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BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY

 (dependent territory of the UK) 

@British Indian Ocean Territory:Geography

 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

@British Indian Ocean Territory:People

 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

@British Indian Ocean Territory:Government

 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

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.

 Electricity: provided by the US military

@British Indian Ocean Territory:Transportation

 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

@British Indian Ocean Territory:Communications

 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

@British Indian Ocean Territory:Defense Forces

 Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK


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