The major European powers of this period often went to war in Europe, but as they all sought to expand their empires in newly discovered (at least to Europeans) parts of the world they came into conflict with each other a long way from home.

The Falkland Islands conflict in the late twentieth century is the most recent, but there is a long history of disputes in this area. The first British settlement began in 1766, but by 1770 a Spanish fleet had expelled them and this almost led to a war between the two countries.

However, negotiations ensured the British returned to the islands the following year. This map is a rather basic one, but does give important information about life on the islands.