British Indian Ocean Territory

American  

noun

1. a British colony in the Indian Ocean, consisting of the Chagos Archipelago. 76 sq. mi. (177 sq. km). Diego Garcia.

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British Indian Ocean Territory British  

noun

1. a UK Overseas Territory in the Indian Ocean: consists of the Chagos Archipelago (formerly a dependency of Mauritius) and formerly included (until 1976) Aldabra, Farquhar, and Des Roches, now administratively part of the Seychelles. Diego Garcia is an important US naval base

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

British Indian Ocean Territory

In 1965, during the heat of the Cold War, the U.K. declared the Chagos the British Indian Ocean Territory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

Diego Garcia, located on a remote island in the British Indian Ocean Territory, is a strategic base where the U.S. hosts bombers, nuclear submarines and guided-missile destroyers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026

This comes despite Washington on Tuesday giving its official backing to London's plan to cede sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius.

From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026

But the strategic importance of the archipelago, known officially as the British Indian Ocean Territory, has prompted criticism that the agreement will deliver a security boost to China.

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2024

British Indian Ocean Territory All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located.

From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency