The population of the British Indian Ocean Territory. School Encyclopedia

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It is located a little south of the Republic of Maldives and consists of an archipelago Chagos, which includes more than 60 islands of different shapes and sizes. It is located between Africa and Indonesia, representing one of the most remote areas of land, located among the expanses of the Indian Ocean.

Peculiarities

Today, this British territory is an exclusively military facility, where the civilian personnel of the British and American military bases live. Among these personnel are also Mauritians and Filipinos working on a contract basis and maintenance bases. There are no industrial and manufacturing plants or factories here. Historically, several states claimed these lands at once, but now the territory is subject to the commissioner of the British Foreign Office, whose actual representative is the commander of the British armed forces located on largest island archipelago - Diego Garcia.

Of course, in the British territory in Indian Ocean there are no public amenities of civilization, but there are several radio stations, a television channel and satellite communications that allow military personnel to contact their families at home by telephone and other means of communication. The main source of income in the region is the sale of licenses for fishing in the waters surrounding the British territory. These licenses are sold in London and are in great demand among fishing enthusiasts.

general information

The area of the British Isles is only 60 sq. km. The population that does not live here on a permanent basis is about 3,500 people. The main language on the islands is English. The national currency is the US dollar and British pounds. Time zone UTC+6. Time ahead of Moscow by 3 hours. Telephone code countries +246.

A brief excursion into history

For the first time, for the rest of the world, these shores were discovered by the famous Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama, and in the 18th century they were officially declared by the French as part of the colony of Mauritius. However, already in 1814, the territory was transferred to Great Britain, after which, up to the present day, Mauritius constantly claims its rights to island lands. Until the 1960s, there lived locals calling themselves Chagossians. They were engaged in agriculture and fishing, but before placing the US-British military base, all islanders were evicted with minimal benefits. The British leased the island of Diego Garcia to the United States, which ends in a few years. Recently, the military base was used for its intended purpose during the war in Persian Gulf in the early 90s, the Afghan war of 2001 and the war in Iraq in 2003. Many indigenous people who were forced to leave the archipelago several decades ago have long complained to the British government about the ban on return and have even been heard. Now the indigenous islanders have the opportunity to visit their homeland, of course, as yet without the right to reside.

Climate

The region has a maritime tropical climate. Winds blow here throughout the year, and average temperature air from January to December fluctuates around +26 - +28 degrees. There is quite a lot of precipitation, but most of it falls on the period from November to February. Natural disasters are not uncommon in the form of storms and strong winds blowing over the unprotected island shores of the archipelago.

Geography . The Chagos archipelago, together with the many reefs and small landmasses surrounding it, forms the face of the British Indian Ocean Territory. It consists of 7 atolls, where Diego Garcia acts as the central one, which in turn is formed from 4 islands and occupies an area of not much more than 27 square meters. km. Since 1973, an American military base has been located there. The military forces of Great Britain make up only a small garrison. The remaining 6 atolls, including Egmont, Peros Baños, Salomon, Greater Chagos Bank, Blenheim Reef and Speakers Bank, are uninhabited and form part of the tropical natural oasis of this archipelago.

Visa and customs regulations

Entering the British Indian Ocean Territory is possible only by special invitation from the British government or by being a native Chagossian with documentary evidence of the place of birth.

How to get there

On the island of Diego Garcia, which is part of the Chagos Archipelago, there is a military airport, consisting of a single strip 3 km long. It accepts heavy bombers and other air Transport, pertaining to US and UK air aviation. Also, you can get to the islands through the water expanses of the Indian Ocean.

Transport

In fact, the aircraft two-lane freeway is the only internal road in the archipelago. Otherwise, there are no roads suitable for driving within the land, and the bicycle acts as the only type of “public” transport.

While most go to sunbathe in the Seychelles, those who know a lot about relaxation are already settling in hotels on the atolls of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

The favorable location and untouched nature in the blink of an eye made these islands popular among sophisticated tourists.

The archipelago has a hot and humid climate, moderated by winds, and the temperature rarely drops below +30 ° C, which gives tourists the opportunity to relax here almost at any time of the year.

The main thing is not to come here during the season of strong tropical cyclones.

Rest

Dazzling beaches with fine sand and coconut palms creating the desired freshness - there are all conditions for beach holiday your dreams. And if you get bored with a serene pastime, you can always diversify it. sea views sports: diving, windsurfing, snorkeling and yachting.

Coastal waters will give fans of fishing a lot of pleasure, because there are a lot of fish in these parts.

Nature has generously endowed these islands picturesque places, many of which are now protected areas. While walking around the archipelago, you will meet many marine animals and exotic birds. There are a lot of elephant turtles here, and this place is also home to the largest population of coconut crabs in the world.

It is no coincidence that the capital of the region, the island of Diego Garcia, is compared with a green carpet - it is so replete with tropical vegetation.

Kitchen

In the local island cuisine, Chinese and Creole culinary traditions are mixed. Especially popular here is fish, which is always seasoned with an impressive amount of sauces and spices.

A lot of space in the local cuisine is occupied by traditional oriental dishes: beans with vegetables, fried chicken, rice cakes and other goodies.

Visa How to get there?

The British archipelago consists of dozens of small coral islands, of which only one is inhabited - Diego Garcia. There is a large US air base and sea port for military ships and submarines, which is used jointly by Great Britain and America. Free to visit the island ... Read more

Border nuances Customs

To get to the archipelago, you must present an invitation from the British government, well, or ...

Introduction

British Indian Ocean Territory British Indian Ocean Territory) is a British overseas territory located in the Indian Ocean south of the Maldives.

The British Indian Ocean Territory consists of the Chagos Archipelago, which includes 55 islands. The largest is the island of Diego Garcia (44 km²). total area territory - 60 km².

1. History

Once the phrase in Sanskrit "Lakshadweep" ("Thousand hundred islands") denoted the islands of Lakshadweep, the Maldives, Suvadive and the Chagos archipelago. Initially they were ruled from India, but they did not have a permanent population.

Maldivian sailors knew the Chagos archipelago well. According to oral tradition, they sometimes washed up on these islands, but the archipelago was considered too remote to inhabit.

The Chagos archipelago was first mapped by Vasco da Gama, who sailed by in the 16th century.

In the 18th century, France declared Chagos its possession, as part of the colony of Mauritius. Since 1815, under the Paris Peace Treaty, Chagos (as part of Mauritius) passed into the possession of Great Britain.

In the 19th century, plantations of coconut palms for the production of copra began to be cultivated on the island of Diego Garcia, for which workers were brought from India (before that, there were no inhabitants on the archipelago).

On November 8, 1965, Great Britain separated the Chagos Archipelago from the island of Mauritius, and established the British Overseas Territory in the Indian Ocean on it in order to establish a military base on Diego Garcia. Because of the construction of a military base in 1967, the Chagossians (about 1,200 people) were resettled by the British authorities in Mauritius and the Seychelles.

2. Population

Now the population of the territory is the military and civilian personnel (about 4 thousand people) of the British-American military base located on the island of Diego Garcia. Among the civilian personnel, in addition to the British and Americans, are Mauritians and Filipinos.

3. Management

The Territory is administered by a British Foreign Office Commissioner based in London. On the spot, he is represented by the officer in command of the British forces on Diego Garcia.

4. Economy

No industrial or agricultural activity is carried out (other than maintenance of the base), but in London there is a sale of fishing licenses in the 200-mile zone and the commercial issue of postage stamps.

5. International disputes

In the 1980s, the island of Mauritius claimed ownership of these territories, claiming that the 1965 secession was illegal. The fact is that Article 6 of the UN Declaration No. 1514 “On the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples” unambiguously defines the territorial integrity of the colonies, and since this declaration was adopted 5 years before the separation of the archipelago, Mauritius theoretically has grounds for making claims on its territory. Great Britain did not recognize the rights of Mauritius, but agreed to transfer the Chagos Archipelago to him when there was no longer a military need for it.

The Seychelles also lay claim to the Chagos Archipelago, including the island of Diego Garcia.

Bibliography:

British Indian Ocean Territory (British Overseas Territory), Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

UN Declaration No. 1514

Source: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Territory_in_Indian_Ocean

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The British Indian Ocean Territory is a British overseas territory located in the Indian Ocean south of Maldives.

The British Indian Ocean Territory consists of the Chagos Archipelago, which includes 55 islands. The largest is the island of Diego Garcia (44 km²). The total area of the territory is 60 km².

International disputes

November 8, 1965 United Kingdom separated the Chagos archipelago from the island Mauritius, and established a British Overseas Territory in the Indian Ocean on it to establish a military base on Diego Garcia. Due to the construction of a military base since 1967, the Chagossians (about 1200 people) were resettled by the British authorities on Mauritius and Seychelles.

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