The British Indian Ocean Territory is an overseas territory under United Kingdom. The archipelago is situated between Africa and Indonesia. The territory possesses 6 atolls of the Chagos Archipelago. The archipelago comprises 55 islands. Diego Garcia is the largest island. It is located at the southernmost corner of the territory. It is the centre of the joint UK-US defense facilities. Military affairs are handled by the United Kingdom. United States’ lease on Diego Garcia will expire in 2016.
HISTORY:- Vasco da Gama discovered Chagos Archipelago in the 16th century. In the 18th century, Mauritius was claimed by the French. But in 1810, France left the land in the Treaty of Paris and United Kingdom occupied Mauritius. The British Indian Ocean Territory was formed when Chagos Archipelago had been separated from Mauritius and the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches had been split from the Seychelles in 1965. The purpose of the split was to allow military facilities for both UK and US. In 1965, the official formation of the overseas territory of UK, on the islands is declared. In 1976, the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches again rejoined with Seychelles. Remaining 6 islands constituted the British Indian Ocean Territory. In the early 1980s, the Mauritian Government claimed the territory as they announced the partition of 1965 illegal. The Seychelles government also asserted a claim on numerous islands of the archipelago. The inhabitants of the Mauritius and the Seychelles wanted to go back to Diego Garcia and had pleaded in the English High Court of Justice in 2000, 2002 and 2007, which they won. On 3rd April, 2006, the islanders were given rights to visit Diego Garcia for humanitarian purposes.
GEOGRAPHY:- The British Indian Ocean Territory consists of 55 islands. It is an archipelago, located at 6 00 S, 71 30 E in the Indian Ocean. The archipelago occupies total 60 sq km land area and 54,340 sq km water area. The largest island is Diego Garcia (7 20 S, 72 25 E ), spanning through 44 sq km. the coast line is 698 km spanned. The lowest point is located at the Indian Ocean (0 m) and the highest point is an unnamed location, situated on Diego Garcia (15 m). The archipelago is flat and low. Most of the places are maximum 2 meters elevated.
CLIMATE:- The climate of the archipelago is tropical marine, hot, and humid, which is moderated by trade winds.
GOVERNMENT:- The archipelago is an overseas territory of UK. A commissioner governs the territory. He resides in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.
The legal system is based on the UK law. The commissioner is the head of the government. Both the commissioner and administrator are appointed by the monarch.
Monarch Queen Elizabeth II
Commissioner Leigh Turner
Administrator Tony Humphries
ECONOMY:- Economy of the territory is concentrated only around Diego Garcia. The territory earns foreign exchange by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.
Natural resources: coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Currency: both the British Pound (GBP) and the US Dollar (USD).
LANGUAGE:- English is the official language.
CITIES:- Diego Garcia is the largest island.
TRANSPORTATION:-
Airports: 1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1; over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways: there is no such road .
Ports and terminals: Diego Garcia
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