Africa · Eastern Africa

British Indian Ocean Territory

Flag of British Indian Ocean Territory
Local Time
--:--:--
UTC+06:00
🏛️ Capital
Diego Garcia
👥 Population
N/A
📐 Area
60 km²
💱 Currency
United States dollar ($)
🗣️ Languages
English
📞 Calling Code
+246
🕐 Time Zones
UTC+06:00
🌐 Region
Africa / Eastern Africa

About British Indian Ocean Territory

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is one of the world's most restricted and remote places — a scattered archipelago of over 1,000 islands and islets in the central Indian Ocean, most of which form the Chagos Archipelago. The territory is dominated by Diego Garcia, a large coral atoll that serves as a joint UK-US military base and is entirely off-limits to the general public. The surrounding outer islands are likewise inaccessible to tourists, making BIOT one of the least-visited places on Earth.

What lies beneath and around this restricted territory is extraordinary: some of the most pristine coral reefs remaining anywhere in the world. The Chagos Marine Protected Area, established in 2010, encompasses over 500,000 square kilometres of ocean and protects one of the planet's last large-scale intact reef systems. Researchers and conservation scientists who have been granted access describe underwater ecosystems of staggering health — coral gardens untouched by fishing or tourism, with sharks, rays, and turtles in remarkable abundance.

The territory's history is shadowed by controversy: the entire indigenous Chagossian population was forcibly displaced by the British government between 1968 and 1973 to make way for the military base, a removal whose legality and morality has been fiercely contested in international courts for decades. The question of sovereignty and the right of return for Chagossian descendants remains a deeply live political issue.

History & Background

The Chagos Archipelago was uninhabited when French colonizers arrived in the 18th century, establishing coconut oil plantations worked by enslaved Africans and later indentured laborers from India. Britain gained control after the Napoleonic Wars, and the islands became part of Mauritius colony. In 1965, Britain carved out the Chagos Islands from Mauritius (then still a colony about to gain independence) to form the new British Indian Ocean Territory, a move that Mauritius contested.

Between 1968 and 1973, the British government secretly and forcibly removed all 1,500–2,000 Chagossian residents to make way for the Diego Garcia base. This displacement was kept quiet for years and was eventually exposed as a profound violation of the residents' rights. Despite a series of UK court rulings finding the expulsion unlawful, successive British governments have prevented resettlement. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that Britain's separation of the Chagos Islands from Mauritius was illegal.

Culture & People

The British Indian Ocean Territory has no permanent civilian population today, but it carries the cultural memory of the Chagossian people — a Creole-speaking community of mixed African, Malagasy, and Indian descent who had lived on the islands since the 18th century, working on coconut plantations. Their culture, language (Chagossian Creole), music, and food traditions developed in relative isolation on the islands they called home for generations.

After their forced removal to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Chagossian diaspora has maintained their cultural identity with remarkable tenacity, advocating globally for their right to return. Their sega music, which blends African rhythms with Creole lyrics, and their oral traditions of life on the islands are preserved and performed by community groups. The Chagossian cause has become emblematic of colonial displacement and the rights of small island peoples — an important story that any serious engagement with the British Indian Ocean Territory must include.

Food & Cuisine

The British Indian Ocean Territory has no civilian population, no restaurants, and no food culture accessible to visitors — the only people present are military personnel and support staff at Diego Garcia, who rely entirely on imported and supplied provisions.

The culinary legacy of the territory belongs to the displaced Chagossian community, whose traditional cuisine blended Indian Ocean Creole influences: rice and lentil dishes, fresh fish grilled or cooked in coconut milk, octopus curry, pickled breadfruit, and sweet coconut confections. Dishes like rougaille (a spiced tomato sauce) and vindaye (pickled fish or meat) reflect the French Creole foundation. Today, Chagossian food traditions are kept alive in Mauritius and the Seychelles by the diaspora community, maintaining a culinary heritage tied to islands they are forbidden from returning to.

Top Attractions

  • Chagos Marine Protected Area — One of the world's largest and most pristine marine reserves, covering over 500,000 sq km and protecting extraordinary coral reef ecosystems.
  • Diego Garcia Atoll — A large V-shaped coral atoll with a vast sheltered lagoon, now home to a major UK-US military installation.
  • Peros Banhos Atoll — A remote atoll in the northern Chagos with extraordinary reef health and some of the clearest water in the Indian Ocean.
  • Salomon Atoll — A pristine ring of small islands enclosing a sheltered lagoon, renowned among the small number of scientific divers who have accessed it.

Practical Travel Tips

  • The British Indian Ocean Territory is closed to civilian visitors — no tourism permits or entry visas are issued to the general public.
  • Diego Garcia is a restricted military installation and is inaccessible to anyone without official military or government authorization.
  • The Chagos Archipelago has been the subject of major international legal proceedings — follow reputable news sources for developments on sovereignty and access.
  • The nearest accessible destinations with similar marine environments are the Maldives, Seychelles, and Mauritius.
  • Conservation organizations working on Chagos reef protection welcome donations and advocacy support for the territory's marine protected area.

Visa Overview

No tourist visas are issued for the British Indian Ocean Territory. The territory is a restricted military zone and no civilian entry is permitted without specific authorization from the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration in London. Any vessel transiting the area must avoid the Diego Garcia zone. The outer islands of the Chagos Archipelago are designated as a Marine Protected Area with access strictly controlled by the administration. Unauthorized entry is illegal under British law.

Getting Around

There are no civilian transport links to the British Indian Ocean Territory. The only access is via military flights to Diego Garcia, available solely to authorized military and government personnel. In the past, a very limited number of sailing permits were issued for yachts to anchor at specific outer atolls, but these have been increasingly restricted. The territory lies approximately 1,600 km south of India and 1,000 km from the Maldives, placing it far from any civilian maritime routes.

Safety Notes

Unauthorized presence in the British Indian Ocean Territory is illegal and can result in vessel seizure and detention. The territory is a live military environment and vessels approaching Diego Garcia's exclusion zone are subject to interception. Beyond the legal risks, the remote location means that any emergency would face extremely limited response capability. The Indian Ocean in this region can experience severe weather during monsoon season, and the closest civilian rescue services are thousands of kilometres away.

Live Exchange Rates

Current exchange rates for currencies used in British Indian Ocean Territory.

United States dollar (USD) $
Updated: 2026-10-06
⌕
Currency CodeRate
1INCH 9.459088
AAVE 0.005502
ADA 3.711087
AED 3.672500
AFN 64.611249
AKT 1.306719
ALGO 7.786491
ALL 82.024220
AMD 361.776669
AMP 1,559.532489
ANG 1.798218
AOA 916.012708
APE 6.241579
APT 1.218009
AR 0.221834
ARB 4.905234
ARS 1,519.921587
ATOM 0.549246
ATS 12.269695
AUD 1.434974
AVAX 0.088074
AWG 1.7900
AXS 0.763573
AZM 8,500.116476
AZN 1.700023
BAKE 3,896.000928
BAM 1.743962
BAT 9.480219
BBD 2.0000
BCH 0.003164
BDT 122.929993
BEF 35.970022
BGN 1.743962
BHD 0.3760
BIF 3,004.421816
BMD 1.0000
BNB 0.001280
BND 1.279481
BOB 11.995885
BRL 4.998721
BSD 1.0000
BSV 0.050079
BSW 2,430.145286
BTC 0.000012
BTCB 14.312355
BTG 1.515791
BTN 96.418057
BTT 2,689,845.113125
BUSD 0.999831
BWP 13.763243
BYN 3.050725
BYR 19,602.712309
BZD 2.011096
CAD 1.426859
CAKE 0.408912
CDF 2,310.995845
CELO 9.615491
CFX 18.224532
CHF 0.831752
CHZ 59.781429
CLP 973.029117
CNH 6.703020
CNY 6.705166
COMP 0.040798
COP 3,198.639246
CRC 457.586894
CRO 14.725902
CRV 2.712625
CSPR 392.033033
CUC 1.000139
CUP 23.953809
CVE 98.324842
CVX 0.451752
CYP 0.521873
CZK 21.813877
DAI 1.000407
DASH 0.017641
DCR 0.054227
DEM 1.743962
DFI 1,094.151478
DJF 177.900969
DKK 6.664407
DOGE 10.546533
DOP 59.931103
DOT 0.808231
DYDX 6.844254
DZD 134.426442
EEK 13.951695
EGLD 0.223745
EGP 52.428074
ENJ 30.207088
EOS 9.840392
ERN 15.0000
ESP 148.361995
ETB 162.661907
ETC 0.112691
ETH 0.000370
EUR 0.891674
EURC 0.891553
FEI 1.000437
FIL 0.837752
FIM 5.301650
FJD 2.250094
FKP 0.756776
FLOW 31.605983
FLR 138.732730
FRAX 1.010124
FRF 5.848995
FTT 3.871133
GALA 412.739534
GBP 0.756776
GEL 2.595487
GGP 0.756776
GHC 117,566.561882
GHS 11.756656
GIP 0.756776
GMD 74.011044
GMX 0.113894
GNF 8,792.168595
GNO 0.008235
GRD 303.837761
GRT 34.343885
GT 0.089329
GTQ 7.631424
GUSD 1.002062
GYD 208.749446
HBAR 9.933641
HKD 7.847452
HNL 26.813832
HNT 1.927165
HOT 2,183.598295
HRK 6.718314
HT 27.417044
HTG 130.671979
HUF 327.559006
ICP 0.286805
IDR 17,915.240325
IEP 0.702250
ILS 3.058154
IMP 0.756776
IMX 5.453701
INJ 0.131926
INR 96.418057
IQD 1,307.338492
IRR 1,798,526.350174
ISK 122.098041
ITL 1,726.520736
JEP 0.756776
JMD 158.245515
JOD 0.7090
JPY 158.111405
KAS 23.309496
KAVA 14.424728
KCS 0.131726
KDA 102.425734
KES 129.808907
KGS 87.458676
KHR 4,051.103908
KLAY 24.010541
KMF 438.674628
KNC 6.981428
KPW 900.124863
KRW 1,342.464035
KSM 0.195189
KWD 0.309106
KYD 0.831314
KZT 455.278866
LAK 22,438.730524
LBP 90,182.611531
LDO 2.183023
LEO 0.112455
LINK 0.072302
LKR 329.832333
LRC 97.401183
LRD 170.648901
LSL 16.648893
LTC 0.014355
LTL 3.078770
LUF 35.970022
LUNA 19.582546
LUNC 18,912.248100
LVL 0.626668
LYD 6.416108
MAD 9.980674
MANA 9.670088
MBX 33.811549
MDL 17.922118
MGA 4,428.443037
MGF 22,142.215186
MINA 7.422311
MKD 54.861574
MKR 0.000497
MMK 2,099.174641
MNT 3,595.175637
MOP 8.082876
MRO 400.369539
MRU 40.036954
MTL 0.382795
MUR 47.402228
MVR 15.459664
MWK 1,730.829499
MXN 18.075238
MXV 2.054798
MYR 4.085653
MZM 63,829.247419
MZN 63.829247
NAD 16.648893
NEAR 0.191366
NEO 0.394556
NEXO 1.175945
NFT 4,190,663.815560
NGN 1,322.044719
NIO 36.763165
NLG 1.964990
NOK 9.597859
NPR 154.341204
NZD 1.786578
OKB 0.007669
OMR 0.384859
ONE 6.827613
OP 7.438932
ORDI 0.219784
PAB 1.0000
PAXG 0.000242
PEN 3.443123
PEPE 231,222.784273
PGK 4.505276
PHP 62.846328
PI 11.455739
PKR 276.500279
PLN 3.906091
POL 9.144498
PTE 178.764496
PYG 5,841.989303
QAR 3.6400
QNT 0.003866
QTUM 1.020152
ROL 47,663.062704
RON 4.766306
RPL 0.522960
RSD 104.730992
RUB 84.839842
RUNE 1.288032
RVN 407.577404
RWF 1,473.970869
SAND 15.207162
SAR 3.7500
SBD 8.068691
SCR 14.163740
SDD 60,018.065305
SDG 600.180653
SEK 10.044667
SGD 1.279481
SHIB 170,830.563153
SHP 0.756776
SIT 213.680648
SKK 26.862557
SLE 23.054890
SLL 23,054.890345
SNX 3.993999
SOL 0.008335
SOS 568.952433
SPL 0.166667
SRD 37.705818
SRG 37,705.818360
SSP 5,726.635864
STD 22,000.817257
STN 22.000817
STX 2.668553
SUI 0.837897
SVC 8.7500
SYP 13,003.799512
SZL 16.648893
THB 33.659653
THETA 4.318587
TJS 9.203639
TMM 17,546.889500
TMT 3.509378
TND 2.992823
TOP 2.408447
TRL 49,175,592.222686
TRX 2.975877
TRY 49.175592
TTD 6.770742
TUSD 1.000791
TVD 1.434974
TWD 31.781852
TWT 1.751715
TZS 2,638.387381
UAH 45.039295
UGX 4,020.145719
UNI 0.112874
USDC 1.000272
USDD 1.000711
USDP 1.005946
USDT 1.000506
UYU 40.396087
UZS 11,763.105238
VAL 1,726.520736
VEB 87,072,456,575.5772
VED 870.724566
VEF 87,072,456.575577
VES 870.724566
VET 114.592161
VND 25,995.368232
VUV 120.212062
WAVES 3.351971
WEMIX 5.221776
WOO 73.054730
WST 2.783193
XAF 584.899504
XAG 0.016528
XAU 0.000243
XAUT 0.000243
XBT 0.000012
XCD 2.706921
XCG 1.798218
XCH 0.638983
XDC 29.757460
XDR 0.739158
XEC 125,401.102072
XEM 1,592.790725
XLM 4.633531
XMR 0.001782
XOF 584.899504
XPD 0.000857
XPF 106.404958
XPT 0.000584
XRP 0.665567
XTZ 2.993002
YER 236.197715
ZAR 16.648893
ZEC 0.000747
ZIL 274.041152
ZMK 19,770.351011
ZMW 19.770351
ZWD 361.9000
ZWG 26.771529
ZWL 66,894.666920

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Cities in British Indian Ocean Territory 121
Browse all cities and towns
Adityana Adivivaram Akkayapalle Anklesvar INA Badarpur Railway Town Bade Bacheli Bag-e-Firdosh Bagbahara Bahbari Gaon Bambolim Bamun Sualkuchi Bar Bigha Bariapur Belampalli Bemetra Betora Bharuch INA Billimora Biswanath Chariali Bombuflat Bombuflat Bongaigaon Petro-chemical Town Borgolai Bugganipalle Calapor Carapur Chandrapur Bagicha Chatakonda Chekonidhara Chemmumiahpet Chidiga Chinagantyada Choto Haibor Copenhagen Davorlim Digboi Oil Town Dimaruguri Dinapur Cantonment Diu Doman Hill Colliery Dommara Nandyal Dongragarh Donkamokan Dowlaiswaram Duliagaon East Godavari Dist. Ekambara kuppam Fakirtakya Frezarpur Garimellapadu Gogri Jamalpur Hauraghat Hukumpeta Jaggayyapeta Jagiroad Paper Mill Jallaram Kamanpur Jamhaur Jashpurnagar Jhagrakhand Jonai Bazar Kaikalur Kampur Town Kantabamsuguda Khamhria Khanapuram Haveli Kharijapikon Khonga Pani Kirandu Kochpara Kondapalem Kondukur Kovurpalle Kumar Kaibarta Gaon Lauthaha Lido Tikok Lingiyadih Loutulim Lumding Railway Colony Mahnar Bazar Mancheral Mothugudam Nailajanjgir Namna Kalan Naubaisa Gaon New Bongaigaon Railway Colony New Delhi Niz-Hajo Omerkhan daira Palempalle Palkonda Palmaner Pandariya Parasamba Payakaraopet Phunderdihari Pothinamallayyapalem Prasadampadu Prasantinilayam Queula Rajgamar Ravulapalam Rayadrug Rishikonda Sakti Sarupathar Bengali Serilungampalle Shivrinarayan Silchar Part-X Sirgiti Sriramsagar Srisailamgudem Devasthanam Suriapet Tildanewra Tirvuru Ukkayapalli Uttar Krishnapur Part-I Vaparala Vemalwada Waris Aliganj West Godavari Dist. Yenamalakudru

Visa Requirements

Check what visa a citizen of British Indian Ocean Territory needs to enter any country.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the capital of British Indian Ocean Territory?
The capital of British Indian Ocean Territory is Diego Garcia.
What currency does British Indian Ocean Territory use?
British Indian Ocean Territory uses the United States dollar ($) as its official currency.
What language is spoken in British Indian Ocean Territory?
The official language(s) of British Indian Ocean Territory include English.
What is the population of British Indian Ocean Territory?
British Indian Ocean Territory has a population of approximately N/A people.
What region is British Indian Ocean Territory in?
British Indian Ocean Territory is located in Africa, specifically in the Eastern Africa subregion.
What is the international calling code for British Indian Ocean Territory?
The international dialing code for British Indian Ocean Territory is +246.
What time zones does British Indian Ocean Territory observe?
British Indian Ocean Territory observes the following time zone(s): UTC+06:00.
What is the current time in British Indian Ocean Territory?
The local time in British Indian Ocean Territory is currently --:--. This time applies to the primary time zone.
What is the total area of British Indian Ocean Territory?
British Indian Ocean Territory covers a total area of 60 km².
How many states or provinces does British Indian Ocean Territory have?
British Indian Ocean Territory is divided into 2 states or provinces.
What are the public holidays in British Indian Ocean Territory in 2026?
You can view the complete list of public holidays for British Indian Ocean Territory in 2026 on the Holidays 2026 page.
What are the visa requirements for citizens of British Indian Ocean Territory?
Visa requirements for citizens of British Indian Ocean Territory vary by destination. Use our Visa Requirements Checker below to look up requirements for any destination country.