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Diego Garcia (island) |
Coordinates: |
| Lat: 06 34 00 S degrees minutes |
Lat: -6.5667 decimal degrees |
| Long: 072 24 00 E degrees minutes |
Long: 72.4000 decimal degrees |
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Note: Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, was discovered in the 16th century by the Portuguese, and became a dependency of Mauritius until 1965. In that year, the British created the British Indian Ocean Territory, separating the island from Mauritius, and placing it under the British government of the Seychelles. In 1966, the United Kingdom and the United States signed an agreement to develop a military base on Diego Garcia, moving the inhabitants to Mauritius by the early 1970s. In 1976, the Seychelles became independent, and Diego Garcia became a self-administering territory under the East African Desk of the British Foreign Office. The military base has been active in several conflicts in the region since. The island is now home to approximately 1,500 military personnel and 1,700 civilian contracters. Former inhabitants of Diego Garcia have been attempting to sue for the right of return since the early 1990s. |
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