British Indian Ocean Territory
(see Contact Addresses section).
The Territory consists of the Chagos Archipelago, 1930km (1199 miles) northeast of Mauritius, which includes the coral atoll of Diego Garcia. Area: 60 sq km (23 sq miles) of land and over 54,400 sq km (21,100 sq miles) of sea. Population: There are no permanent inhabitants; however, the original inhabitants, who were forcibly evicted in the 1960s, were given permission to return, although the exact details of the rights of the islanders remains in dispute. This culminated in the rejection of their claims for compensation in court in late 2003. In September 2003, there were approximately 3000 people stationed in the Territory, consisting of US and British military personnel and their supporting workforce. Time: GMT + 6. Money: UK Pound Sterling; the US Dollar is also accepted. History: Under the terms of the 1966 agreement, the islands are used jointly by the US and UK governments for military purposes. A Fisheries Commission was formed between the UK and Mauritius in 1994 for the promotion of conservation and scientific research into fisheries in the region.
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