( CNN ) -- The war itself lasted for less than three months . But 30 years on , wounds from the Falklands war are fresh , and Britain and Argentina are still at odds over the chilly , windswept island chain in the South Atlantic . Monday marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the war over the Falklands , which Argentina calls Las Malvinas . Britain won the 74-day war that began with an Argentine invasion attempt , but Argentina still presses claims to the islands , which are home to more than 3,000 people . `` Thirty years ago today , the people of the Falkland Islands suffered an act of aggression that sought to rob them of their freedom and their way of life . ... Today is a day for commemoration and reflection ; a day to remember all those who lost their lives in the conflict , '' British Prime Minister David Cameron said to mark the day . `` We are rightly proud of the role Britain played in righting a profound wrong , '' he added . Argentina put its death toll from the conflict at around 645 . Britain 's civil and military losses amounted to 255 . The war 's anniversary provided an opening for leaders of the two nations to begin a new round of verbal sparring , which has erupted over the islands in the past several months -- with Prince William 's six-week deployment to the islands in February and March as a high-profile backdrop . `` It is an injustice that in the 21st century there are still colonial enclaves like we have here , a few kilometers away , '' Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said in a speech in southern Argentina on Monday . She described claims that the Argentinian people were behind the 1982 war `` absurd '' and `` ridiculous , '' and called on British officials to begin negotiations over the islands , which have been under British rule since 1833 . `` We want them to respect the law and the constitution of our country . This is not a story that started 30 years ago . It is going to be 180 years of usurpation , '' she added . British officials have dismissed calls for negotiations , arguing that the islands ' residents have a right to decide their fate . `` It takes two to tango , and unfortunately , one of the two sides has been systematically refusing to start diplomatic negotiations , '' Argentinian Ambassador to the United States Jorge Arguello told CNN en EspaÃ±ol on Monday . Located in the South Atlantic Ocean , about 480 kilometers ( 298 miles ) east of the tip of South America , the Falklands have long been coveted as a strategic shipping stopover and potential wellspring of natural resources . In February , Argentina complained to the United Nations about what it called Britain 's militarization of the region . It had already banned Falklands ships from its ports , an action joined by other South American and Caribbean nations . The recent deployment of Prince William to the Falklands in his role as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue pilot , as well as Britain 's decision to send a new warship to the area , further fueled tensions . On Thursday , Argentina sent a letter to stock markets in London and New York telling them that companies exploring for oil near the islands risk criminal charges or civil liabilities . British Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne criticized Argentina Monday for being `` confrontational '' over the islands . `` I think it 's a mistake for Argentina to be protectionist . I think it 's a mistake for Argentina to start trade wars . I think it 's a mistake for Argentina to have any sort of suggestion at all that they are considering coercing the people of the Falkland Islands into a political arrangement against their will , '' he told CNN . `` I think Argentina ( is ) making a number of political miscalculations , but obviously that 's the choice that they 're making . It 's not a choice that we 're making . '' On Monday , the British military said the HMS Dauntless , a destroyer , will set sail Wednesday on a `` routine deployment '' to the South Atlantic , where it will relieve another ship in the region after months of preparation . `` We are now ready to provide a reassuring presence in the region and protect British interests , '' Capt . Will Warrender said in a statement . The Falklands , which raise their own taxes but rely on the United Kingdom for defense and foreign policy , are one of 14 British overseas territories and have been under British rule since 1833 . Cameron has repeatedly said that it is up to the residents of the Falklands to determine their allegiance , and so far that support has been staunchly British . `` We support the Falklands ' right to self-determination , and what the Argentinians have been saying recently I would argue is actually far more like colonialism , because these people want to remain British , and the Argentinians want them to do something else , '' he told lawmakers this year . CNN 's Glenda Umana , Marilia Brocchetto , Zain Verjee and Rafael Romo contributed to this report .
NEW : The British foreign office minister criticizes Argentina 's `` miscalculations '' Argentina 's president calls the Falklands a `` colonial enclave '' Monday marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the 74-day Falklands war . Britain won the war over the Falkland Islands ; Argentina still claims what it calls Las Malvinas .