40 Facts About Diego Garcia Island

Location and Geography

Diego Garcia is a fascinating island with a unique shape and strategic location. Let's dive into its geographical and climatic details.

1. Location: Diego Garcia is situated in the Chagos Archipelago, approximately halfway between Africa and Indonesia, and south of India.
2. Geography: The island is shaped like a horseshoe, measuring 14 miles long and 4 miles wide, with a total land area of 11 square miles.
3. Island Formation: Diego Garcia is an atoll, a ring-shaped coral reef surrounding a lagoon. The highest point on the island is the swimming pool, which stands at about 13 feet above sea level.
4. Climate: The climate on Diego Garcia is tropical, with average yearly precipitation of 102 inches and temperatures ranging from 65°F to 91°F (18°C to 33°C).

Historical Background

The history of Diego Garcia is rich and complex, involving multiple colonial powers and significant events.

5. Discovery: The first European to discover Diego Garcia is disputed, but it is believed to have been during an early 16th-century Portuguese voyage.
6. Name Origin: The name "Diego Garcia" is thought to have originated from two separate ship captains laying claim to the discovery within one day in Portugal. Alternatively, it could be the complete name of one ship's captain or navigator.
7. Portuguese Claim: Portugal's claim to the island lapsed, and in the early 1700s, the French claimed and governed Diego Garcia from Mauritius.
8. French Rule: The French used Diego Garcia as a leper colony and for coconut cultivation by slave labor starting in 1793.
9. British Rule: After the Napoleonic Wars, possession of Diego Garcia was ceded to the British. It remained a dependency of Mauritius until 1965 when it was separated to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

Creation of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)

The establishment of the BIOT marked a significant change in the administration and purpose of Diego Garcia.

10. Creation of BIOT: The British Indian Ocean Territory was established in 1965 to provide administrative control over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia.
11. Economic Activity: Until the early 1970s, the primary economic activity on Diego Garcia was the production of copra from coconut palms. The average annual harvest was about four million nuts.
12. Removal of Plantation Workers: In the early 1970s, the last of the plantation workers and their families were removed from Diego Garcia, mostly to Mauritius, but smaller numbers went to Seychelles and Great Britain.

Military Significance

Diego Garcia's strategic location has made it a crucial military base for the UK and the US.

13. Military Base Development: The development of U.S. military facilities on Diego Garcia began in the late 1970s and early 1980s, following an agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom.
14. Strategic Importance: Diego Garcia is strategically located in the central Indian Ocean, making it a crucial location for military operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
15. Military Facilities: The island hosts a joint UK-US naval support facility, which includes a 12,000-foot runway capable of supporting large aircraft and tankers.
16. Seabees' Role: The construction of the military base on Diego Garcia was primarily carried out by the U.S. Navy's Seabees, who built an 8,000-foot runway, associated logistics support facilities, supply, and personnel accommodations.
17. Expansion of Runway: The runway was later expanded to 12,000 feet to accommodate larger aircraft, including B-52 bombers.
18. Harbor Expansion: The harbor on Diego Garcia was expanded to become the home of a fleet of seventeen prepositioned ships carrying equipment, ammunition, and fuel for military operations.
19. Military Operations: Diego Garcia has been used for numerous military operations, including air operations during the Persian Gulf War (1990-91), U.S.-led strikes on Afghanistan (2001), and the initial phase of the Iraq War (2003).

Displacement and Legal Challenges

The displacement of the Chagossian islanders and subsequent legal battles have been a significant part of Diego Garcia's recent history.

20. Chagossian Islanders' Displacement: The Chagossian islanders, who had lived and worked on the plantations for generations, were forcibly removed from Diego Garcia in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for the military base.
21. Legal Challenges: In the late 1990s, Chagossian islanders sued for the right to return home, leading to several legal challenges. A British court ruled in 2000 that the 1971 ordinance banning them from the islands was unlawful, but U.S. and British officials opposed resettlement plans.
22. Court Rulings: The British government lost its case in the Court of Appeal in 2007 but announced its intention to challenge the decision in the House of Lords. The Law Lords ultimately ruled against the islanders in 2008.
23. UN General Assembly Request: In 2017, the UN General Assembly formally requested that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) review whether the decolonization of Mauritius, with regard to the separation of the Chagos Archipelago, had been lawfully completed.
24. ICJ Ruling: The ICJ’s advisory ruling in February 2019 found that the decolonization process had been illegal and recommended that the United Kingdom return the islands to Mauritius as soon as possible.

Current Status and Environmental Concerns

Today, Diego Garcia remains a vital military base, but it also faces environmental and legal issues.

25. No Permanent Population: There is no permanent indigenous population on Diego Garcia. The island is currently inhabited by approximately 3,000 UK and U.S. military personnel and civilian contractors.
26. Environmental Concerns: One of the current environmental issues on Diego Garcia is the discharge of wastewater into the lagoon, which poses a threat to the island's ecosystem.
27. Maritime Claims: The territorial sea around Diego Garcia extends 12 nautical miles, and the Environment (Protection and Preservation) Zone extends 200 nautical miles.
28. Natural Resources: The island has natural resources such as coconuts, fish, and sugarcane, but these are not utilized due to the military presence.

Geographic Coordinates and Area

Understanding the exact location and size of Diego Garcia helps in appreciating its strategic importance.

29. Geographic Coordinates: The geographic coordinates for Diego Garcia are 7°20′S latitude and 72°25′E longitude, while the coordinates for the Chagos Archipelago are approximately 6°00′S latitude and 71°30′E longitude.
30. Area Comparison: The total area of Diego Garcia is about one-third the size of Washington, D.C., with a land area of 44 square kilometers (17 square miles).
31. Coastline Length: The coastline of Diego Garcia is approximately 698 kilometers (435 miles), although this is not a continuous coastline due to its atoll shape.
32. Terrain Description: The terrain on Diego Garcia is flat and low, with most areas not exceeding two meters in elevation. The island sits atop the submarine volcanic Chagos-Laccadive Ridge.
33. Elevation Points: The highest point on the island is the swimming pool at about 13 feet above sea level, while the lowest point is the Indian Ocean at sea level.

Early Settlement Attempts

Before becoming a military base, Diego Garcia saw various settlement attempts by different colonial powers.

34. Historical Settlement Attempts: The first European settlement attempt on Diego Garcia was made by the British East India Company in 1786, but it failed due to logistical issues and the arrival of survivors from a British shipwreck.
35. French Settlement: The French briefly attempted to settle on Diego Garcia in the late 1700s but abandoned it when the British East India Company attempted to establish a settlement.

Construction of the Military Base

The construction of the military base on Diego Garcia was a significant undertaking, involving extensive planning and labor.

36. Military Base Construction: The construction of the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia began in 1971 with a nine-man reconnaissance party from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Forty (NMCB-40). The base was initially planned as an austere communication station but expanded to include extensive logistics support facilities.
37. Seabee Contributions: The Seabees played a crucial role in the construction of the military base on Diego Garcia. They built a temporary Seabee camp, water and electrical distribution systems, a dining hall, laundry, refrigeration, and storage facilities. The Seabees also constructed an interim 3,500-foot airstrip, which was later expanded to 12,000 feet.

Current Military Use

Today, Diego Garcia serves as a major fleet and U.S. armed forces support base, playing a vital role in various military operations.

38. Current Military Use: Today, Diego Garcia serves as a major fleet and U.S. armed forces support base. It is used for long-range bomber operations, Special Forces staging, the replenishment of naval surface forces, and nuclear-powered submarines.
39. Strategic Concept: The strategic concept behind Diego Garcia's use as a military base was designed by Stuart Barber, a civilian working for the U.S. Navy at the Pentagon. Barber believed that obtaining less populated islands like Diego Garcia was crucial for maintaining U.S. security and dominance in the region.
40. Controversy and Legal Status: The legal status of Diego Garcia remains contentious, with ongoing disputes over its decolonization and the rights of the Chagossian islanders. The ICJ’s advisory ruling in 2019 highlighted the need for the UK to return the islands to Mauritius, but this has not been implemented.

Diego Garcia's Unique Role and Challenges

Diego Garcia stands out as a strategic military hub and a site of historical complexity. Its location in the Indian Ocean makes it vital for military operations, especially for the U.S. and UK forces. The island's military facilities, including a 12,000-foot runway and an expanded harbor, underscore its importance.

However, the displacement of the Chagossian islanders and ongoing legal battles highlight the island's controversial status. The International Court of Justice's 2019 ruling emphasized the need for the UK to return the islands to Mauritius, yet this remains unresolved.

Environmental concerns, like wastewater discharge, also pose threats to the island's ecosystem. Despite these challenges, Diego Garcia remains a key player in global military strategy. Its future will likely continue to be shaped by its strategic importance and the ongoing quest for justice for the displaced Chagossians.