Geography
BIOT / Diego Garcia Quiz
Diego Garcia, Chagos Islands, and the Mauritius sovereignty dispute
Diego Garcia, Chagos Islands, and the Mauritius sovereignty dispute
The UK forcibly removed the entire Chagossian population in 1968–1973 to clear Diego Garcia for a US military base — and only in 2024 agreed to return the islands to Mauritius. The British Indian Ocean Territory sits at the heart of one of the most controversial territorial disputes of the post-colonial era, involving international law, human rights, and Cold War geopolitics. Test what you know about the Chagos Islands, Diego Garcia, and the Chagossian people.
Each round presents 10 randomized questions from a pool of 50, with four multiple-choice options and instant feedback after every answer. Your final score comes with a performance tier and shareable results.
You'll explore the creation of BIOT in 1965, the forced exile of the Chagossians, the Diego Garcia military base operations, the 2019 ICJ ruling, the 2024 sovereignty agreement with Mauritius, the Chagossian Creole culture, and the ecology of this pristine Indian Ocean atoll.
Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago in the British Indian Ocean Territory. It hosts Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, a joint US Navy and UK Royal Navy base that serves as one of the most strategically important military installations in the Indian Ocean.
The Chagossians (also called Îlois) are the indigenous people of the Chagos Archipelago, descended from African slaves and Indian and Madagascan plantation workers brought to the islands in the 18th century. They developed a distinct Creole language and culture before being forcibly expelled by Britain between 1968 and 1973.
The UK agreed to provide the US with a strategic military base in the Indian Ocean in exchange for a discount on Polaris nuclear missiles. To fulfil this agreement, Britain forcibly removed the entire Chagossian population of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 people between 1968 and 1973, resettling them in Mauritius and Seychelles.
Last updated: May 2026