Established as a territory of
the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)
islands were 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. Former
agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated
primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973.
In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration
order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special
military status of Diego Garcia.
Geography
British Indian Ocean
Territory
Location:
archipelago in the Indian
Ocean, south of India, about half way between Africa and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego
Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area:
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:
land area is about 0.3 times
the size of Washington, DC
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
Population:
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, there
were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian
contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia
Government
British Indian Ocean
Territory
Country name:
conventional long form:
British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none
abbreviation: BIOT
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK;
administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office in London
Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where
applicable, apply
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen
ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government:
Commissioner Leigh TURNER (since July 2006); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES
(since February 2005); 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:
none (overseas territory of the
UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the
UK)
Flag description:
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
Economy - overview:
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:
NA kWh; note - electricity
supplied by the US military
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Currency (code):
both the British Pound (GBP)
and the US Dollar (USD) are accepted
Communications
British Indian Ocean
Territory
Telephones - main lines in use:
NA
Telephone system:
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:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
NA
Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)
Televisions:
NA
Internet country code:
.io
Internet hosts:
61 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Transportation
British Indian Ocean
Territory
Airports:
1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 over
3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
note: short section of
paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia
Ports and terminals:
Diego Garcia
Military
British Indian Ocean
Territory
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility
of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Transnational Issues
British Indian Ocean
Territory
Disputes - international:
Mauritius and Seychelles claim
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 2006, the High Court of London reversed U.K.
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
