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The British dependency of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic had been a subject of dispute between the UK and Argentina since Britain occupied the territory in the early nineteenth century. In April 1982, Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands. The invasion was condemned by the United Nations Security Council, which passed a resolution for Argentina to withdraw.Although the British Foreign Office was caught by surprise, the UK quickly despatched a task force to the South Atlantic to re-establish British control. In the ensuing conflict 250 British and around 750 Argentinian lives were lost. The conflict was an expensive one: it cost over £1.
6 billion - and, although Britain re-established her control over the islands, Argentina continues to lay claim to them.
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