Archipelago Chagos, the island of Diego Garcia. Description, photo

Diego Garcia is the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Located between Hindustan and the Maldives, at a distance of 1600 km and 500 km respectively. It is the only inhabited island in the entire archipelago.

Its area is just over 25 km ² . And, together with the three small islands that make up Diego Garcia, he is an atoll. Its formation is due to the fact that around the ridge (he, by the way, has a volcanic origin), corals began to appear in large quantities.

a brief description of

Due to its size, Chagos is one of the largest archipelagos in the world. The land area is 63.2 km ², of which more than a third of the territory belongs to the island of Garcia, to be more precise, 27 km ².

The Chagos Archipelago consists of 7 atolls, including more than 60 tropical islands. Administratively, Diego Garcia refers to the British territory, but this fact is now challenged by the state of Mauritius. In the view of the latter, the archipelago and its described part refers to its outer territories.

Garcia was inaugurated in the beginning of the 16th century, in 1512. According to one version, Vasco da Gama owes its name to the archipelago. He named his discovery in honor of an assistant who was on the ship.

Diego Garcia is a lagoon that is surrounded by a strip of surface coral reefs. The island is a plain. The highest point of the relief is 7 m. The length of the outer shoreline in length reaches almost 70 km. And the width indicator varies from 400 m to 3000 m. Coral reefs and three islands surround the lagoon from the north side.

Population

The first to claim rights on the island was Portugal. Initially, the entire archipelago, including Diego Garcia (island), belonged to France, later - Britain. The original inhabitants of the described territory were immigrants. These people came from Negro slaves brought from Africa, and Indians who came for hired labor. Before eviction, about 5 thousand people lived on the archipelago, mostly on the Diego Garcia Atoll. The island is still forbidden to visit for a long period. Only 30 years later, the Supreme Court of Great Britain confirmed the illegality of the eviction of the indigenous population. But the inhabitants could not return to their historical homeland, and it is unlikely that they will ever be able to because of the deployment of naval bases and military units on the atoll. They are here by agreement between Britain and America. Recently it was allowed to visit the island for a short time to visit the ancestors. In 2016, the treaty expires between the countries. Therefore, the indigenous people believe that they will finally be able to return to their native lands. Thus, British territory in the Indian Ocean in some territories also belongs to America.

It is noteworthy, but on this archipelago not to meet permanent residents. All of them were forcibly deported, and British and American military men settled on the islands, the total number of which was about 3,000.

The administrative center is a military settlement. The main sphere of activity of the population is military service and servicing of strategic facilities.

Composition

British territory in the Indian Ocean is divided into many islands. The atoll described also has territorial units. It includes 4 islands (including the main one). Garcia is the largest among them. In addition to it, there are islands in the atoll, such as the Western (covering 3.4 hectares), the Middle (with an area of 60,000 sq. M.) And Vostochny. The latter ranks second in size (120 thousand square meters).

Climate

Atoll Diego Garcia is located in such a way that it has a humid tropical and marine climate. Consequently, the weather here is humid and hot, although the winds blow it from all sides. This type of climate occurs on the eastern coast of the continents, mainly in the northern part of India, in the southeast of the USA, in the southern part of South America. What is characteristic, in this place do not form cyclones.

Diego Garcia is in the area of tropical monsoons. The average annual precipitation is 2600 mm. In the summer months, for example, in August - 105 mm, and in January - up to 350 mm. This, together with the territorial location of the island, explains the average annual humidity level (about 80%). The average monthly temperature on the atoll is + 26 ° ... + 28 ° С. Daily exceeds the mark of + 30 ° С.

Flora

Despite the tropical climate, the animal and plant world in these places does not differ in variety. The nature of the atoll resembles the characteristic of the Maldives.

On the local territory grows a huge number of coconut trees, previously cultivated on an industrial scale, and now wild, and sugar cane. Such results resulted in the location of military bases on the islands.

Fauna

Where the Chagos archipelago is located, explains why the coastal waters are surrounded by coral reefs. In the waters there are many species of tropical fish, such as lionfish and zebrafish. Among the other representatives here you can find quite large chordates: barracuda, several species of stingrays and small sharks (tiger, feline, etc.) swimming in reefs in search of food. Also in these places is found a lot of mollusks and arthropods. The waters of the archipelago are rich in various species of sea turtles.

Particular attention should be paid to birds nesting on the island. Scientists have about 20 species of birds that live on the atoll. It can be said that tropical birds are the most colorful representatives of the fauna of this island.

Atoll Diego Garcia is the habitat of a special species of coral-endemic ctenellachagius. This is one of the types of coral-brains. And as scientists have found here Chagoss anemone.