The rise and fall of sub-national island jurisdictions : the cases of the Galapagos Islands and San Andres y providencia

Abstract

Starting with Iceland in 1944, the emergence of many small sovereign island states has generated interest in the economic and political viability and vulnerability of small jurisdictions. This seemingly irresistible march to sovereignty proceeded for several decades after the Second World War, before waning considerably in recent years. Instead, many island jurisdictions today choose to operate as relatively autonomous units within a larger 'federal' framework encompassing larger states. Hence, recent island scholarship has taken a natural turn towards sub-national or non-sovereign jurisdictional powers and arrangements. The case studies selected for this comparative study of sub-national island jurisdictions (SNlJs), the Galapagos Islands and San Andres and Old Providence (SAOP), are in many respects typical of islands around the world. Their respective economies, for example, are dominated by the primary and tertiary sector activities of fishing and tourism.