ARCHIVE // IO // 1998

British Indian Ocean Territory

1998 Edition — territory

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Economy
Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]
All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. 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.
Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]
NA kW note: electricity supplied by the US military
Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]
NA kWh Communications
Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]
NA kWh note: electricity supplied by the US military
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios [time series]
NA
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
facilities for military needs only domestic: NA international: NA
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
NA
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
1
Televisions [time series]
NA
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline [time series]
698 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]
NA
International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
6 00 S, 71 30 E
Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]
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
Irrigated land [time series]
0 sq km (1993)
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA%
Location [time series]
Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references [time series]
World
Maritime claims [time series]
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
NA
Natural resources [time series]
coconuts, fish
Terrain [time series]
flat and low (up to four meters in elevation)
Government
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
Data code [time series]
IO
Dependency status [time series]
dependent territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
none (dependent territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (dependent territory of the UK)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner David Ross MACLENNAN (since NA 1994); Administrator Don CAIRNS (since NA); note-both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; commissioner and administrator appointed by the queen
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
white with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and six blue wavy horizontal stripes bearing a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
Legal system [time series]
NA
Military
Military - note (Military-note) [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
People
Population [time series]
no indigenous inhabitants note: there are UK-US military personnel and civilian contractors; approximately 3,000 native inhabitants, known as the Chagosians or Ilois, were evacuated to Mauritius before construction of UK-US military facilities
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]
the island of Diego Garcia is claimed by Mauritius; the Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Seychelles BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS (dependent territory of the UK)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
1 (1997 est.)
Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: NA km paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Diego Garcia