Home > Factbook > Countries > British Indian Ocean Territory
| Location | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia |
| Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 71 30 E;note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E |
| Map references | Political Map of the World |
| Area | total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km (44 Diego Garcia) water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands |
| Area - comparative | land area is about one-third the size of Washington, DC |
| Land boundaries | total: 0 km |
| Coastline | 698 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm Environment (Protection and Preservation) Zone: 200 nm |
| Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds |
| Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed two m in elevation) |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: ocean-side dunes on Diego Garcia 9 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m |
| Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane |
| Land use | agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.) arable land: 0% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.) forest: 0% (2018 est.) other: 100% (2018 est.) |
| Natural hazards | none; located outside routes of Indian Ocean cyclones |
| Geography - note | note 1: archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, the largest and southernmost island, occupies a strategic location in the central Indian Ocean; the island is the site of a joint US-UK military facility note 2: Diego Garcia is the only inhabited island of the BIOT and one of only two British territories where traffic drives on the right, the other being Gibraltar |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
