For nearly two hundred years, the rule of the British Empire extended across the globe. With colonies in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the South Pacific, author George McCartney was absolutely right to claim "this vast empire on which the sun never sets." The complete domination of the English in many of their colonies lasted until World War II, when the country began to liberate, or “decolonize,” its possessions in favor of new, small, independent nations to decide their own destiny. Whether successful or unsuccessful, many of these colonies are still independent nations, actively involved in world affairs. However, to this day, the great authority of Parliament still extends beyond the shores of fair Britain, particularly in the cases of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands. Both regions are claimed by medieval treaties and possessions, respectively by Spain and Argentina. From both colonies their past importance as naval installations is evident, but in the days of the Blitzkrieg, their continued value to England is questioned. For Gibraltar, what is at stake is Spanish sovereignty and pride in territorial integrity; for Argentina, honor and right to new and precious natural resources. In both times of war and peace, the United Kingdom has remained loyal to these two latter colonies, even in the face of threats, blockades and wars. In many respects, each of the colonies has some precedent for being part of its home country; however, the reality to date is that the shadow territories of the British Empire are complex subjects that even years of negotiations have yet to unravel. To understand Britain's current possession of the Rock of Gibraltar, it is necessary to look at the pen... middle of paper... Whitehall has also taken a firm stance on the Falklands, reflecting the intensity with which the Thatcher government opposed the Argentine incursion of 1982. Only time will tell whether the current confrontation will intensify again. For both territories, the resumption of discussions on both disputed territories of the United Kingdom prompted Parliament to allow both Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands to form new constitutions, in the form of the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 and the Order of Falkland Islands Constitution 2009. Both devolutions of self-government represent an important step in British foreign policy: each island is destined without any uncertainty to remain a territory of the United Kingdom for some time. And although the dialogue continues in both cases, the British government has no objections to maintaining some of its last colonies in the world..