British Indian Ocean Territory Geography - 2005

Location:
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 71 30 E

Map references:
Political Map of the World

Area:
total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago

Area - comparative:
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
698 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain:
flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

Natural resources:
coconuts, fish, sugarcane

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA