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.

archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia

6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E

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

land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

0 km

698 km

territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

coconuts, fish, sugarcane

arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

0 sq km

NA

NA

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

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 (July 2006 est.)

conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none
abbreviation: BIOT

overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch

none (overseas territory of the UK)

none (overseas territory of the UK)

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

All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done 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 Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.

NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military

NA kWh

both the British Pound (GBP) and the US Dollar (USD) are accepted

NA

general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet
international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

1 (1997)

.io

65 (2006)

1 (2006)

total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

total: NA
paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia

Diego Garcia

defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016

Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain;