Home

British Indian Ocean Territory Background Information

Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.

British Indian Ocean Territory Quickstats

  • Population:
  • Area: 54,400 sq km
  • Density: 58.3 /km²
  • GDP (total):
  • GDP (per capita):
  • Literacy:

Languages of British Indian Ocean Territory

Useful to know

  • Currency: Pound sterling (GBP)
  • Dial code: +246

International Trade

External sites

More Resources

British Indian Ocean Territory Internet

  • Usage:
  • Penetration:
  • Top Domain: .io

WT eBusiness info:

  • Success Ranking: 100
  • Market testing: Untested
  • Overall risk: High
  • Overall reward: Low

e-maturity:

  • Tourism: 10%
  • eCommerce: 10%
  • Gaming: 10%
  • eLearning: 10%

Recent blog posts