Introduction
The flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory has the Union Jack in the canton and, across the rest of the cloth, wavy white and blue lines for the Indian Ocean, with a palm tree rising above a crown.
Meaning & Symbolism
The wavy lines are the ocean the territory sits in, the palm is the coconut that once supported the plantations, and the crown marks British sovereignty.
Unusually for a British ensign, the waves run across the whole field rather than the design being confined to a badge in the fly.
History of the British Indian Ocean Territory Flag
The first flag of the territory was unfurled in 1990.
The territory is the Chagos Archipelago, and its history is contested. Between 1968 and 1973 the entire Chagossian population, around two thousand people, was removed to Mauritius and the Seychelles to make way for the joint UK and US military base on Diego Garcia. Mauritius claims sovereignty, and in March 2026 the BIOT Supreme Court ruled that Chagossians have the right to live on the islands, a ruling the administration is appealing.
Curiosities
- The whole Chagossian population was removed between 1968 and 1973 to make way for a military base.
- Diego Garcia is the largest island and the site of a joint British and American base.
- Since 1971 only military personnel and contractors have been legally allowed to live there.
- In March 2026 the territory own Supreme Court ruled that Chagossians have the right to live on the islands.
- The waves run across the entire flag rather than sitting inside a badge, which is rare for a British ensign.
Download Flag
Download the flag of British Indian Ocean Territory in high-quality SVG vector format or PNG raster images. SVG files can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
Digital icon artwork; its proportions may differ from the official flag proportions listed on this page.