British Indian Ocean Territory Colonial Records

French Colonization (18th Century-1810)
The islands of Chagos Archipelago were claimed in the 18th century by France as a possession of Mauritius. They were first settled in the 18th century by African slaves and Indian contractors brought by Franco-Mauritians to found coconut plantations. In 1810, Mauritius was captured by the United Kingdom, and France subsequently ceded the territory in the Treaty of Paris in 1814.

British Colonization (1810-Present)
The United Kingdom took control of the territory in 1810. It is currently a British overseas territory. The largest and most southerly island is Diego Garcia, the site of a joint military facility of the United Kingdom and the United States. The islands are off-limits to Chagossians, casual tourists, and the media.