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In general, information available as of 1 January, 2004
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2004.
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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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
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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: 60 sq km
note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
water: 0 sq km
land: 60 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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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 - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
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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 four 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: NEGL
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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0 sq km (1998 est.)
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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 2,300 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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People |
British Indian Ocean Territory |
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Economy |
British Indian Ocean Territory |
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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 and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; 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 restricted access to the largest island in the chain
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This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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