Legend:
Definition
Field Listing
Rank Order
Background:
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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.
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Location:
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archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
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Geographic coordinates:
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6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E
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Map references:
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Political Map of the World
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Area:
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total: 54,400 sq km
land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km
water: 54,340 sq km
note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
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Area - comparative:
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land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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698 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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Climate:
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tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
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Terrain:
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flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
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Natural resources:
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coconuts, fish, sugarcane
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Land use:
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arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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0 sq km
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Natural hazards:
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NA
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Environment - current issues:
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NA
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Geography - note:
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archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
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Disputes - international:
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Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain;
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This page was last updated on 19 September, 2006
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