British Indian Ocean Territory Archives and Libraries


 * In 1966, the UK Government purchased the privately owned copra plantations and closed them. Over the next five years, the British authorities removed the entire population of about 2,000 people, known as Chagossians (or Ilois), from Diego Garcia and two other Chagos atolls, Peros Banhos and Salomon Islands, to Mauritius.
 * Prior to 1966, British Indian Ocean Territory was part of Mauritius. See Mauritius Archives and Libraries.
 * In 1966 the UK agreed with the USA to make BIOT available for the defense purposes of the two countries.
 * The Territory is administered from London.
 * The British Indian Ocean Territory constitution states that "no person has the right of abode" in the territory as it "was constituted and is set aside to be available for the defense purposes of the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the United States of America", and accordingly, "no person is entitled to enter or be present in the Territory except as authorized" by its laws.
 * As there is no permanent population, or census, information on the demographics of the territory is limited; the size of the population is related to its offensive requirements. Population is normally limited to official visitors and military-essential personnel only, and family members are not authorized to travel to Diego Garcia (the island therefore has no schools).

BIOT Administration Overseas Territories Directorate Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office King Charles Street SW1A 2AH British Indian Ocean Territory E-mail: BIOTAdmin@fco.gov.uk Fax: 020 7008 1589