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British Indian Ocean Territory

 
Dictionary: British Indian Ocean Territory
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A British dependency comprising small islands in the western Indian Ocean. It was formed in 1965 by agreement with Mauritius and Seychelles.

 

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Columbia Encyclopedia: British Indian Ocean Territory
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British Indian Ocean Territory, archipelago, c.1,180 mi (1,900 km), NE of Mauritius, in the central Indian Ocean. The islands, which form the Chagos Archipelago and are located on the southern end of a chain of sea mounts that also includes Lakshadweep and the Maldives, were administered by Mauritius before they were made a separate dependency by the British in 1965. Their importance is primarily strategic; the United States and Britain maintain a major naval facility on the main island, Diego Garcia. Between 1967 and 1973 Britain evicted the Chagos islanders as the archipelago was converted to purely military use. In 2000 they secured a British court decision declaring their explusion illegal, but the British government subsequently (2004) prevented their return to the outlying Chagos islands. The islanders again successfully challenged the government in court in 2007, but the government won on appeal the following year. The archipelago is claimed by Mauritius, Maldives, and Seychelles.

Statistics: British Indian Ocean Territory
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Click to enlarge flag of British Indian Ocean Territory
Introduction
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. 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. 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 on the part of the Chagossians.
Geography
Map of British Indian Ocean Territory
Location:archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E
Map references:Political Map of the World
Area: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
Area - comparative:land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:698 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain:flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Natural resources:coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Land use:arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:0 sq km
Natural hazards:NA
Environment - current issues:NA
Geography - note: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
People
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 1960s and 1970s; in November 2004, approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors were living on the island of Diego Garcia
Government
Country name:conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none
abbreviation: BIOT
Dependency status:overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Legal system:the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Colin ROBERTS (since July 2008); Administrator Joanne YEADON (since December 2007); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US:none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:none (overseas territory of 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
Economy - overview:All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed 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 territory earns foreign exchange by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.
Electricity - production:NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Electricity - consumption:NA kWh
Currency (code):US Dollar (USD)
Exchange rates:the US dollar is used
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use:NA
Telephone system:general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet
international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:NA
Television broadcast stations:1 (1997)
Televisions:NA
Internet country code:.io
Internet hosts:89 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2000)
Transportation
Airports:1 (2008)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2008)
Roadways:note: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia
Ports and terminals:Diego Garcia
Military
Military - note:defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international:Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2007, the UK Court of Appeals upheld the May 2006 High Court of London judgment reversing the UK government's 2004 Orders of Council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain

Wikipedia: British Indian Ocean Territory
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"BIOT" redirects here. For other uses, see Biot.
British Indian Ocean Territory
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "In tutela nostra Limuria"  (Latin)
"Limuria is in our charge"
Anthem: God Save the Queen
Capital
(and largest city)		 Diego Garcia
Official languages English
Ethnic groups  95.88% British 4.12% other[1]
Government British Overseas Territory
 -  Queen HM Queen Elizabeth II
 -  Commissioner Colin Roberts[2]
 -  Administrator Joanne Yeadon[2]
Created 1965 
Area
 -  Total 60 km2 (n/a)
23.2 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 0
Population
 -   estimate 3,500 (n/a)
 -  Density 58.3/km2 (n/a)
160.0/sq mi
Currency U.S. dollar[2] (USD)
Time zone (UTC+6)
Drives on the right
Internet TLD .io
Calling code 246

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) or Chagos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway 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.

Contents

History

The ancient Sanskrit phrase Lakshadweepa referred to the Islands of Lakshadweep, Maldives, Suvadives and the Chagos Archipelago as well. They were ruled from India originally, although never settled.

Maldivian mariners knew the Chagos Islands well.[3] In Maldivian lore they are known as Fōlhavahi or Hollhavai (the latter name in the closer Southern Maldives). According to Southern Maldivian oral tradition, traders and fishermen were occasionally lost at sea and got stranded in one of the islands of the Chagos. Eventually they were rescued and brought back home. However, these islands were judged to be too far away from the Maldives to be settled permanently by them. Thus for many centuries the Chagos were ignored by their northern neighbors.

The Islands of Chagos Archipelago were charted 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. Agricultural workers migrated to the Islands in the late nineteenth 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 facilities 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 8 November 1965. On 23 June 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.

In 1966, the British Government purchased the privately owned copra plantations, and closed them down, and forcefully removed the entire population (known as the Chagossians, or Ilois) 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 use of the islands as a base[citation needed]. 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.

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 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, Mauritius asserted a claim to sovereignty for the territory, citing the 1965 separation as illegal under international law, despite their apparent agreement at the time. The UK does not recognise Mauritius' claim, but has agreed to cede the Territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes.[4] The Seychelles also launched a sovereignty claim on several of the islands.

The islanders, who now reside in Mauritius and the Seychelles, have continually asserted their right to return to Diego Garcia, winning important legal victories in the English High Court in 2000, 2006 and 2007. However, in the High Court and Court of Appeal in 2003 and 2004, the islanders' application for further compensation on top of the £14.5 million value package of compensation they had already received was dismissed by the court.

On 11 May 2006 the High Court ruled that a 2004 Order in Council preventing the Chagossians's resettlement of the islands was unlawful, and consequently that the Chagossians were entitled to return to the outer islands of the Chagos Archipelago.[5][6] On 23 May 2007, this was confirmed by the Court of Appeal. In a UK Government-sponsored visit, the islanders visited Diego Garcia and other islands on 3 April 2006 for humanitarian purposes, including the tending of the graves of their ancestors.[7] On October 22, 2008, the British government won a case in the House of Lords regarding the royal prerogative used to continue excluding the Chagossians from their homeland.[8]

Politics and law

BIOT prior to Seychelles independence in 1976. (Desroches is not shown, but is a part of the Amirante Islands).
Main article: Government of British Indian Ocean Territory

As this is 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 currently no longer any native inhabitants. The head of government is the Commissioner, currently Colin Roberts (since July 2008,[2] replacing Leigh Turner) and Administrator Joanne Yeadon (since December 2007,[2] replacing Tony Humphries), all of whom reside in the UK. The Commissioner's representative in the Territory is the officer commanding the detachment of British forces.

The laws of the territory are based on the constitution, set out in the British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004, which gives the Commissioner full powers to make laws for the Territory.[2] Applicable treaties between the United Kingdom and the United States govern the use of the military base. The United States is required to ask permission of the United Kingdom to use 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.[citation needed]

Geography and communications

Main article: Geography of British Indian Ocean Territory
Map of the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1976

The territory is an archipelago of 55 islands,[2] the largest being Diego Garcia, accounting for almost three-quarters of the total land area of the territory, which is 60 km². The terrain is flat and low, with most areas not exceeding 2 metres above sea level. The climate is tropical marine; hot, humid, and moderated by trade winds.

With the exception of one two-lane motorway, 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; otherwise most transport is by bicycle.

Diego Garcia's military base is home to the territory's only airport (one paved runway over 3000 metres long), capable of operating very heavy USAF bombers like the B-52, and only one major seaport.

Economy

View of East Point, Diego Garcia from air.

All economic activity is concentrated on Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defence facilities are located. Approximately 2,000 native inhabitants, known as the Chagossians or Ilois, were forcibly relocated to Mauritius before construction of UK-US military facilities; in 1995, there were approximately 1,700 U.K. and U.S. military personnel and 1,500 civilian contractors living on the island. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are carried out by military and contract employees from the U.K., Mauritius, the Philippines, and the U.S. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. The licensing of commercial fishing provides an annual income of about $1 million for the territory.[9] 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 communications satellite. The territory has three radio broadcast stations, one AM and two FM, and one television broadcast station. Because of its extreme equatorial location, Diego Garcia can use geosynchronous satellites over the Indian Ocean and also some over the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Fairly active amateur radio operations occur from Diego Garcia, using the British callsign prefix VQ9.

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

See also

References

  1. ^ British Indian Ocean Territory Demographics/Ethnic groups stats
  2. ^ a b c d e f g British Indian Ocean Territory (British Overseas Territory), Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  3. ^ Xavier Romero-Frias, The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom. Barcelona 1999, ISBN 84 7254 801 5. Chapter 1 "A Seafaring Nation", page 19
  4. ^ Foreign Affairs Committee (6 July 2008), Seventh Report - Overseas Territories, House of Commons, p. 125, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmfaff/147/14708.htm#a39, retrieved 2009-08-06 
  5. ^ News - Telegraph[dead link]
  6. ^ This is a draft of the judgement to be handed down on ––––– 2000 at ––––– a.m. in Court No –––. It is confidential to Counsel and Solicitors, but the substance may be communicated to clients not more than one hour before the giving of judgement. The offi
  7. ^ BBC NEWS | UK | Paradise regained - for a few days
  8. ^ AFP: Britain wins appeal over Chagos islanders' return home
  9. ^ House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 21 Jun 2004 (pt 13)

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.  Read more
Statistics. The World Factbook 2009 is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "British Indian Ocean Territory".  Read more