British Indian Ocean Territory
Independence none (dependent territory of the UK)
British Indian Ocean Territory as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 45 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about | one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
18 fieldsLocation
Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Land use
- arable land:
- NA%
- permanent crops:
- NA%
- permanent pastures :
- NA%
- forests and woodland:
- NA%
- other:
- 100% (1993 est.)
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
People
1 fieldPopulation
no indigenous inhabitants note: there are UK-US military personnel and civilian contractors; civilian inhabitants, known as the Ilois, evacuated to Mauritius before construction of UK-US military facilities
Government
9 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- conventional short form :
- none
- abbreviation:
- BIOT
Dependency status
dependent territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Executive branch
- 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 description
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
Economy
All economic activity is concentrated on the | largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities | are located.
4 fieldsEconomy - 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.
Communications
6 fieldsTransportation
5 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Highways
- total:
- NA km
- paved:
- short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia
- unpaved :
- NA km
Military
1 fieldTransnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
the island of Diego Garcia is claimed by Mauritius BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS (dependent territory of the UK)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “British Indian Ocean Territory.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/british-indian-ocean-territory/1997.