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- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Header
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- Affiliation:
- (dependent territory of the UK)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Geography
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- Location:
- Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from
- Africa to Indonesia
- Map references:
- World
- Area:
- total area:
- 60 sq km
- land area:
- 60 sq km
- comparative area:
- about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
- note:
- includes the island of Diego Garcia
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 698 km
- Maritime claims:
- exclusive fishing zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 3 nm
- International disputes:
- the entire Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius
- Climate:
- tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
- Terrain:
- flat and low (up to 4 meters in elevation)
- Natural resources:
- coconuts, fish
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 0%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 0%
- forest and woodland:
- 0%
- other:
- 100%
- Irrigated land:
- 0 sq km
- Environment:
- current issues:
- NA
- natural hazards:
- NA
- international agreements:
- NA
- Note:
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- People
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- Population:
- no indigenous inhabitants
- note:
- there are UK-US military personnel; civilian inhabitants, known as the
- Ilois, evacuated to Mauritius before construction of UK-US military
- facilities
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Government
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- Names:
- conventional long form:
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- conventional short form:
- none
- Abbreviation:
- BIOT
- Digraph:
- IO
- Type:
- dependent territory of the UK
- Capital:
- none
- Independence:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
- head of government:
- Commissioner Mr. D. R. MACLENNAN); Administrator Mr. David Smith; note -
- both reside in the UK
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- US diplomatic representation:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- Flag:
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Economy
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- Overview:
- 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:
- provided by the US military
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Transportation
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- Railroads:
- 0 km
- Highways:
- total:
- NA
- paved:
- short stretch of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia
- unpaved:
- NA
- Ports:
- Diego Garcia
- Airports:
- total:
- 1
- with paved runways over 3,047 m:
- 1
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Communications
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- Telephone system:
- NA telephones; minimal facilities
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- NA
- international:
- 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
- Radio:
- broadcast stations:
- AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
- radios:
- NA
- Television:
- broadcast stations:
- 1
- televisions:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Defense Forces
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- Note:
- defense is the responsibility of the UK
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