Can I visit Diego Garcia island?
Entry into Diego Garcia is restricted, requiring area clearance by U.S. Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia. Only unaccompanied military and DoD civilian personnel, or authorized contractors may be assigned to the island. Neither military nor DoD couples are allowed concurrent assignments to Diego Garcia.
Does anyone live on Diego Garcia?
There is no permanent population on Diego Garcia, although some 4,000 U.S. and British military and contract civilian personnel are stationed on the atoll.
Who controls Diego Garcia?
Diego Garcia is a British territory mostly populated by the US military, the British colony that’s been colonised by the Americans. Normally the island is home to about 1,700 military personnel and 1,500 civilian contractors. But only about 50 troops are British.
Can I sail to Diego Garcia?
Access to Diego Garcia is only allowed for those on pre-authorised official duty. The Outer Islands of the Chagos Archipelago are isolated and uninhabited. They act as an oasis for marine and island species.
Does Diego Garcia have cell service?
Sure Diego Garcia provides international telephone services, broadband internet and WiFi,4G and GSM mobile and paging services. We also provide telephone and internet services to maritime customers as well as an extensive portfolio of services to business and Government customers.
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.
How many Chagossians are there?
Currently, they are penniless, poor, and without a home. Numbering some 3000 to 4000 Chagossians, they currently live on the island of Mauritius. There are approximately 500 Chagossian survivors of the more than 1.500 original evictees right now.
Can you fly to Diego Garcia?
There are no commercial flights and permits for yachts are only issued to allow safe passage through the Indian Ocean (outer islands only). Access to Diego Garcia is only permitted to those with connections either to the military facility or to the Territory’s Administration.
Does Mauritius own Diego Garcia?
Mauritius has pledged to give the United States — or even the United States and Britain together — a long-term lease to Diego Garcia. The Chagos Archipelago, although 1,300 miles away from Mauritius in the vast Indian Ocean, was nonetheless recognized as a Mauritius dependency under British colonial rule.
Is Diego Garcia a black site?
Diego Garcia was first rumoured to have been one of the locations of the CIA’s black sites in 2005. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is one of the “high-value detainees” suspected to have been held in Diego Garcia.
Can you visit Chagos Archipelago?
There are no commercial tours to the Chagos Archipelago. Rules regarding private visits are very strict and it is only possible to visit one or two sites by private yacht – and then only with permission of the BIOT administration.