<P> The conflict was a major episode in the protracted confrontation over the territories' sovereignty . Argentina asserted (and maintains) that the islands are Argentine territory, and the Argentine government thus characterised its military action as the reclamation of its own territory . The British government regarded the action as an invasion of a territory that had been a Crown colony since 1841 . Falkland Islanders, who have inhabited the islands since the early 19th century, are predominantly descendants of British settlers, and favour British sovereignty . Neither state officially declared war, although both governments declared the Islands a war zone . Hostilities were almost exclusively limited to the territories under dispute and the area of the South Atlantic where they lie . </P> <P> The conflict has had a strong effect in both countries and has been the subject of various books, articles, films, and songs . Patriotic sentiment ran high in Argentina, but the outcome prompted large protests against the ruling military government, hastening its downfall . In the United Kingdom, the Conservative government, bolstered by the successful outcome, was re-elected the following year . The cultural and political effect of the conflict has been less in Britain than in Argentina, where it remains a common topic for discussion . </P> <P> Diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Argentina were restored in 1989 following a meeting in Madrid, at which the two governments issued a joint statement . No change in either country's position regarding the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands was made explicit . In 1994, Argentina's claim to the territories was added to its constitution . </P> <P> In the period leading up to the war--and, in particular, following the transfer of power between the military dictators General Jorge Rafael Videla and General Roberto Eduardo Viola late in March 1981--Argentina had been in the midst of a devastating economic stagnation and large - scale civil unrest against the military junta that had been governing the country since 1976 . In December 1981 there was a further change in the Argentine military regime, bringing to office a new junta headed by General Leopoldo Galtieri (acting president), Air Brigadier Basilio Lami Dozo and Admiral Jorge Anaya . Anaya was the main architect and supporter of a military solution for the long - standing claim over the islands, calculating that the United Kingdom would never respond militarily . </P>

Spain fought a war with argentina over the falkland islands in 1980