Diego Garcia

Diego Garcia is the largest island within the Chagos Archipelago.

It is located in the central Indian Ocean, just south of the equator. The island sits on the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge. This is a large underwater mountain range. This ridge includes the Maldives and 60 other small islands. Diego Garcia is positioned east of Tanzania and east-southeast of Somalia. It lies south of the Maldives and southwest of India. It is also northwest of Australia and northeast of Mauritius.

The island features a diverse range of ecosystems and habitats. You can find thick coconut forests and Hernandia forests.

There are also areas of Premna shrubland and littoral scrub near the coast. The landscape includes various wet environments. These include cattail marshes and mixed-species freshwater wetlands.

Many animals live in these habitats. Examples include the coconut crab and the red-tailed tropicbird.

History shows that the island was first discovered by Portuguese sailors in 1512. They named it Dom Garcia to honor a patron. In 1544, a Spanish explorer named Diego García de Moguer rediscovered the island. He named it after himself. The name "Diego Garcia" likely came from a misunderstanding of older maps. For a long time, the island remained uninhabited. In the late 18th century, the French began using the island. They established coconut plantations and used it as a leper colony.

Following the Napoleonic Wars, the island moved to British control. It remained part of Mauritius until 1965. In 1966, the population was 924 people. Most of these people were contract workers for coconut plantations. However, the UK created the British Indian Ocean Territory in 1965. Between 1968 and 1973, the Chagossian inhabitants were forcibly removed. This was done to make room for a military base.

Today, the population is about 4,000 people. Most of these residents are military personnel.

The island serves as a major joint UK–U.S. military base. The U.S. Navy calls it the "Footprint of Freedom." This nickname refers to its shape and its strategic location. It is one of two critical U.S. bomber bases in the Indo-Pacific region. The other base is Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Large aircraft, such as B-1B Lancers and B-2 bombers, operate from the island.

A significant legal and political shift is currently happening. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion. It stated that the decolonisation of Mauritius was not lawfully completed in 1968. The court said the UK must end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago rapidly. The United Nations General Assembly also supported this view. On 22 May 2025, a treaty was signed to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius. Under this deal, the military base stays under British control for at least 99 years. This period may be extended for another 40 years. The UK expects the treaty to be ratified in 2026.

The island's history is marked by many different uses. In the late 1800s, it hosted coaling stations for steamships. During World War II, the British opened an RAF Station there. They used aircraft like the Catalina to search for submarines.

The transition to a military site involved complex agreements. In 1966, the UK and U.S. agreed to use the territory for defense. The U.S. received a $14-million discount on missiles as part of this arrangement. This highlights how geography can shape international relations and military strategy.