Why are people talking about the Falkland Islands?

You might have heard people recently talking about the Falkland Islands.

Argentina's president Javier Milei has addressed the people of his country, making a fresh claim to the Falkland Islands and saying they belong to Argentina.

His comments come after US President Donald Trump said he was reviewing the US's long-standing approach to the islands.

The US has traditionally taken a neutral position on who has sovereignty over them.

In response, a spokesperson for the UK government said: "The islanders have repeatedly expressed their wish to remain a British Overseas Territory and our commitment to them is unwavering."

Argentina, however, says the islands - which it calls the Islas Malvinas - are Argentine territory and has long called for them to be returned to the South American country.

But where are the Falkland Islands and why do Argentina and the UK disagree over who should control them? Keep reading to find out more.

The Falkland Islands are a group of islands - known as an archipelago - located in the south-west Atlantic, around 300 miles east of Argentina.

They are made up of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, along with around 780 smaller islands and islets.

The Falkland Islands are known as a 'British Overseas Territory' - they are a self-governing group of islands with King Charles as its Head of State.

The UK government takes responsibility for its defence, and its people, the majority of whom are native born Falklanders, of British descent.

Although the islands are very far away from the UK, the territory has been under British rule since 1833.

Around 3,100 people live on the islands, and the main language spoken is English.

The vast majority of islanders see themselves and their islands as British.

In 2013, a referendum took place on the island, where Falkland Islanders were asked if they wanted to remain a British overseas territory.

The result of that was that 99.8% of people voted in favour by saying yes, with just three votes against.

However, Argentina has long disputed British sovereignty over the islands, maintaining that they are Argentine territory.

The country says it inherited the islands following its independence from Spain, and believes the islands rightfully belong to it.

So, nearly 50 years ago, in 1982, the Falkland Islands were invaded by Argentinian forces - keen to take the archipelago back from Britain.

On 2 April 1982, Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands.

They took control of its government buildings, capturing the British forces stationed there and taking control of the islands.

Within just a few hours Argentina's flag flew high upon the buildings in the capital, Stanley.

The country's ruling military did not believe that Britain would attempt to regain the islands by force.

However they were wrong - a Royal Navy task force was sent to recapture the islands.

Over the next 10 weeks, 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel, and three Falkland Islanders were killed.

The fighting ended on 14 June 1982, when British forces recaptured the islands.

You can find out more about the Falklands War here.

Sea Lion is an offshore oil project in the South Atlantic Ocean, around 130 miles north of the Falkland Islands.

It's thought to contain an estimated 1.7 billion barrels of oil - which is a large amount.

The two oil companies involved in the project are due to begin extracting oil there within the next two years.

However, this is something that Argentina President Javier Milei said his country could not allow.

During a speech to the nation, he said that the oilfield was a "clear and present danger" and threatened to sanction oil firms working in the area - although its not yet clear how.

Mr Milei also added that the Falklands were "historically and legally" Argentinean.

In a statement, Downing Street responded by saying: "This is not the first time Argentine governments have made economic threats against the islanders.

"We are clear that the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination extends to the right to exploit their own natural resources."

For many years, the US has generally stayed neutral over who has sovereignty over the islands - although it supported Britain during the 1982 Falklands War.

President Trump has now hinted he could review America's approach to the islands.

When asked in an interview with GB News if the US would "come to the UK's aid" during a potential territorial dispute, Trump replied that Britain had "not been there to help me" with his country's war with Iran.

This was something that Mr Milei - a supporter of President Trump - mentioned in his speech to the nation.

UK Foreign Office Minister Uma Kumaran responded to President Trump's comments by saying: "The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

"They are and will always remain a British overseas territory in line with the wishes of the Falkland islanders."