1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline
698 km
Comparative area
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Disputes
the entire Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius
Environment
archipelago of 2,300 islands
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Natural resources
coconuts, fish
Note
Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean
Terrain
flat and low (up to 4 meters in elevation)
Total area
60 km2; land area: 60 km2
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
civilian inhabitants, known as the Ilois, evacuated to Mauritius before construction of UK and US defense facilities
Population
no permanent civilian population; formerly about 3,000 islanders
Government
Capital
none
Diplomatic representation
none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag
white with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and six blue wavy horizontal stripes bearing a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
Leaders
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Head of Government--Commissioner and Administrator R. EDIS (since NA 1988); note--resides in the UK
Long-form name
British Indian Ocean Territory (no short-form name); abbreviated BIOT
Type
dependent territory of the UK
Economy
Electricity
provided by the US military
Overview
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 and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands.
Communications
Airports
1 with permanent-surface runways over 3,659 m on Diego Garcia
Highways
short stretch of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia
Ports
Diego Garcia
Telecommunications
minimal facilities; stations (operated by the US Navy)--1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of the UK _%_