2023 Edition

Background

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. Only Diego Garcia, the largest and most southerly of the islands, is inhabited. It contains a joint UK-US naval support facility and hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are on Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US), and on Ascension Island (Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha)). The US Air Force also operates a telescope array on Diego Garcia as part of the Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance System (GEODSS) for tracking orbital debris, which can be a hazard to spacecraft and astronauts. 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 Government by overturning the lower court rulings and finding no right of return for the Chagossians. In March 2015, the Permanent Court of Arbitration unanimously held that the marine protected area that the UK declared around the Chagos Archipelago in April 2010 was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.In February 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled in an advisory opinion that Britain’s decolonization of Mauritius was not completed lawfully because of continued Chagossian claims. A non-binding May 2019 UN General Assembly vote demanded that Britain end its “colonial administration” of the Chagos Archipelago and that it be returned to Mauritius. UK officials defend Britain's sovereignty over the islands and argue that the issue is a bilateral dispute between Mauritius and the UK that does not warrant international intervention. 

Area

land

60 sq km (44 Diego Garcia)

note

note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands

total

60 sq km

water

54,340 sq km

Area - comparative

land area is about one-third the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

Coastline

698 km

Elevation

highest point

ocean-side dunes on Diego Garcia 9 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

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

Geography - note

note 1: archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, the largest and southernmost island, occupies a strategic location in the central Indian Ocean; the island is the site of a joint US-UK military facility note 2: Diego Garcia is the only inhabited island of the BIOT and one of only two British territories where traffic drives on the right, the other being Gibraltar

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

100% (2018 est.)

Location

archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia

Map references

Political Map of the World

Maritime claims

Environment (Protection and Preservation) Zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

none; located outside routes of Indian Ocean cyclones

Natural resources

coconuts, fish, sugarcane

Terrain

flat and low coral atolls (most areas do not exceed two m in elevation); sits atop the submarine volcanic Chagos-Laccadive Ridge

Age structure

0-14 years

NA

15-64 years

NA

65 years and over

NA

Birth rate

NA

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Death rate

NA

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

NA

potential support ratio

NA

total dependency ratio

NA

youth dependency ratio

NA

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

Population

no indigenous inhabitants

note

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; approximately 3,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (2018)

Capital

geographic coordinates

 7 18S, 12 24E

name

often regarded as being on Diego Garcia

time difference

UTC+6 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

history

British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004

Country name

abbreviation

BIOT

conventional long form

British Indian Ocean Territory

conventional short form

none

etymology

self-descriptive name specifying the territory's affiliation and location

Dependency status

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

cabinet

NA

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch

head of government

Commissioner Paul CANDLER (since 8 July 2021); Administrator Balraj DHANDA; note - both reside in the UK and are represented by Commander Colvin OSBORN, RN, Officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia (since January 2022)

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 (the symbols of the territory) centered on the outer half of the flag; the wavy stripes represent the Indian Ocean; although not officially described, the six blue stripes may stand for the six main atolls of the archipelago

International organization participation

UPU

Legal system

the laws of the UK apply where applicable

National anthem

note: as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom)

Economic overview

small island territory economy; economic activity mainly on Diego Garcia with national military installations; recently settled disputes with Mauritius have increased oil exports; established marine reserve has limited commercial fishing

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports - commodities

tuna and other fish, computers, integrated circuits, diamonds, jewelry (2021)

Exports - partners

Singapore 69%, United States 10%, Canada 5%, Ireland 4%, Saudi Arabia 2% (2021)

Imports - commodities

inedible fish and animal products, aluminum structures, cement, boat propellers, packaged medicines (2021)

Imports - partners

Singapore 64%, United States 22%, Panama 4%, Ireland 3%, Bulgaria 1% (2021)

Broadcast media

Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) broadcasts over 3 separate frequencies for US and UK military personnel stationed on the islands

Communications - note

Diego Garcia hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are on Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US), and on Ascension Island (Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha))

Internet country code

.io

Telecommunication systems

domestic

all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet (2018)

general assessment

separate facilities for military and public needs are available (2018)

international

country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; landing point for the SAFE submarine cable that provides direct connectivity to Africa, Asia and near-by Indian Ocean island countries; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2019)

Airports

1 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Diego Garcia

Roadways

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

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK; in November 2016, the UK extended the US lease on Diego Garcia until December 2036

Military and security forces

no regular military forces

Disputes - international

Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands; 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, who were evicted between 1967-73; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago were granted UK citizenship and the right of return; in 2006 and 2007, British court rulings invalidated the immigration policies contained in the 2004 British Indian Ocean Territory Constitution Order that had excluded the islanders from the archipelago; in 2008, a House of Lords' decision overturned lower court rulings, once again denying the right of return to Chagossians; in addition, the UK created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources therein

Climate

tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

Environment - current issues

wastewater discharge into the lagoon on Diego Garcia

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

100% (2018 est.)