British Indian Ocean Territory | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Capital and settlement | Camp Justice 7°18′S 72°24′E / 7.300°S 72.400°ECoordinates: 7°18′S 72°24′E / 7.300°S 72.400°E |
| Official languages | English |
| Ethnic groups (2001) |
|
| Government | Dependency under a constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Ben Merrick | |
• Administrator | Linsey Billing[2] |
• Responsible Minister (UK)a | Mark Field MP |
| Area | |
• Total | 54,400 km2 (21,000 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 99.89 |
• Land | 60 km2 23 sq mi |
| Population | |
• Non‑permanent 2012 estimate | c.2,500 military personnel and contractors |
• Permanent inhabitants | 0 |
• Density | 58.3/km2 (151.0/sq mi)[3] |
| Currency |
|
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +246 |
| Internet TLD | .io |
British Indian Ocean Territory
The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is a British overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean halfway between Tanzania and Indonesia. The territory comprises the seven atolls of the Chagos Archipelago with over 1,000 individual islands – many very small – amounting to a total land area of 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). The largest and most southerly island is Diego Garcia, 27 km2 (10 sq mi), the site of a joint military facility of the United Kingdom and the United States.