict

A.� It isn't easy because of the isolation of the islands. You can get a civilian flight from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire or there are regular weekly flights from Santiago or Punta Arenas in Chile. Once there if you want to get around the islands, you can charter boat trips or hire a vehicle.

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Q. How expensive is it

A.� The Falklands Islands, because of their location, are not a cheap option. There is little in the way of tourist infrastructure, most facilities are fairly expensive, but you can get B&Bs or self-catering cabins. A three-day stay in a lodge will cost around US$50 a day. The Falklands Islands pound is on a par with the UK pound, which circulates widely as the local currency.

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Q. What happens there

A.� The Falklanders celebrate a number of holidays, but the biggest event the visitor is likely to encounter is in sheep-shearing season. There is also a sports meeting held every summer on both of the main islands. Other than that, islanders mark the Queen's Birthday (21 April), Liberation Day (14 June), Falkland Day (14 August) and the Battle of the Falklands Remembrance Day (8 December).

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Q. What's the capital And is there much to do there

A.� The capital is Stanley and it's quite distinctive because of the brightly-coloured houses and smell of peat burning on the streets. The most photographed landmark is the Govenor's House, which has been home to the London-appointed govenor since the 19th century.� Nearby is Christ Church Cathedral, which has impressive glass windows. It was completed in 1892 and there are plaques commemorating Falklands dead.

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Q.� What about outside the capital

A.� Further afield, Sea Lion Island off East Falklands in the Southern Ocean is teaming with wildlife. There are five species of penguin, enormous cormorant colonies, giant petrels, elephant seals and sealions.�You can also see unique flora and fauna�there. The island is used as a working farm with a substantial amount of tussock grass.

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Q. Why do the Argentinians have a different name for the islands

A. The French landed a garrison at Port Louis in the East Falklands in 1764. A group of French fishermen from St Malo gave the islands the name Iles Malouines, from which the Spanish name Islas Malvinas derives.

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Q. Just what happened during the Falklands war and is it safe now

A. In April 1982 the Argentinian military junta invaded the islands and set up outposts in South Georgia and South Sandwich Island. The seizure briefly rallied the Argentinians behind their government and the UK sent a naval task force to retake the islands. After 72 days and nearly 1,000 casualties (three-quarters of whom were Argentinian) the war ended with the Argentinian surrender and their president's resignation. Following the war, most Falklanders emphatically stated they wanted to stay with the UK. Argentinian president Carlos Menem has renounced the use of force to take the islands.

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By Katharine MacColl

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