The following page(s) contains fictitious world events as background material for the Twilight:2000 role-playing game. These events should not be confused with their real life counterparts. People and places shown should in no way be thought of as accurate representations of anything living, dead or undead. |
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago located 300 miles (480 km) from the coast of Argentina. There are two main islands (East and West Falkland) and many smaller islands. Stanley, on East Falkland, is the capital. There are two main airfields, Stanley Airport, to the East of Stanley, and RAF Mount Pleasant, roughly 30 miles (48km) West of Stanley. There are several small settlements, generally consisting of just a few farms.
History[]
Argentina has always laid claim to sovereignty of the Islands, and in 1982, launched an invasion to take them by force. The British sent a task force which, after heavy fighting, was successful in re-taking the islands. In 1997, Argentina invaded once again, but the British were too heavily committed elsewhere to be able to respond. After a brief fight, the Royal Marines and Falkland Islands Defence Force surrendered. Argentina remained in control of the Islands until 1998, when their forces withdrew, to reinforce the forces fighting Brazil.
Military Forces[]
The Islands are a British Dependency, and have a Royal Marines garrison stationed there. The local government also maintains the Falkland Islands Defence Force
Settlements & Terrain[]
Stanley, the capital, had a population of about 2,000, and so should be considered a village for most purposes. However, as the capital of the islands, it has some facilities that would normally be found in towns or cities.
Both main islands have mountain ranges and some swampy areas. There is no woodland, and much of the islands should be considered open ground. There is a road network joining the settlements, but the roads outside Stanley are largely all-weather tracks (unsurfaced crushed stone)
Climate[]
Temperatures range from around 2°C in July to 13°C in January. There is relatively little rainfall, and snow is rare. There are almost constant high winds.
Current Status[]
The islanders were in a relatively good position to cope with the effects of the war. The Islands had a population of about 3,000. Sheep farming (there were over 500,000 sheep on the islands at the start of the Twilight War) and fishing were the main industries. The Islands were already largely self-sufficient, so being cut off from the rest of the world had relatively little effect on them. They did rely on outside help for some medical care, however (there is a hospital in Stanley, though no ophthalmologists or opticians).
There are still 125 uncleared minefields on the Falkland Islands and unexploded ordnance is scattered all over the battle fields due to the soft peat ground. Many of the minefields are marked, but there may be some that are not.
Maps[]
OpenStreetMap has good maps of the Islands, including street-level detail for Stanley.