British Indian Ocean Territory, UK
https://www.rozen-bakher.com/blog/25032025/british-indian-ocean-territory
Published Date: 25 March 2025
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Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher
A Researcher in International Relations with a Focus on Security, Political and Economic Risks for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and International Trade
British Indian Ocean Territory, UK
Disputed Colony between UK vs. Mauritius vs. Self-Determination of Chagossians that Displaced From Diego Garcia
Distance from British Indian Ocean Territory to UK: 9,250 Km (Straight line distance Capital-to-Capital in Km, Map Developers)
The British Indian Ocean Territory comprises several atolls of the Chagos Archipelago, including the Diego Garcia Island. Thus, the Chagos islands have been a British Colony since the 18th century, still, the Chagos Archipelago changed hands in terms of territory namely, first, it was part of the Maldivian territory, but after that, under the Seychelles territory, and from the start of the 20th century, under the Mauritius territory, which at that time, all of them were part of the British Empire. However, when the British granted Independence to Mauritius in 1968, then Mauritius agreed to give control to UK over Chagos archipelago but only for defence purposes, yet with the UK obligation to return it to Mauritius in the future, still, at that time, UK also made an agreement with USA about giving permission to USA for using the Chagos Archipelago for defence purposes. Based on these agreements, UK and USA established a secret military base on Diego Garcia island, but to accomplish the objective of creating secret military base, then in the 1960s-1970s, UK government expelled the Chagossian people that lived on the Diego Garcia island to Mauritius, which has led to legal complication until today, because the Chagossian people claim for Right for Return to their homeland in Diego Garcia island, regardless of the Mauritius's claim to get back the Chagos Archipelago from the UK. Hence, following the legal fight at the International Court of Justice against UK over the Chagos Archipelago, then in October 2024, the UK government announced that the sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory ( Chagos Archipelago) will be transferred back to Mauritius, still, with a deal that the Diego Garcia island will be remain as a joint UK-U.S. military base under a 99-year lease, a deal that does not accept by the Chagossian people that claim for Right for Return to their homeland in Diego Garcia island. Currently, the British Indian Ocean Territory has the sovereignty status of British Overseas Territory, still, because the territory includes only uninhabited islands excluding the Diego Garcia island that has only a secret military base that no one can visit the island excluding the military personal, then the British Indian Ocean Territory has no Governor nor Chief Minister, instead, the British Indian Ocean Territory has a an appointed UK Commissioner that resides outside the Territory, in the UK.
British Indian Ocean Territory of Chagos to be handed over to Mauritius
British Indian Ocean Territory: 2024 UK and Mauritius agreement
Chagos Islanders seek to take UK government to court over deal with Mauritius
Islands of injustice: The Chagos displacement and fight for sovereignty
Trump Tells Starmer He'll Likely Back Deal on Indian Ocean Base
Population
Source: The World Factbook
Cannon Point
Point Marianne, British Indian Ocean Territory
Key Figures of the Territory, Global Position, Alliances, and 2024 Global Survival Rank (GSR)
Global Survival Rank by Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher: Yearly Rank to Compare the Global Political Power among Countries to Survive Long Conflicts and Wars at the Military Level and Economic Level Global Survival Rank by Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher https://www.rozen-bakher.com/global-survival-rank-zrb
Monitoring Alliances by Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher: Monitoring Military, Political, Economic and Trade Alliances that Have an Impact on Global Order and Geopolitics Monitoring Alliances by Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher https://www.rozen-bakher.com/monitoring-alliances
Key Figures of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and International Trade
Currently, there is no regular economic activity on British Indian Ocean Territory excluding providing food and services to the military personal that station on Diego Garcia island, regardless of providing military equipment and arms to the military base on Diego Garcia island.
Profile
British Indian Ocean Territory - Britannica https://www.britannica.com/place/British-Indian-Ocean-Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory - BBC
British Indian Ocean Territory - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/british-indian-ocean-territory/#people-and-society
Interview with the Islanders of Diego Garcia that were Displaced by the UK government from Diego Garcia to Mauritius in the 1960s-1970s to establish the Secret Military base on Diego Garcia Island
Research Papers and Research Books
Challenges and Prospects for the Chagos Archipelago Jeffery, L., Monaghan, C., & O'Gorman, M. (Eds.). (2024). Challenges and Prospects for the Chagos Archipelago. Taylor & Francis.
The Chagos Archipelago Carter, M. (2022). The Chagos Archipelago. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Asian History.
Paradise claimed: disputed sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago Abraham, G. (2011). Paradise claimed: disputed sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. South African Law Journal, 128(1), 63-99.
The Chagos Archipelago before international tribunals: Strategic litigation and the production of historical knowledge Guilfoyle, D. (2021). The Chagos Archipelago before international tribunals: Strategic litigation and the production of historical knowledge. Melbourne Journal of International Law, 21(3), 749-771.
The Chagos Archipelago: A limited victory for decolonization Jeffery, L. (2024). The Chagos Archipelago: A limited victory for decolonization. Anthropology Today, 40(6), 23-25.
Reflections on the United Kingdom's assertion of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago in the wake of the Chagos Advisory Opinion Monaghan, C. (2021). Reflections on the United Kingdom’s assertion of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago in the wake of the Chagos Advisory Opinion.
The Chagos Archipelago dispute: Law, diplomacy and military basing Samaranayake, N. (2023). The Chagos Archipelago dispute: Law, diplomacy and military basing. Lawfare.
The United Kingdom and the 'Chagos Archipelago' advisory opinion: Engagement and resistance Webb, P. (2021). The United Kingdom and the'Chagos Archipelago'advisory opinion: Engagement and resistance. Melbourne Journal of International Law, 21(3), 726-748.
Advisory opinion or judgment? The case of the Chagos Archipelago Kuźniak, B., & Kabat-Rudnicka, D. (2021). Advisory opinion or judgment? The case of the Chagos Archipelago. Adam Mickiewicz University Law Review, 13, 45-75.
" We Did That": The United States' Role in Preventing the Chagos Archipelago from Exercising the Right to Self-Determination Orentlicher, D. F., & Halperin, M. H. (2023). " We Did That": The United States' Role in Preventing the Chagos Archipelago from Exercising the Right to Self-Determination. Temp. Int'l & Comp. LJ, 38, 51.
A return from exile in sight? The Chagossians and their struggle Nauvel, C. (2006). A return from exile in sight? The Chagossians and their struggle. Nw. Univ. J. Int'l Hum. Rts., 5, 96.
Homeland: Reconceptualising the Chagossians' Litigation Frost, T., & Murray, C. R. (2020). Homeland: Reconceptualising the Chagossians’ Litigation. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 40(4), 764-794.
Origins, Legacies, and Future: The Chagossians, a Population in Exile Bahadoor, P. Origins, Legacies, and Future: The Chagossians, a Population in Exile. In Challenges and Prospects for the Chagos Archipelago (pp. 42-54). Routledge.
The Chagossians' Struggle and the Last Bastions of Imperial Constitutionalism Murray, C. R., & Frost, T. (2018). The Chagossians’ Struggle and the Last Bastions of Imperial Constitutionalism (pp. 147-174). Springer International Publishing.
No way home for the Chagossians: Law and power politics Alexandre, C., & Koutouki, K. (2018). No way home for the Chagossians: Law and power politics. international journal on minority and group rights, 25(3), 369-400.
Compensating a people for the loss of their homeland: Diego Garcia, the Chagossians, and the Human Rights Standards Damages Model Vine, D., Harvey, P., & Sokolowski, S. W. (2012). Compensating a people for the loss of their homeland: Diego Garcia, the Chagossians, and the Human Rights Standards Damages Model. Nw. UJ Int'l Hum. Rts., 11, 149.
Justice for the Chagossians: What Role for Criminal Law? deGuzman, M. M. (2023). Justice for the Chagossians: What Role for Criminal Law?. Temp. Int'l & Comp. LJ, 38, 169.
Self-determination, the Chagos advisory opinion and the Chagossians Allen, S. (2020). Self-determination, the Chagos advisory opinion and the Chagossians. International & Comparative Law Quarterly, 69(1), 203-220.
Assessing the responsibilities of the United Kingdom and Mauritius towards the Chagossians under international law Raumnauth, D., & Mahadew, R. (2016). Assessing the responsibilities of the United Kingdom and Mauritius towards the Chagossians under international law. Afrika Focus, 29(2), 39-57.
Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago? Strategic implications for Diego Garcia from a UK-US perspective Bashfield, S. M. (2020). Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago? Strategic implications for Diego Garcia from a UK-US perspective. Journal of the Indian Ocean Region, 16(2), 166-181.
Taking on Empires: Reparations, the Right of Return, and the People of Diego Garcia Vine, D. (2008). Taking on Empires: Reparations, the Right of Return, and the People of Diego Garcia. Souls, 10(4), 327-343.
What if you can't protest the base? The Chagossian Exile, the struggle for democracy, and the military base on Diego Garcia Vine, D. (2012). What if you can’t protest the base? The Chagossian Exile, the struggle for democracy, and the military base on Diego Garcia. South Atlantic Quarterly, 111(4), 847-856.
Reefs and islands of the Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean: why it is the world's largest no‐take marine protected area Sheppard, C. R., Ateweberhan, M., Bowen, B. W., Carr, P., Chen, C. A., Clubbe, C., ... & Yesson, C. (2012). Reefs and islands of the Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean: why it is the world's largest no‐take marine protected area. Aquatic Conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems, 22(2), 232-261.
The Chagos Archipelago Andradi-Brown, D.A., Dinesen, Z., Head, C.E.I., Tickler, D.M., Rowlands, G., Rogers, A.D. (2019). The Chagos Archipelago. In: Loya, Y., Puglise, K., Bridge, T. (eds) Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems. Coral Reefs of the World, vol 12. Springer, Cham.
Potential benefits to fisheries and biodiversity of the Chagos Archipelago/British Indian Ocean Territory as a no-take marine reserve Koldewey, H. J., Curnick, D., Harding, S., Harrison, L. R., & Gollock, M. (2010). Potential benefits to fisheries and biodiversity of the Chagos Archipelago/British Indian Ocean Territory as a no-take marine reserve. Marine pollution bulletin, 60(11), 1906-1915.
Patterns in reef fish assemblages: Insights from the Chagos Archipelago Samoilys, M., Roche, R., Koldewey, H., & Turner, J. (2018). Patterns in reef fish assemblages: Insights from the Chagos Archipelago. PloS one, 13(1), e0191448.
The Chagos Archipelago: A Biological Biography Sheppard, C. (2024). The Chagos Archipelago: A Biological Biography. CRC Press.
Coral bleaching and mortality in the Chagos Archipelago Sheppard, C., Sheppard, A., Mogg, A., Bayley, D., Dempsey, A. C., Roache, R., ... & Purkis, S. (2017). Coral bleaching and mortality in the Chagos Archipelago. Atoll Research Bulletin, (613), 1-26.
Contemporary sea level in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean Dunne, R. P., Barbosa, S. M., & Woodworth, P. L. (2012). Contemporary sea level in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean. Global and Planetary Change, 82, 25-37.
British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) Sheppard, C., & Sheppard, A. (2019). British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago). In World seas: An environmental evaluation (pp. 237-252). Academic Press.
British Indian Ocean Territory (the Chagos Archipelago): setting, connections and the marine protected area Sheppard, C. R., Bowen, B. W., Chen, A. C., Craig, M. T., Eble, J., Fitzsimmons, N., ... & Yesson, C. (2013). British Indian Ocean Territory (the Chagos Archipelago): setting, connections and the marine protected area. Coral reefs of the United Kingdom overseas territories, 223-240.
Diego Garcia and Africa's security Ogunbadejo, O. (1982). Diego Garcia and Africa's security. Third World Quarterly, 4(1), 104-120.
Securitisation and Diego Garcia Salter, M. B., & Mutlu, C. E. (2013). Securitisation and Diego Garcia. Review of International Studies, 39(4), 815-834.
Diego Garcia and the United States' Emerging Indian Ocean Strategy Erickson, A. S., Walter III, L. C., & Mikolay, J. D. (2010). Diego Garcia and the United States' Emerging Indian Ocean Strategy. Asian Security, 6(3), 214-237.
Island of shame: The secret history of the US military base on Diego Garcia Vine, D. (2011). Island of shame: The secret history of the US military base on Diego Garcia. Princeton University Press.
The imagined island: Colonialism and constructed remoteness on Diego Garcia Motluk, K. (2024). The imagined island: Colonialism and constructed remoteness on Diego Garcia. The Geographical Journal, 190(4), e12587.
War and forced migration in the Indian Ocean: the US military base at Diego Garcia Vine, D. (2004). War and forced migration in the Indian Ocean: the US military base at Diego Garcia. International Migration, 42(3), 111-143.
America's other Guantánamo: British foreign policy and the US base on Diego Garcia Harris, P. (2015). America's other Guantánamo: British foreign policy and the US base on Diego Garcia. The Political Quarterly, 86(4), 507-514.
Diego Garcia: the militarization of an Indian Ocean island Khan, J. (2024). Diego Garcia: the militarization of an Indian Ocean island. In African Islands and Enclaves (pp. 165-193). Routledge.
Fifty Years of the British Indian Ocean Territory Allen, S., & Monaghan, C. (2018). Fifty Years of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Springer International.
A political trilemma? International security, environmental protection and human rights in the British Indian Ocean Territory Harris, P. (2014). A political trilemma? International security, environmental protection and human rights in the British Indian Ocean Territory. International Politics, 51, 87-100.
Historical Background and Historical Perspective
Towards a workers' history of the Chagos archipelago Carter, M. (2018). Towards a workers’ history of the Chagos archipelago. In Indian Ocean Islands (pp. 45-65). Routledge.
A dispossessed people: The depopulation of the Chagos Archipelago 1965–1973 Gifford, R., & Dunne, R. P. (2014). A dispossessed people: The depopulation of the Chagos Archipelago 1965–1973. Population, Space and Place, 20(1), 37-49.
The Chagos Archipelago in Late Eighteenth-And Nineteenth-Century Indian Ocean World History Allen, R. B. (2025). The Chagos Archipelago in Late Eighteenth-And Nineteenth-Century Indian Ocean World History. In Challenges and Prospects for the Chagos Archipelago (pp. 32-41). Routledge.
State co-offending: The case of the recolonization of the Chagos Archipelago and the forced eviction of the Chagossians Twyman-Ghoshal, A. (2021). State co-offending: The case of the recolonization of the Chagos Archipelago and the forced eviction of the Chagossians. Critical Criminology, 29(2), 311-328.
From the birth of the Ilois to the “footprint of freedom”: A history of Chagos and the Chagossians Vine, D. (2011). From the birth of the Ilois to the “footprint of freedom”: A history of Chagos and the Chagossians. In Eviction from the Chagos Islands (pp. 11-36). Brill.
Diego Garcia: Creation of the Indian Ocean Base Bandjunis, V. B. (2001). Diego Garcia: Creation of the Indian Ocean Base. iUniverse.
The Islanders of Diego Garcia before the Forced Eviction
