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Geography of British Indian Ocean Territory

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 sq km
note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
water: 0 sq km
land: 60 sq km

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 sq km (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

See British Indian Ocean Territory