British Indian Ocean Territory is located in the Southern Africa region, in the Indian Ocean region, at approximately 7° 18′ 48” S, 72° 24′ 40” E.
Geography
The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is the Chagos Archipelago — a scattering of coral atolls in the central Indian Ocean, about 1,600 kilometres south of India and the Maldives. Its largest island, Diego Garcia, hosts a major joint UK–US military base.
It has no permanent civilian population: the Chagossian islanders were removed in the late 1960s and early 1970s to make way for the base.
Is British Indian Ocean Territory a country?
The British Indian Ocean Territory is a British Overseas Territory, but its status is changing: in 2024 the UK agreed to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius, while retaining a long lease on the Diego Garcia base.
| Status | British Overseas Territory (sovereignty being transferred to Mauritius) |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Main settlement / station | Diego Garcia (military base) |
| Population | No permanent population (~3,000 UK/US military & contract staff on Diego Garcia) |
| Area | 60 km² |
| Currency | United States dollar (USD) |
| Language(s) | English |
| ISO 3166 code | IO / IOT |
| Calling code | +246 |
| Internet TLD | .io |
Climate
BIOT has a hot, humid tropical maritime climate averaging about 28°C (82°F), moderated by ocean breezes and lying largely outside the main cyclone tracks.
British Indian Ocean Territory in its region
BIOT lies in the central Indian Ocean, south of the Maldives, with Seychelles to the west and Mauritius, its future sovereign, to the southwest.
