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Compare Paracel Islands (2001) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2001)

Compare Paracel Islands (2001) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2001)

 Paracel Islands (2001)British Indian Ocean Territory (2001)
 Paracel IslandsBritish Indian Ocean Territory
Airports 1 (2000 est.) 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.)		 total:
1

over 3,047 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Area total:
NA sq km

land:
NA sq km

water:
0 sq km		 total:
60 sq km

land:
60 sq km

water:
0 sq km

note:
includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative NA about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Background This archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potentially large oil reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Prattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops captured a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. However, the islands are still claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. 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. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier resident in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Climate tropical tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline 518 km 698 km
Country name conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Paracel Islands		 conventional long form:
British Indian Ocean Territory

conventional short form:
none

abbreviation:
BIOT
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US - none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US - none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam the Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius and Seychelles
Economy - overview China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
Electricity - consumption - NA kWh
Electricity - production - NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Elevation extremes lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m

highest point:
unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m		 lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:
unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Environment - current issues NA NA
Executive branch - chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

head of government:
Commissioner John WHITE (since NA); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK

cabinet:
NA

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Flag description - white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
Geographic coordinates 16 30 N, 112 00 E 6 00 S, 71 30 E
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
Highways - total:
NA km

paved:
short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia

unpaved:
NA km
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1993) 0 sq km (1993)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
0%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
100%		 arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
0%

forests and woodland:
NA%

other:
NA%
Legal system - the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Location Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references Southeast Asia World
Maritime claims NA exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
3 NM
Military - note occupied by China defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Natural hazards typhoons NA
Natural resources none coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Population no indigenous inhabitants

note:
there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2001 est.)		 no indigenous inhabitants

note:
approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 1995, there were approximately 1,700 UK and US military personnel and 1,500 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia
Ports and harbors small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded Diego Garcia
Radio broadcast stations - AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios - NA
Telephone system - general assessment:
separate facilities for military and public needs are available

domestic:
all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet

international:
international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use - NA
Television broadcast stations - 1 (1997)
Terrain mostly low and flat flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)
Waterways none none
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