 .IO - British Indian Ocean Territory
Registration · Transfer · Renewal
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Payable by
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Special Requirements:
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Anyone can register .IO
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1 Year at 99.95
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| Map |
British Indian Ocean Territory |
| Introduction |
British Indian Ocean Territory |
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Background: |
Established as a territory of
the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)
islands were 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. Former
agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated
primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973.
In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration
order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special
military status of Diego Garcia. |
| Geography |
British Indian Ocean
Territory |
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Location: |
archipelago in the Indian
Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
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Geographic coordinates: |
6 00 S, 71 30 E |
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Map references: |
Political Map of the World
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Area: |
total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note:
includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
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Area - comparative: |
about 0.3 times the size of
Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries: |
0 km |
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Coastline: |
698 km |
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
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Climate: |
tropical marine; hot, humid,
moderated by trade winds |
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Terrain: |
flat and low (most areas do not
exceed four meters in elevation) |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Indian
Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
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Natural resources: |
coconuts, fish, sugarcane
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Land use: |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001) |
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Irrigated land: |
0 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards: |
NA |
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Environment - current issues: |
NA |
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Geography - 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
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| People |
British Indian Ocean
Territory |
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Population: |
no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident
in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were
relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in
November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High
Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were
approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian
contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2005 est.)
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| Government |
British Indian Ocean
Territory |
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none
abbreviation: BIOT |
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Dependency status: |
overseas territory of the UK;
administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office in London |
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Legal system: |
the laws of the UK, where
applicable, apply |
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Executive branch: |
chief of state: Queen
ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government:
Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony
HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is
hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none (overseas territory of the
UK) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none (overseas territory of the
UK) |
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Flag description: |
white with six blue wavy
horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side
quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered
on the outer half of the flag |
| Economy |
British Indian Ocean
Territory |
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Economy - 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. When
the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and
fishing. |
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Electricity - production: |
NA kWh; note - electricity
supplied by the US military |
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Electricity - consumption: |
NA kWh |
| Communications |
British Indian Ocean
Territory |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
NA |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment:
separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available,
including connection to the Internet
international:
international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
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Radios: |
NA |
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Television broadcast stations: |
1 (1997) |
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Televisions: |
NA |
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Internet country code: |
.io |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Transportation |
British Indian Ocean
Territory |
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Highways: |
total: NA km
paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on
Diego Garcia
unpaved: NA km |
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Ports and harbors: |
Diego Garcia |
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Airports: |
1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 1
over
3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Military |
British Indian Ocean
Territory |
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Military - note: |
defense is the responsibility
of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 |
| Transnational Issues |
British Indian Ocean
Territory |
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Disputes - international: |
Mauritius and Seychelles claim
the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in
Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to
repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians'
demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated
by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access
to the largest island in the chain |
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