Description

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PC: NDTV

Context

India recently hailed the United Kingdom's decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, to Mauritius as part of a historic agreement.

About the Chagos Islands

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PC: Wikipedia

Location	Central Indian Ocean
Distance from India	~1,000 miles (1,600 km) south of the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent
Political Status	Overseas territory of the United Kingdom (established on November 8, 1965)
Island Group	Chagos Archipelago
Principal Islands	Diego Garcia, Danger Island, Egmont Islands, Eagle Islands, Nelsons Island, Peros Banhos, Three Brothers, Solomon Islands
Largest Island	Diego Garcia (approx. 30 sq.km), also the southernmost island
Strategic Importance	Diego Garcia hosts a major U.S. military base
Terrain	Flat and low-lying; elevation mostly less than 2 meters
Water Bodies	No rivers or lakes present

Climate of the Chagos Islands

It has a tropical marine climate, with high temperatures and humidity levels. The island's climate is significantly influenced by the trade winds that sweep over it.

Historical Significance

During the nineteenth century, the Chagos Islands were ruled by Mauritius, a British colony.
Mauritius obtained independence in 1968, but the Chagos Archipelago remained under British rule, known as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).
Strategic Importance: The archipelago houses the Diego Garcia airbase, which is vitally important to both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Lease of Diego Garcia in 1966: Britain leased Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands, to the United States, which wanted to establish a military post in the region.
Recent Developments: The current agreement is the result of 13 rounds of negotiations that began in 2022, and it follows rulings in 2019 and 2021 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations General Assembly, and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) that supported Mauritius' claim to sovereignty.

Treaty Provisions: Under the treaty, the UK will maintain sovereignty of the UK-US military facility on Diego Garcia while returning the rest of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius.

Source: The Hindu