Geography of British Indian Ocean Territory

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Location:

archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:

6°00′S, 71°30′E

Area:

total: 60 km²

note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago

water: 0 km²

land: 60 km²

Area - comparative:

about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline:

698 km

Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982:

territorial sea: 3 NM

exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

Climate:

tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain:

flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

Natural resources:

coconuts, fish, sugarcane

Land use:

arable land: NEGL

permanent crops: 0%

other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:

0 km² (1998 est.)

Geography - note:

archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility