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  British Indian Ocean Territory
(overseas territory of the UK)
 
Flag of British Indian Ocean Territory
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
 Transportation
 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008


Map of British Indian Ocean Territory



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    British Indian Ocean Territory Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
Formerly administered as part of the British Crown Colony of Mauritius, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was established as an overseas territory of the UK in 1965. A number of the islands of the territory were later transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Between 1967 and 1973, former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius, but also to the Seychelles. Negotiations between 1971 and 1982 resulted in the establishment of a trust fund by the British Government as compensation for the displaced islanders, known as Chagossians. Beginning in 1998, the islanders pursued a series of lawsuits against the British Government seeking further compensation and the right to return to the territory. In 2006 and 2007, British court rulings invalidated the immigration policies contained in the 2004 BIOT Constitution Order that had excluded the islanders from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. In 2008, the House of Lords, as the final court of appeal in the UK, ruled in favor of the British Goverment by overturning the lower court rulings and finding no right of return on the part of the Chagossians.
   Geography    British Indian Ocean Territory Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Political Map of the World
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 54,400 sq km
land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km
water: 54,340 sq km
note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
698 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
   People    British Indian Ocean Territory Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors were living on the island of Diego Garcia
   Government    British Indian Ocean Territory Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none
abbreviation: BIOT
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Colin ROBERTS (since July 2008); Administrator Joanne YEADON (since December 2007); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
   Economy    British Indian Ocean Territory Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory earns foreign exchange by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA kWh
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
US Dollar (USD)
   Communications    British Indian Ocean Territory Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet
international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.io
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
89 (2008)
   Transportation    British Indian Ocean Territory Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
note: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Diego Garcia
   Military    British Indian Ocean Territory Top of Page
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
   Transnational Issues    British Indian Ocean Territory Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2007, the UK Court of Appeals upheld the May 2006 High Court of London judgment reversing the UK government's 2004 Orders of Council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008


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