British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)

Work on the military base commenced in 1971, with a large airbase with several long range runways constructed, as well as a harbor suitable for large naval vessels. Although classed as a joint UK/US base, in practice it is primarily staffed by the US military, although the UK maintains a garrison 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.

In 1990, the first BIOT flag was unfurled. This flag, which also contains the Union Jack, has depictions of the Indian Ocean, where the islands are located, in the form of white and blue wavy lines and also a palm tree rising above the British crown. The US-UK arrangement which established the territory for defense purposes initially was in place from 1966 to 2016, and has subsequently been renewed to continue until 2036. The announcement was accompanied by a pledge of £40 million in compensation to former residents.

International rulings:

On 22 May 2019, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution, affirming that “the Chagos Archipelago forms an integral part of the territory of Mauritius”, citing the February 2019 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the separation of the archipelago from Mauritius. In its advisory opinion, the Court concluded that “the process of decolonization of Mauritius was not lawfully completed when that country acceded to independence” and that “the United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible”. The motion was approved by a majority vote with 116 member states voting for and 6 against. On 28 January 2021, the United Nation’s International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled, in a dispute between Mauritius and Maldives on their maritime boundary, that the United Kingdom has no sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, and that Mauritius is sovereign there. The United Kingdom disputes and does not recognize the tribunal’s decision.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU), which has jurisdiction over international mail among treaty signatory states, voted in 2021 to ban the use of British postage stamps on mail to and from BIOT, instead requiring Mauritian stamps to be used.

Geography:

British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) 4 — Map of the British Indian Ocean Territory

The territory is an archipelago of 55 islands, the largest being Diego Garcia, the only inhabited island which accounts for almost half of the territory’s total land area (60 km²). The terrain is flat and low, with most areas not exceeding 2 m (6 ft 7 in) above sea level. In 2010, 545,000 square kilometers (210,426 sq mi) of ocean around the islands was declared a marine reserve.

The British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004 defines the territory as comprising the following islands or groups of islands:

Economy:

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