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The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) 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.
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 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 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.
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 claim to sovereignty for 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 English High Court of Justice in 2000.
This judgment was not appealed by the British Government, who subsequently,
however, attempted to reverse the effect of the judgment by a new
Order-in-Council in June 2004.
On 11 May 2006 the High Court ruled that
the Order-in-Council was unlawful, and consequently that the Ilois were entitled
to return to the Chagos Archipelago.
[1]
[2] On 23 May 2007, this was confirmed by the Court of Appeal, who refused
permission to appeal to the House of Lords. It is not yet known if the
Government will seek permission to appeal directly from the House of Lords.
[3]
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.
[4]
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 Leigh Turner (since July 2006,
replacing Tony Crombie) 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 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.
Geography and
communications
The territory is an archipelago of 2,300
islands, the largest being Diego Garcia. The total area of the territory is
60 km˛. The terrain is flat and low, with a typical elevation of 4 metres. The
climate is tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds.
With the exception of one four-lane motorway,
the only one of its kind in the South Indian Ocean, 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) and only major
port.
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 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. [5].
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.
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