Islands in between : Martín García and other geopolitical flashpoints

Abstract

The ‘in betweenity’ of islands is an ongoing problematic in contemporary politics. Given their geographic definition and boundedness, islands tend to be unitary jurisdictions - that means that they are unlikely to be shared by more than one power. In fact, there are just 11 islands in the world whose territory is ‘shared’ between more than one national jurisdiction. Meanwhile, there are still various small islands and other bounded territories whose status is contested amongst different (usually larger) states, including Kinmen (Taiwan), Falklands/Malvinas and Gibraltar. In this context, this essay reviews the River Plate area (between Uruguay and Argentina): historically a point of tension between two major powers in Latin America; and some of that tension has been centered on the islands in the region – particularly Martín García.