• Location and Composition: Over 60 islands, part of the Mascarene Islands, located about 500 kilometers south of the Maldives.
• Historical Context: Colonial History: Initially part of the French colonial empire, then became a British territory in the early 19th century.
• Detachment from Mauritius: In 1965, the UK detached the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), a move contested by Mauritius as unlawful.
In-depth Details
The Chagos Archipelago’s story intertwines significant natural beauty with complex geopolitical interests and deep-rooted human rights issues, marking it as a pivotal area in international relations and environmental conservation.
The Chagos Archipelago
Tromelin Island is a small, low-lying coral island located in the Indian Ocean, about 450 kilometers east of Madagascar.
Disputes are still on for the legacy of the island between France and Mauritius.
Tromelin Island
• Chagossians: Indigenous people, primarily descendants of African slaves and Indian laborers.
• Forced Removal: Approximately 1,500 Chagossians were displaced in the late 1960s and early 1970s to facilitate the establishment of a US military base on Diego Garcia.
Displacement of Population
• Political Status: The island is administered by France as part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
• Current Use: The island hosts a weather station that is important for meteorological research in the region but is otherwise uninhabited.
Status
• Geography: Tromelin Island measures approximately 1.7 kilometers long and 0.7 kilometers wide, with an area of about 1 square kilometer. It is surrounded by coral reefs and has a flat terrain.
• Conservation Efforts: The island is part of a nature reserve that protects its unique wildlife and fragile marine ecosystem.