The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) or Chagos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia.
The territory comprises the six atolls of the Chagos Archipelago with over 1,000 individual islands (many tiny) having a total land area of 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi).
The largest island is Diego Garcia (area 44 km2), the site of a joint military facility of the United Kingdom and the United States.
Following the eviction of the native population (Chagossians) in the 1960s, the only inhabitants are US and British military personnel and associated contractors, who collectively number around 4,000 (2004 figures).
British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize. First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing.
A marine reserve was set up in April 2010 to mixed reactions from Chagossians. While the UK Foreign Office claimed that it was an environmental move as well as a necessary move to improve the coral populations off east Africa and therefore sub-saharan marine supplies, some Chagossians claimed that the reserve would prevent any resettlement due to the inability to fish in protected areas.
The Chagossian UK-based Diego Garcian Society stated that it welcomed the marine reserve, noting that it was in the interest of Chagossians to have the area protected while they were exiled and that it could be renegotiated upon resettlement. The Foreign Office claimed the reserve was made "without prejudice to the outcome of the current, pending proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights".
The territory comprises the six atolls of the Chagos Archipelago with over 1,000 individual islands (many tiny) having a total land area of 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi).
The largest island is Diego Garcia (area 44 km2), the site of a joint military facility of the United Kingdom and the United States.
Following the eviction of the native population (Chagossians) in the 1960s, the only inhabitants are US and British military personnel and associated contractors, who collectively number around 4,000 (2004 figures).
British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize. First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing.
A marine reserve was set up in April 2010 to mixed reactions from Chagossians. While the UK Foreign Office claimed that it was an environmental move as well as a necessary move to improve the coral populations off east Africa and therefore sub-saharan marine supplies, some Chagossians claimed that the reserve would prevent any resettlement due to the inability to fish in protected areas.
The Chagossian UK-based Diego Garcian Society stated that it welcomed the marine reserve, noting that it was in the interest of Chagossians to have the area protected while they were exiled and that it could be renegotiated upon resettlement. The Foreign Office claimed the reserve was made "without prejudice to the outcome of the current, pending proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights".
Face value | Family number | English name | Scientific name
1968.01 | 17.01.1968 | Overprint B.I.O.T. on Seychelles 1962.01 |
5c | 73 | Lesser Vasa Parrot Coracopsis nigra |
1968.02 | 23.10.1968 | Marine life |
5r | 30 | Great Frigatebird Fregata minor |
1969.01 | 10.07.1969 | Coral atolls |
2.25r | 25 | Malagasy Sacred Ibis Threskiornis bernieri |
1971.01 | 01.02.1971 | Aldabra nature reserve | 4v set |
1.50r | 26 | Dimorphic Egret Egretta dimorpha |
1971.02 | 30.06.1971 | Opening of research station |
3.50r | 46 | White-throated Rail Dryolimnas cuvieri |
1972.01 | 20.11.1972 | Royal Silver Wedding |
95c | 46 | White-throated Rail Dryolimnas cuvieri | |
and | 25 | Malagasy Sacred Ibis Threskiornis bernieri | |
1.50r | 46 | White-throated Rail Dryolimnas cuvieri | = 95c |
and | 25 | Malagasy Sacred Ibis Threskiornis bernieri |
1975.01 | 28.02.1975 | Birds |
5c | 159 | Aldabra Drongo Dicrurus aldabranus | |
10c | 76 | Malagasy Coucal Centropus toulou | |
20c | 218 | Comoros Fody Foudia eminentissima | |
25c | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | |
30c | 66 | Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii | |
40c | 31 | Brown Booby Sula leucogaster | |
50c | 66 | Brown Noddy Anous stolidus | |
60c | 26 | Grey Heron Ardea cinerea | |
65c | 31 | Masked Booby Sula dactylatra | |
95c | 198 | Malagasy White-eye Zosterops maderaspatanus | |
1r | 26 | Striated Heron Butorides striata | |
1.75r | 30 | Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel | |
3.50r | 23 | White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus | |
5r | 216 | Souimanga Sunbird Cinnyris sovimanga | |
10r | 70 | Malagasy Turtle Dove Nesoenas picturata |
1975.02 | 10.07.1975 | Wildlife | 4v set |
65c | 25 | Malagasy Sacred Ibis Threskiornis bernieri |
1990.01 | 03.05.1990 | Birds |
15p | 23 | White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus | |
20p | 70 | Malagasy Turtle Dove Nesoenas picturata | |
24p | 30 | Great Frigatebird Fregata minor | |
30p | 26 | Striated Heron Butorides striata | |
34p | 58 | Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii | |
41p | 55 | Crab-plover Dromas ardeola | |
45p | 66 | Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii | |
54p | 66 | Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis | |
62p | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | |
71p | 31 | Red-footed Booby Sula sula | |
80p | 209 | Common Myna Acridotheres tristis | |
1£ | 218 | Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis |
1994.01 | 18.02.1994 | Overprint HONG KONG 94 on 1990.01 |
24p | 30 | Great Frigatebird Fregata minor | |
1£ | 218 | Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis |
2000.01 | 22.05.2000 | Wildlife photographic competition | 4v sheet |
34p | 68 | Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica | |
1£ | 212 | European Robin Erithacus rubecula |
2001.01 | 01.10.2001 | BirdLife International | Sheet |
50p | 55 | Crab-plover Dromas ardeola | |
50p | 55 | Crab-plover Dromas ardeola | |
50p | 55 | Crab-plover Dromas ardeola | |
50p | 55 | Crab-plover Dromas ardeola | |
50p | 55 | Crab-plover Dromas ardeola |
2002.01 | 17.06.2002 | BirdLife International | Sheet |
50p | 31 | Red-footed Booby Sula sula | |
50p | 31 | Red-footed Booby Sula sula | |
50p | 31 | Red-footed Booby Sula sula | |
50p | 31 | Red-footed Booby Sula sula | |
50p | 31 | Red-footed Booby Sula sula |
2004.01 | 21.06.2004 | Birds definitives |
2p | 218 | Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis | |
14p | 70 | Zebra Dove Geopelia striata | |
20p | 209 | Common Myna Acridotheres tristis | |
26p | 26 | Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis | |
34p | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | |
58p | 31 | Masked Booby Sula dactylatra | |
76p | 30 | Great Frigatebird Fregata minor | |
80p | 23 | White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus | |
1.10£ | 26 | Striated Heron Butorides striata | |
1.34£ | 58 | Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva | |
1.48£ | 14 | Garganey Anas querquedula | |
2.50£ | 64 | Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica |
2005.01 | 08.11.2005 | 40th anniversary | 8v sheet |
34p | 31 | Red-footed Booby Sula sula | |
34p | 30 | Great Frigatebird Fregata minor |
2006.01 | 06.10.2006 | BirdLife International | Sheet |
26p | 30 | Great Frigatebird Fregata minor | |
26p | 66 | Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana | |
26p | 23 | White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus | |
26p | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | |
26p | 66 | Brown Noddy Anous stolidus | |
2£ | 31 | Red-footed Booby Sula sula |
2007.01 | 23.07.2007 | Charles Darwin | 4v set |
54p | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | |
and | 66 | Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus |
2007.02 | 01.10.2007 | BirdLife International |
54p | 67 | Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus | |
and | 23 | White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus | |
54p | 67 | Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus | |
and | 31 | Cape Gannet Morus capensis | |
54p | 67 | Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus | |
54p | 67 | Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus | |
90p | 67 | Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus | |
and | 66 | Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana | |
90p | 67 | Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus |
2009.01 | 05.10.2009 | Definitives | 12v set |
54p | 218 | Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis | |
90p | 30 | Great Frigatebird Fregata minor |
2009.02 | 05.10.2009 | Definitives | 12v sheet | 2009.01 |
54p | 218 | Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis | |
90p | 30 | Great Frigatebird Fregata minor |
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