Why The UK Hides Countries Outside Its Borders

How The UK Still Has An Empire

[metrx]

The Falklands War was NOT between Argentina and England. It was between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Please make a correction. A lot of Scots, Welsh, and Irish also died in that conflict.

[martychisnall]

The Falklands is NOT controversial. The United Kingdom is the first and only country ever to settle the islands in all of human history and Argentina has never had any claim to the islands, they tried to seize the islands because they thought they should control it based purely on its geographical location.

[CurtisCT]

Fun fact: the Cayman Islands used to be a colony of Jamaica, which itself was a colony of the UK. For most of its history the UK wanted nothing to do with the Cayman Islands because it was too small and insignificant to warrant any attention. So they put its much larger sister island Jamaica directly in charge and then promptly forgot about the Cayman Islands for the next few centuries. The Cayman Islands at this time was nothing more than a small, backwards, sleepy fishing village with just a few thousand inhabitants. It had no natural resources and no infrastructure to speak of. It was directly governed by Jamaica which was responsible for its political administration. Once a month a Jamaican judge would take a boat over to the Cayman Islands, the trip took just over a few hours. He would then hold court, officiate over marriages as well as judge legal and civil disputes.

When Jamaica decided to become independent in 1962, this left the Cayman Islands in a bind. They were too small to follow suit and become an independent country, so they decided to revert back to being a colony of the UK. This was the first time that the UK had to take over direct administration of the Cayman Islands. What happened next is nothing short of miraculous - the Cayman Islands, having no natural resources and a very small population, decided to start an offshore banking industry and the rest, as they say, is history. They're now SO FABULOUSLY RICH that their GDP per capita is at least double that of the UK. And just to add insult to injury, their former colonial masters, the Jamaicans, now require visas to visit their former colony. True story!

[kidcreole]

These territories are not hidden and very much represented and acknowledged. My father is from the Caribbean island of Montserrat. There are lots of Montserratians in Britain and descendants.

[pipercharms]

Controversial, falklands islands? Only for Argentina, its not controversial to defend british citizens who WANT to stay in the uk.

[dariusalexandru]

My brother in Christ Uk overseas territories is public knowledge

[SirZanZa]

i wouldn't call the UK a declining regional power, it is still the foremost European power if you exclude Russia. not many countries have aircraft carriers F35's and Nuclear weapons. the recent increases in "defence" spending is makes an already top 5 spender even more powerful. new SLBM Subs new Nuclear attack subs and a complete renewal of it's surface ship fleet with the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates with new Fleet Auxiliary supply ships and tankers. The UK belongs to a special club called the Great powers China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. the UK has become more isolationist but no less weak if anything it has actually increased in strength slightly over the last few years even with reduced Army manpower. why does an island need a massive land army? the budget has mainly gone to Naval and Air power traditionally 2 areas the UK excels in more than most.

[DigitalIslandboy]

Simple answer. The UK Overseas Territories aren't really part of the UK. Brits cannot just immigrate to the UK Overseas Territories without conversing with the immigration departments in the overseas territory, which is similar to how Overseas Territories citizens cannot just pack up and goto live in the UK unless they have "Right of Abode" status.

[DylanSargesson]

All of the populated British Overseas Territories (and the seperate Crown Dependencies) have their own constitutions and responsible self-government, and UK law does not automatically apply.

The laws they pass through their own Governments often directly contradict UK laws. The laws and policies of the BOT/CD Governments can sometimes work against the UK's interests.

If any of them voted for Independence or a different constitutional set-up it would be granted to them.

[johnavery]

How can you say the UK hides its overseas empire? we all know were it is and the people who live live. They enjoy our protection but we do not tell them what to do,

[-i]

The Roman Empire became a religion, uk empire became a bank, Russian became gas and oil empire. The list goes on, they just developed into something else

[NothingEverHappens-Chud]

Argentina vs England?

The Welsh Guards had the highest losses of the Falklands War, suffering over 140 casualties when RFA Sir Galahad was hit, practically wiping out the 1st Battalion as an effective unit within minutes. Scots, Irish, Welsh, and Nepalese Gurkhas all went down south in 1982.

Cymru am Byth 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[DrzBa]

I wonder if you could define why the Falklands are "Controversial"?
The people of the Falklands want to remain British. There was a referendum,
Why would this be controversial, or is democracy not important to you?

[asanulsterman]

In your first graphic showing the British Empire at its peak all of the island of Ireland should be red as Eire got its independence when the empire was in decline.

[DavidDoyleOutdoors]

It wasn’t England and Argentina, it was UK and Argentina that went to war

[Antarctic_Leader]

There’s nothing controversial about the Falklands? The people there are British so obviously it belongs to them, and they vote to be British

[bearsagainstevil]

It gives these Islands a big brother that can come and defend them, after the Falklands what country would attack these countries

[christophermurpy]

We’re an island nation and we like collecting islands, we’re not allowed to collect countries anymore so islands are the next best thing. We haven’t grown out of the whole empire thing and I don’t think we ever will. Old habits die hard!

Oh and it gives everybody else something to moan about...💂🏻‍♀️🇬🇧

[Drawer]

THE SUN NEVER SETS ON THE BRITISH EMPIRE🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[diannegooding]

We do not hide them. You have found them pretty easily!