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The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) comprises some 2300 tropical islands of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean,
about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia, around 6°S, 71°30'E. It is an Overseas
Territory of the United Kingdom (UK). Diego Garcia, the largest and southernmost island, occupies a strategic location in the central Indian
Ocean and is the site of a joint military facility between the UK and the United States. The total land area of the Territory is 60 square kilometres.
History
BIOT was established as a territory of the United Kingdom on
November 8, 1965, consisting of Chagos
Archipelago, Aldabra, Farquhar and Des Roches islands. On June 23, 1976, Aldabra, Farquhar and Des Roches 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 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 resident 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 which had excluded them
from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego
Garcia. The territory is a possession of the United Kingdom
administered by a commissioner, who is resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Defence is the responsibility of the United
Kingdom; the United States lease on Diego Garcia will expire in 2016. However, the Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius [1] (http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/0/25adb841b2f52979c1256bdd004c30b2). When BIOT was created
the UK Government gave an undertaking to cede the Chagos
islands to Mauritius when they were no longer required for defence purposes
[2] (http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1018952687077).
Government and politics
- Main article: Government of British Indian Ocean Territory
As a territory of the United Kingdom, its head of state is Queen
Elizabeth II of the United
Kingdom, and the head of government is Commissioner Tony Crombie (since January 2004,
replacing David Ross MacLennan) and Administrator Charles A. Hamilton (since 2002,
replacing Don Cairns), all of whom reside in the UK. No elections are held; the monarch is hereditary, and the commissioner and
the administrator are appointed by the monarch.
Economy
All economic activity is concentrated on Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US
defence facilities are located. Approximately 3,000 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 [3] (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo040621/text/40621w13.htm#40621w13.html_sbhd2).
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.
Geography and communications
- Main article: Geography of British Indian Ocean Territory.
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, which has numerous paved runways, some over 3000 metres long.
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