e free movement of persons and the harmonization of border
controls in Europe; these agreements became incorporated into EU law
with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May
1999; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as part of the
Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area since 1996
(full members in 2001), and Switzerland since 2008 bringing the
total current membership to 25; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland
(since 2002) take part in only some aspects of the Schengen area,
especially with respect to police and criminal matters; nine of the
12 new member states that joined the EU since 2004 joined Schengen
on 21 December 2007; of the three remaining EU states, Cyprus is
expected to join by 2009, while Romania and Bulgaria continue to
enhance their border security systems

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Introduction
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Background:

Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first
landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in
1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until
1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the
islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first
between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The
UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval
garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April
1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed
seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced an Argentine
surrender on 14 June 1982.

Geography
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Location:

Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of
southern Argentina

Geographic coordinates:

51 45 S, 59 00 W

Map references:

South America

Area:

total: 12,173 sq km
land: 12,173 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and
about 200 small islands

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

1,288 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:

cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on