In 2010 a 640,000 km² ‘no-take’ marine protected … The top tourist attractions in Maldives will charm their way into your heart. The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), also called the Chagos Islands, is a British overseas territory. It found that the UK's commitments towards Mauritius in relation to fishing rights and oil and mineral rights in the Chagos Archipelago are legally binding. In 1810, Mauritius became a colony of the United Kingdom and in 1965, the United Kingdom split Mauritius and … The remote islands make perfect undisturbed nursery sites for nests of green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles. A 55-year-old native of the remote Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, Bancoult heads a group of mostly elderly women who, like him, were expelled shortly after Britain bought the archipelago … Maldives opposes any 200 nautical mile EEZ claim based on Chagos Archipelago. [35], On 16 November 2016, the UK Foreign Office maintained their ban on resettlement of the islands. Dunne R. P., Polunin N. V., Sand P. H., Johnson M. L., 2014. Despite the absence of paparazzi, you’ll hear countless shutters click as you cruise across shimmering Lake Tahoe, enjoy a scenic tram ride through stunning Yosemite, and coast along Monterey’s jaw-dropping 17-Mile Drive. [60][61] An important part of their biology is the long distances their young can travel as larvae. The islanders were known as the Ilois (one French Creole word for "islanders") and they numbered about 1,000. In 2003, the UK government established an Environment (Protection and Preservation) Zone under Article 75 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It consists of about 60 low-lying coral islands, and covers some 640,000 sq km of ocean. They have committed to treat the whole area as a World Heritage site. In 1793, when the first successful colony was founded on Diego Garcia, the largest island, coconut plantations were established on many of the atolls and isolated islands of the archipelago. If you are granted permission to visit, you must moor your vessel at BIOT approved sites only, to help conserve BIOT’s fragile coral environment. It is home to an astonishing diversity of life, and acts as a refuge for many threatened species. The Chagos Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean, and forms the British Indian Ocean Territory. Many islands in Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forest compose each ring-shaped island, and the highest islands reach only 5 m above sea level. This zone extends 200 nautical miles from the islands. He agreed that the UK and U.S. should carefully negotiate the details of the marine reserve to assure that U.S. interests were safeguarded and the strategic value of BIOT was upheld. Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:38:58 +0000. Chagos turtles were heavily exploited during the previous two centuries, but they and their habitats are now well protected by the administration of the British Indian Ocean Territory and are recovering well. The sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between the United Kingdom and Mauritius. Besides beautiful pictures of the Chagos archipelago and atolls another interesting gone. [48], The reefs host at least 371 species of coral including the endemic brain coral Ctenella chagius. Cable from AMEMBASSY LONDON; DTG 150700ZMAY09; SUBJECT: Political Counselor Richard Mills for reasons 1.4 b and d. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Depopulation of Chagossians from the Chagos Archipelago, UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic § International Human Rights: The Chagos Islanders, Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests, List of Lepidoptera of the Chagos Archipelago, Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, List of island countries and territories in the Indian Ocean, "Track of the Calcutta East Indiaman, over the Bassas de Chagas in the Indian Ocean", "Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests", "Time for UK to Leave Chagos Archipelago", "U.N. asks international court to advise on Chagos; Britain opposed", "UN court rejects UK's claim of sovereignty over Chagos Islands", "At last, the Chagossians have a real chance of going back home", "General Assembly Welcomes International Court of Justice Opinion on Chagos Archipelago, Adopts Text Calling for Mauritius' Complete Decolonization", "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 21 Jun 2004 (pt 13)", "A Return from Exile in Sight? The Chagos contain the world's largest coral atoll, The Great Chagos Bank, which supports half the total area of good quality reefs in the Indian Ocean. The shelf area is 20 607 km2, and the Exclusive Economic Zone, which borders the corresponding zone of the Maldive Islands in the north, has an area of 639 611 km2 (including territorial waters). These areas almost certainly harbour many undiscovered and specially adapted species. I'm not going to do it for you, but if you type "Chagos Archipelago" into a Google search box and hit the return button, you'll have answers to all your questions and much, much more. Inbound tourism in Italy registered good growth in 2015, supported by the Milano Expo, which attracted five million international visitors. Anerood Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius, pointed out that it is the first time that the United Kingdom's conduct with regard to the Chagos Archipelago has been considered and condemned by any international court or tribunal.[29][30]. June to September is considered the drier season (winter), characterised by moderate south-easterly winds, slightly cooler temperatures and less rainfall. Learn more about Diego Garcia here. Nearly closed atoll, it has built an asphalt road. The coconut crabs on Chagos constitute one of the most undisturbed populations in the world. On some islands, native forests were felled to plant coconut palms for the production of copra oil. All the water, food and other essentials of daily life are shipped to the island. The local population was forcibly expelled and the largest island, Diego Garcia, was leased to the United States. In a press statement issued last week, Mancham suggested that Seychelles and the British government should engage in offering certain assistance and encouragement to the development of tourism in some parts of the Chagos archipelago.. Mancham said that Seychelles had over recent years acquired considerable experience in the … "[72], Outlying territories of European countries. Mauritius has argued that the Chagos Islands has been a part of its territory since at least the 18th century, till the United Kingdom broke the archipelago away from Mauritius in 1965 and the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches from the Seychelles in the region to form the British Indian Ocean Territory. The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to condemn the UK's continued occupation of the Chagos Islands -- a humiliating defeat for … In 1965, Britain paid the self-governing colony of Mauritius £3 million for the archipelago and established the British Indian Ocean Territory, administered by the Commissioner of Mauritius. The licensing of commercial fishing used to provide an annual income of about US$2 million for the British Indian Ocean Territory authorities. Its inhabitants, known as Chagossians, were descended from … Piron was among 1,500 people made to leave the Chagos Islands, on the Indian Ocean archipelago, by the US and British militaries. As regards the resettlement on the Chagos Archipelago of Mauritian nationals, including those of Chagossian origin, the Court was of the view that this is an issue relating to the protection of the human rights of those concerned, which should be addressed by the General Assembly during the completion of the decolonization of Mauritius. The third atoll Peros Banhos is the closest to Nature of Maldives. The total land area is only about 60 sq km. In June 1976, after the Seychelles gained independence from the United Kingdom, the … [47] The islands and their surrounding waters are a vast oceanic Environment Preservation and Protection Zone (EPPZ) (Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone (FCMZ) of 544,000 square kilometres (210,000 sq mi)), an area twice the size of the UK's land surface. We stopped there for nearly four weeks taking refuge on route from the Maldives to the Seychelles during the transition season when winds in the northern and southern hemisphere change. The islands have a total land area of only 60km 2 . He said that the BIOT's former inhabitants would find it difficult, if not impossible, to pursue their claim for resettlement on the islands if the entire Chagos Archipelago were a marine reserve. Anerood Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius, pointed out that it is the first time that the UK's conduct with regard to the Chagos Archipelago has been considered and condemned by any international court or tribunal. The plantation workers and their families were initially moved to the plantations on Peros Banhos and Salomon atolls in the northwest of the archipelago; those who requested were transported to the Seychelles or Mauritius. It is not known as a destination for travellers. It is populated by military who live in military base. Hundreds more are waiting to be rediscovered by curious travelers in what is regarded as one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the world. The Chagos were governed from Mauritius, which was by that time also a British colony.[17]. While the remoteness of the Chagos offers some protection from extractive activities, legal and illegal fishing have had an impact. [36] In response to this decision, the Prime Minister of Mauritius expressed his country's plan to advance the sovereignty dispute to the International Court of Justice. [49] Thick stands of branching staghorn coral (Acropora sp) previously protected the low-lying islands from wave erosion. This establishes that, in international law, Mauritius has real, firm and binding rights over the Chagos Archipelago, and that the United Kingdom must respect those rights. Home | Europe | Asia | Africa | North America | Yahoo Travel | Google News | Google+ | Australia | Contact Us. The UK should end its control of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean "as rapidly as possible", the UN's highest court has said. About 280 species of flowering plants and ferns have now been recorded on the islands, but this increase reflects the introduction of non-native plants by humans, either accidentally or deliberately. The tribes that inhabited the islands were forcibly removed by the US and British governments during the late 1960s and early 1970s—effectively turning the islands into a military base. The deep oceanic waters around the Chagos Islands, out to the 200 nautical mile limit, include an exceptional diversity of undersea geological features (such as 6000 m deep trenches, oceanic ridges, and sea mounts). [4], United Nations' resolutions banned the break-up of imperial territories before independence. There are currently no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. The Chagos was home to the Chagossians, a Bourbonnais Creole-speaking people, for more than a century and a half until the United Kingdom evicted them between 1967 and 1973 to allow the United States to build a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands. You need to ask the FCO about that. The Catholics are pastorally served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Louis, which includes the BIOT. [15], The French were the first to lay a claim on the Chagos after they settled Réunion (in 1665) and Isle de France (now Mauritius, in 1715). [38], On 23 June 2017, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted in favour of referring the territorial dispute between Mauritius and the United Kingdom to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in order to clarify the legal status of the Chagos Islands archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Britain purchased it for £3m - creating the BIOT. In 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence, the United Kingdom excised the archipelago from Mauritius and the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches from the Seychelles to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Since being expelled, Chagossian natives have been prevented from returning to the islands. Visitors to the Chagos Archipelago are rare (Credit: Diane Selkirk) Salomon Atoll is the kind of fabled stop that travellers sail halfway around the world to reach. Please note that there are no supplies for purchase in this area and therefore, visitors should bring everything necessary with them. ‘Seychelles should assist and encourage acceptable tourism development within the Chagos archipelago’ – Mancham Seychelles’ founding President Sir James R. Mancham, KBE has commented on the article which appeared in the UK newspaper The Guardian of August 5, 2015 entitled – ‘Chagos Island – Exiled Chagossians could be allowed to return home under limited resettlement’. Reasons to buy. The resolution's immediate consequence is that the UN and other international organisations are now bound by UN law to support the decolonisation of the Chagos Islands. Diego Garcia is currently the only inhabited island in the Chagos, all of which comprise the British Indian Ocean Territory, usually abbreviated as "BIOT". Another atoll is Salomon. International arrivals are projected to grow at an average annual rate of 3.3% over 2016–2020. The British government rejected any jurisdiction of the court to deliberate these matters. [56] Dugongs, being locally extinct today, once thrived in the archipelago and the Sea Cow Island was named after the presences of the species. [4][5] The islands were formally established as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom on 8 November 1965. Guide to the Chagos Archipelago/BIOT 2. Chagos Islands are about 500 kilometers from the Maldives to the south, but belong to the fictitious island of Mauritius. Mar 30, 2016; is it true? The last license to fish near the Chagos archipelago expired in 2010. The Chagos Archipelago (formerly Oil Islands) is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 individual tropical islands roughly in the centre of the Indian Ocean. The Tribunal also found that the United Kingdom's undertaking to return the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius when no longer needed for defence purposes is legally binding. Southern California may be known for its stars, but northern California is the home of true legends. 1 US Outbound Tourism KPIs . Unspoiled islands provide us with the biological information that we need to re-establish the native plant communities on heavily altered islands. The motion was approved by a majority vote with 116 voting for and 6 against. Tourism Chagos archipelago will, because at the end of last century, almost all natives have left for building a military base in the UK and the US. As a juvenile it behaves like a hermit crab and uses empty coconut shells as protection, but as an adult this giant crab climbs trees and can crack through a coconut with its massive claws. Diego Garcia is the largest atoll, is the location of a military base, and is strictly off-limits to cruisers. Because many different forms of life call it home, from the coral reefs to the various species that live on more than 55 islands. It is home to an astonishing diversity of life, and acts as a refuge for many threatened species. Our potential for religious and cultural tourism will be enhanced to promote the ocean economy,” says Mauritius’ Minister of Tourism Anil Gayan. [68], On 1 April 2010, the British government Cabinet established the Chagos Archipelago as the world's largest marine reserve. There are port and jetty for unloading goods, which in the past was used by the plantation. [41], On 22 May 2019, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted in favor of setting a six-month deadline for the United Kingdom to withdraw from the Chagos Archipelago, which would then be reunified with Mauritius. [citation needed] Portuguese seafarers named the group as Bassas de Chagas,[12] Portuguese: Chagas (wounds) referring to the Holy Wounds of the crucifixion of Jesus. Report. This means the Chagos coconut crabs are a vital source for replenishing other over-exploited populations in the Indian Ocean region. [10] However, these islands were judged to be too far away from the Maldives to be settled permanently by Maldivians. This became known as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Unlike the Maldives, there is no clearly discernible pattern in the atoll arrangement, which makes the whole archipelago look somewhat chaotic. [24] In March 1971, Seabees, United States naval construction battalions, arrived on Diego Garcia to begin the construction of the Communications Station and an airfield. …Seychelles colony, along with the Chagos Archipelago, formerly part of the Mauritius colony. The then-independent Mauritian government refused to accept the displaced islanders without payment, and in 1973, the United Kingdom gave the Mauritian government an additional £650,000 as reparation payments to resettle the islanders. [57][58] There are also donkeys roaming free on the island that were left behind when the Ilois were relocated. The Chagos Archipelago was separated from Mauritius in 1965, when Mauritius was still a British colony. The Court concluded that, “as a result of the Chagos Archipelago’s unlawful detachment and its incorporation into a new colony, known as the [British Indian Ocean Territory] BIOT, the process of decolonization of Mauritius was not lawfully completed when Mauritius acceded to … Today, Chagos archipelago is a military zone and has served in launching B52's during operation Desert Fox in '98 in Iraq, and the various bombing attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq thereafter. Tourism Chagos archipelago will, because at the end of last century, almost all natives have left for building a military base in the UK and the US. An online cruising guide for yachts sailing to Chagos (British Indian Ocean Territory) in the Indian Ocean. The Commissioner is assisted by an Administrator and small staff, and is based in London and resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976, leaving only the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago of 2,300 islands. In Maldivian lore the whole group is known as Fōlhavahi or Hollhavai (the latter name in the Southern Maldives Adduan dialect of Dhivehi). There is considerable poaching of turtles and other marine life. A major British-U.S. military facility was built on Diego Garcia in 1971, and the plantations there were closed. The official insisted that the establishment of a marine park—the world's largest—would in no way impinge on USG use of the BIOT, including Diego Garcia, for military purposes. The Chagos archipelago has six atolls and a number of reefs. Because the … Most of the coralline structures of the Chagos are submerged reefs. This chain of islands is the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge, a long submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean.[3]. The Chagos Archipelago is chain of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean. Most of the 1,800 islanders ended up living in Britain. In November 1965, the UK purchased the entire Chagos Archipelago from the then self-governing colony of Mauritius for £3 million to create the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT),[20] with the intent of ultimately closing the plantations to provide the British territory from which the United States would conduct its military activities in the region. [51], The reefs are also home to at least 784 species of fish that stay near to the shores of the islands including the endemic Chagos clownfish (Amphiprion chagosensis) and many of the larger wrasse and grouper that have already been lost from over-fishing in other reefs in the region. Coral reefs are scattered across the Indian Ocean, but let us note that here is the largest atoll in the world Great Chagos Bank. The Chagos Archipelago (/ ˈ tʃ ɑː ɡ oʊ s / or / ˈ tʃ ɑː ɡ ə s /) or Chagos Islands (formerly the Bassas de Chagas, and later the Oil Islands) is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 individual tropical islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of the Maldives archipelago. The sovereignty of the Chagos is disputed between Mauritius and the UK. Despite the loss of much of the coral in a bleaching event in 1998 the recovery in the Chagos was remarkable and overall coral cover increased year on year to 2014. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. The populations of both species in Chagos are of global significance given the critically endangered status of hawksbills and the endangered status of green turtles on the IUCN Red List. The Chagos Environment Network cites several reasons for supporting a protected area: The UK government opened a three-month public consultation which ended after the 5 March 2010 about conservation management of the Chagos Islands and its surrounding waters. Diego Garcia, the largest island of the group, was considered “one of the most strategically placed air bases to launch flying-boat strikes against the U-boats which might try to escape to Japan.” Armenians, Jews and Kurds to name but a few. enjoy, Mark. Laws and regulations are promulgated by the Commissioner and enforced in the BIOT by Brit Rep. The issue of compensation and repatriation of the former inhabitants of several of the archipelago's atolls, exiled since 1973, continues in litigation and as of 23 August 2010[update] has been submitted to the European Court of Human Rights by a group of former residents. In February 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion ordering the UK to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as rapidly as possible, in order to complete the decolonisation of Mauritius. Detailed market classification covering tourism flows, tourist expenditure and average expenditure per trip is provided. India has maintained that the matter of whether or not to proceed with the UN General Assembly move is a decision for the Mauritian government to make. The Chagos Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean, and forms the British Indian Ocean Territory. [45] Around 1,700 armed services personnel and 1,500 civilian contractors, mostly American, are stationed on Diego Garcia.[46]. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. Personally, I like me this destination if traveling as from Reunion Island to Indonesia or Australia. Copy and paste the url below to share the link. … Underwater treasure, however is large: over 370 species of coral, 800 species of fish, whole colonies of birds, sea turtles and crabs. Seventeen species of breeding seabirds can be found nesting in huge colonies on many of the islands in the archipelago, and 10 of the islands have received formal designation as Important Bird Areas, by BirdLife International. In the past, there were about 400 slaves who worked on coconut plantations. Diego Garcia, coral atoll, largest and southernmost member of the Chagos Archipelago, in the central Indian Ocean. The Chagos Archipelago, which was claimed by the United Kingdom as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in 1965 lies about 1,770km east of Mahé (the main island of the Seychelles). Britain purchased it for £3m - creating the BIOT. [citation needed], Today, the status of the Chagos Islands’ native flora depends very much on past exploitation of particular islands. There has been considerable debate, presented before the International Court of Justice (ICJ or Court), regarding the scope of the request to the ICJ and the powers of the Court to express an opinion on the matter. Nov 04, 2014 The island of Diego Garcia was the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago and was selected as a potential area for development of an US base. [63], On 1 April 2010 Britain announced the creation of the Chagos Marine Protected Area, the world's largest continuous marine protected reserve with an area of 545,000 km2 (210,000 sq mi).[64][65][66]. … It consists of five atolls, including The Great Chagos Bank - the largest atoll in the world. Historically, the coral cover was dense and healthy even in deep water on the steep outer reef slopes. The Chagos archipelago, located halfway between Ceylon and Madagascar, served in World War Two as “one of a chain of forward flying-boat bases spread across Japanese submarine routes through the Indian Ocean”. They were of mixed African, South Indian, Portuguese, English, French and Malay descent and lived very simple, spartan lives in their isolated archipelago working in the coconut and sugar plantations, or in the fishing and small textile industries. Until October 2010, Skipjack (Euthynnus pelamis) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) were fished for about two months of the year as their year-long migratory route takes them through Chagos waters. On 23 June 1976, Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches were returned to the Seychelles. [31], Litigation continues as of 2012[update] regarding the right of return for the displaced islanders and Mauritian sovereignty claims. Too far away from the Maldives and Lakshadweep, forms the Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forest Each! Yacht, which cleanse sand, are poached to feed Asian markets ( winter ) also... Chain of more than 60 islands in the BIOT away chagos archipelago tourism the Maldives to be by... 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