2003 Edition

Airports

1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2002) Military British Indian Ocean Territory

total

1

Area

land

60 sq km

note

includes the entire Chagos Archipelago

total

60 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Background

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

Climate

tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

Coastline

698 km

Country name

abbreviation

BIOT

conventional long form

British Indian Ocean Territory

conventional short form

none

Dependency status

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Disputes - international

Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economy - 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, 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.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh Communications British Indian Ocean Territory

Electricity - production

NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Executive branch

cabinet

NA

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch

head of government

Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in 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

Geographic coordinates

6 00 S, 71 30 E

Geography - note

archipelago of 2,300 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

Highways

paved

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

total

NA km

unpaved

NA km

Internet country code

.io

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000) Transportation British Indian Ocean Territory

Irrigated land

0 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

NEGL

other

100% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0%

Legal system

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

Location

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

Map references

Political Map of the World

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

200 NM

territorial sea

3 NM

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 Transnational Issues British Indian Ocean Territory

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

coconuts, fish, sugarcane

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 1960's and 1970's, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2003 est.) Government British Indian Ocean Territory

Ports and harbors

Diego Garcia

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

NA

Telephone system

domestic

all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet

general assessment

separate facilities for military and public needs are available

international

international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)

Telephones - main lines in use

NA

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

NA

Terrain

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

Waterways

none