BIOT

Jun 22. 2025

#BIOT

#TheBritishIndianOceanTerritory

#DiegoGarcia

#B2

#AndersenAirbase

“BIOT, Britain” refers to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), a UK Overseas Territory in the central Indian Ocean:

What Is BIOT?

Consists of the Chagos Archipelago—about 58 islands—midway between Africa and Indonesia, south of the Maldives .

Covers 640,000 km² of ocean; land area is only ~60 km², dominated by Diego Garcia (~27–32 km²) .

Terrain is flat coral atolls, mostly <2 m above sea level .

Governance & Military

Administered from London under a Commissioner Administrator on-island “BritRep” (senior Royal Navy officer) .

No civilian population; only around 3,000 military personnel and contractors from UK and US are present, all on Diego Garcia .

Diego Garcia hosts a joint UK–US military base, including naval, air, and port facilities; key staging post for global operations .

#DiegoCarciaAirBase

Conservation & Environment

BIOT protects the largest no-take marine reserve in the Indian Ocean, spanning ~640,000 km² of ocean .

• Supports exceptional biodiversity:

• Dense coral reefs and top predators (tuna, sharks, rays) .

• Unique species: coconut crabs, seabirds, endemic fish, butterflies, moths, algae and more

• Hosts important scientific research and conservation projects .

• Challenges include illegal fishing, invasive species, climate-change impacts on coral reefs .

Historical & Legal Context

Originally part of Mauritius (ceded by France in 1814), the Chagos were separated in 1965 to form BIOT .

Between 1967–1973, the Chagossian inhabitants were forcibly relocated to Mauritius and Seychelles to clear the way for the military base .

This eviction has been widely criticized and ruled unlawful by several courts, including the ICJ and UN, leading to ongoing calls for return and compensation .

In May 2025, the UK and Mauritius signed an agreement for sovereignty transfer, reserving British/US rights to operate Diego Garcia under a 99‑year lease .