Where is Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean?
Chagos Archipelago
Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory is located at 7 Degrees South Latitude, off the tip of India. Diego Garcia is exclusively a military installation located on a small host country atoll in the Chagos Archipelago. The heavily vegetated island has an area of 6,720 acres.
What is the US base in the Indian Ocean?
Diego García
It is one of two critical US bomber bases in the Asia Pacific region, along with Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Pacific Ocean….Diego Garcia.
| Diego García Location of Diego Garcia | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 7°18′48″S 72°24′40″ECoordinates: 7°18′48″S 72°24′40″E |
| Archipelago | Chagos Archipelago |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Indian Ocean |
Is there a US base on Diego Garcia?
Diego Garcia became a critical node of American expeditionary warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq. It remains an invaluable operating location in a region with few permanent American bases.
What country owns Diego Garcia?
Diego Garcia is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) formed in 1965 from territory belonging formerly to Mauritius and the Seychelles. The island is one of 52 in the Chagos Archipelago, which extends over an area of 10,000 square miles.
Can tourists go to Diego Garcia?
U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia access to Diego Garcia is limited to official visitors and mission-essential personnel only. Personnel travelling to Diego Garcia require country clearance, which is approved by the U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia, commanding officer.
What language do chagossians speak?
Chagossian Creole
The Chagossians speak Chagossian Creole, a French-based creole language whose vocabulary also incorporates words originating in various African and Asian languages and is part of the Bourbonnais Creole family. Chagossian Creole is still spoken by some of their descendants in Mauritius and the Seychelles.
What is based at Diego Garcia?
The major tenant commands based at Diego Garcia are Military Sealift Command Office (MSCO), Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Two (COMPSRON TWO), Afloat Prepositioning Ships Squadron Four (APSRON FOUR), Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Detachment, Mission Support Facility, FISC Yokosuka and 36 MXG Pacific Air …
Can you vacation in Diego Garcia?
The main island, Diego Garcia, is a military facility off limits to anyone not on official duty, but some of the uninhabited outer islands can be visited by independent yachters with advance permission.
Is Diego Garcia part of Africa?
Who lives on British Indian Ocean Territory?
- The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is a British Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean halfway between Tanzania and Indonesia.
- The only inhabitants are British and U.S. military personnel and associated contractors, who collectively number around 3,000 (2018 figures).
Where is the Navy base in Diego Garcia?
Camp Justice Naval Base in Diego Garcia. Camp Justice is a United States Navy support facility located in the central Indian Ocean 1,909 miles off the eastern coast of Tanzania and 1,357 miles south of India. The base located on a British owned coral atoll known as Diego Garcia.
Diego Garcia is located in the Indian Ocean’s Chagos Archipelago, more than 1,000 miles from the nearest continent. A map showing Diego Garcia’s location in the Indian Ocean.
When did the US use Diego Garcia Air Base?
Diego Garcia served as a launch pad for U.S. bombers during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. But Mauritius has mounted a concerted international push in recent years to reclaim the 17-mile-long island.
How many people are stationed at Diego Garcia?
An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 service personnel are stationed at the base, mostly Americans with a few from the UK. An Air Force weapons loader from the 28th Air Expeditionary Wing signaling that the 2,000-pound bomb he prepped was ready for loading on a B-1 bomber in 2001 at Diego Garcia Air Base.
The atoll of Diego Garcia is in the Chagos Islands located on a large shoal area known as the Great Chagos Bank. Diego Garcia is the largest of 55 islands that form the Chagos Archipelago within the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and is known as the “Footprint of Freedom” for its shape, regional location, and strategic importance.
How big is Diego Garcia in square kilometres?
Diego Garcia is the largest land mass in the Chagos Archipelago (which includes Peros Banhos, the Salomon Islands, the Three Brothers, the Egmont Islands, and the Great Chagos Bank ), being an atoll occupying approximately 174 square kilometres (67 sq mi), of which 27.19 square kilometres (10 sq mi) is dry land.
How tall is the lagoon at Diego Garcia?
Today Diego Garcia is home to 15 separate commands, including the U.S. Navy Support Facility, which functions as the host command. The island stretches about 38 miles tip to tip and has an average elevation of four feet above sea level with a maximum elevation of 22 feet. The lagoon varies in depth from 10 to 100 feet.
How is Diego Garcia a living coral atoll?
Diego Garcia is a living coral atoll; the coral reefs and island are made up of trillions of living organisms. Once an ancient volcano, all that is left is the atoll surrounding a central lagoon. Thanks to its tropical location and heavy rainfall (about 100 inches per year), the island is heavily vegetated with coconut palm and ironwood trees.