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British Indian Ocean Territory

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Asian Countries;
Countries

   British Indian Ocean Territory

   Flag of British Indian Ocean Territory Coat of arms of British Indian
                                          Ocean Territory
   Flag                                   Coat of arms
   Motto: In tutela nostra Limuria
   (Latin:" Limuria is in our charge")
   Anthem: God Save the Queen
   Location of British Indian Ocean Territory
   Capital
   (and largest city) n/a
   Official languages English
   Government Overseas territory of the United Kingdom
    - Commissioner Tony Crombie
    - Administrator Tony Humphries
   Created 1965
   Area
    - Total 60 km² ( n/a)
    sq mi
    - Water (%) 0
   Population
    - Density 58.3/km² ( n/a)
   /sq mi
   Currency Pound sterling^1 ( GBP)
   Time zone ( UTC+6)
    - Summer ( DST) ( UTC+?)
   Internet TLD .io
   Calling code +246
   ^1 U.S. dollar accepted.

   The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is an overseas territory of
   the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, one half the way
   between Africa and Indonesia. The territory comprises the six atolls of
   the Chagos Archipelago with over 1,000 individual islands.

   The largest island is Diego Garcia, the site of a joint military
   facility of the United Kingdom and the United States.

History

   The Islands of Chagos Archipelago were discovered by Vasco da Gama in
   the early sixteenth century, then claimed in the eighteenth century by
   France as a possession of Mauritius. However, in 1810, Mauritius was
   captured by the United Kingdom, and France ceded the territory in the
   Treaty of Paris (1814). Agricultural workers migrated to the Islands in
   the late 19th century, settling on the main island of Diego Garcia and
   establishing copra plantations.

   In 1965, the United Kingdom split the Chagos Archipelago from
   Mauritius, and the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches (Des
   Roches) from the Seychelles to form the British Indian Ocean Territory.
   The purpose was to allow the construction of military facilties for the
   mutual benefit of the United Kingdom and the United States. The islands
   were formally established as an overseas territory of the United
   Kingdom on November 8, 1965. On June 23, 1976, Aldabra, Farquhar and
   Desroches were returned to Seychelles as a result of it attaining
   independence. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main
   island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago.

   The creation of BIOT has been subject to legal controversy, as some
   legal opinions from international law experts say that the decision to
   separate the BIOT from Mauritius was illegal because international law
   does not allow the dismembering of a country before independence.
   However the decision was taken with the full agreement of the Mauritius
   Council of Ministers

   In 1966, the British Government purchased the privately owned copra
   plantations, and closed them down, and removed the entire population
   (known as the Ilois, or Chagossians) of Diego Garcia to Mauritius. In
   1971, the United Kingdom and the United States signed a treaty, leasing
   the island of Diego Garcia to the American military for the purposes of
   building a large air and naval base on the Island. The deal was
   important to the United Kingdom, as the United States agreed to give
   them a substantial discount on the purchase of Polaris nuclear missiles
   in return for the lease. The strategic location of the Island was also
   significant at the centre of the Indian Ocean, and to counter any
   Soviet threat in the region.
   View of Diego Garcia, showing military base.
   Enlarge
   View of Diego Garcia, showing military base.

   Work on the military base commenced in 1971, with a large airbase with
   several long range runways constructed, as well as a harbour suitable
   for large naval vessels. Although classed as a joint UK/US base, in
   practice it is mainly staffed by the American military, although a
   small British garrison is maintained at all times, and Royal Air Force
   long range patrol aircraft are deployed there. The United States Air
   Force used the base during the 1991 Gulf War and the 2001 war in
   Afghanistan, as well as the 2003 Iraq War.

   During the 1980s, the Mauritian Government asserted a sovereignty claim
   on the territory, citing the 1965 separation as illegal under
   international law, despite their apparent agreement at the time. The
   Seychelles also launched a sovereignty claim on several of the Islands.

   The Ilois, who now reside in Mauritius and the Seychelles have
   continually asserted their right to return to Diego Garcia, winning an
   important legal victory in the British High Court of Justice in 2000.
   However, this judgement was overturned by Order-in-Council in June
   2004. On May 11, 2006 the British High Court ruled that these
   Orders-in-Council were unlawful, and consequently that the Ilois were
   entitled to return to the Chagos Archipelago. It remains to be seen
   whether the British Government will appeal, and when or how the
   judgment might be implemented in practice.

   The Ilois were granted the right to visit Diego Garcia on April 3, 2006
   for humanitarian purposes, including the tending of the graves of their
   ancestors.

Politics and law

   As a territory of the United Kingdom, the head of state is Queen
   Elizabeth II. There is no Governor appointed to represent the Queen on
   the territory, as there are no native inhabitants. The head of
   government is the Commissioner, currently Tony Crombie (since January
   2004, replacing David Ross MacLennan) and Administrator Tony Humphries
   (since February 2005, replacing Charles A. Hamilton), all of whom
   reside in the UK.

   The laws of the territory are based on the constitution, set out in the
   British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004. Applicable
   treaties between the United Kingdom and the United States govern the
   use of the military base. The United States are required to ask
   permission of the United Kingdom if they are using the base for
   offensive military action.

   The UK has an agreement with Mauritius to return the territory in the
   event that they are no longer required for defence purposes.

Geography and communications

   Map of the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1976
   Enlarge
   Map of the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1976
   BIOT prior to Seychelles independence in 1976. (Desroches is not shown,
   but is a part of the Amirante Islands).
   Enlarge
   BIOT prior to Seychelles independence in 1976. (Desroches is not shown,
   but is a part of the Amirante Islands).

   The territory is an archipelago of 2,300 islands, the largest being
   Diego Garcia. The total area of the territory is 60 km². The terrain is
   flat and low, with a typical elevation of 4 metres. The climate is
   tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds.

   Most of the islands in the territory have no roads of any sort; Diego
   Garcia has a short stretch of paved road between the port and airfield;
   most transport is by bicycle. Diego Garcia includes a major naval port
   but no other island has a port or harbour. The only airport is the
   military base on Diego Garcia, with a paved runway over 3000 metres
   long.

Economy

   All economic activity is concentrated on Diego Garcia, where joint
   UK-US defense facilities are located. Approximately 2,000 native
   inhabitants, known as the Chagosians or Ilois, were forcibly removed to
   Mauritius before construction of UK-US military facilities; in 1995,
   there were approximately 1700 UK and US military personnel and 1500
   civilian contractors living on the island. 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. The licensing of commercial fishing provides
   an annual income of about one million dollars for the Territory. .
   Separate telephone facilities for military and public needs are
   available, providing all standard commercial telephone services,
   including connection to the Internet. International telephone service
   is carried by satellite. The Territory has three radio broadcast
   stations, one AM and two FM, and one television broadcast station. Its
   Internet country code (top-level domain) is IO.

   Postage stamps have been issued for British Indian Ocean Territory
   since 17 January 1968.

   British overseas territories and crown dependencies
   British overseas territories and crown dependencies
   Overseas territories: Anguilla • Bermuda • British Antarctic Territory
   • British Indian Ocean Territory • British Virgin Islands • Cayman
   Islands • Falkland Islands • Gibraltar • Montserrat • Pitcairn Islands
   • Saint Helena ( Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha) • South Georgia
   and the South Sandwich Islands • Turks and Caicos Islands

   Crown dependencies: Guernsey • Jersey • Isle of Man

   Sovereign base areas: Akrotiri and Dhekelia
   Outlying territories of European countries
   Territories under European sovereignty but closer to continents other
   than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information)
     Denmark Greenland
    France

   Guadeloupe • Martinique • Saint-Pierre et Miquelon • Mayotte •
   Réunion • Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean • Clipperton Island •
   New Caledonia • French Polynesia • Wallis and Futuna • French Guiana •
   French Southern Territories
    Italy Pantelleria • Pelagie Islands
     Netherlands Aruba • Netherlands Antilles
     Norway Bouvet Island
    Portugal Azores Islands • Madeira Islands
    Spain Ceuta • Melilla • Plazas de soberanía • Canary Islands
    United Kingdom

   Anguilla • Bermuda • British Virgin Islands • Cayman Islands •
   Falkland Islands • Montserrat • Saint Helena • Tristan da Cunha •
   Turks and Caicos Islands • British Indian Ocean Territory •
   Pitcairn Islands • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

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