The British Indian Ocean Territory is a overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
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 for the Chagossians.[1]
Economy
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.[2]
Monarch
- Elizabeth II (₩) (November 8, 1965 - )
Commissioner
- Colin Roberts (₩) (June 23, 2008 - )
Administrator
- Joanne Yeadon (₩) (December 3, 2007 - )
Nation
United Kingdom (Overseas)
British Overseas Territories
- File:Flag of Anguilla.svg Anguilla (From 1980)
- File:Flag of Bermuda.svg Bermuda (From 1684)
- File:Flag of the British Antarctic Territory.svg British Antarctic Territory (From 1962)
- File:Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg British Virgin Islands (From 1960)
- File:Flag of the Cayman Islands.svg Cayman Islands (From 1962)
- File:Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg Falkland Islands (From 1833)
- File:Flag of Gibraltar.svg Gibraltar (From 1704)
- File:Flag of Montserrat.svg Montserrat (From 1962)
- File:Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg Turks and Caicos Islands (From 1962)
- File:Flag of Pitcairn.svg Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands (From 1970)
- File:Flag of Saint Helena.svg Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (From 2009)
- File:Flag of South Georgia.svg South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (From 1985)
- Akrotiri and Dhekelia (From 1960)
