The British Indian Ocean Territory,
also known as Chagos Archipelago, is an overseas territory of the
United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and
Indonesia. The territory comprises more than 1,000 individual islands.
In 1966, the great majority of the native population was forcefully
relocated to Mauritius to establish a joint military base of the United
Kingdom and the United States. This territory was considered to be of
great importance due to its strategic location at the centre of the
Indian Ocean.
This is the first official coin ever produced for this territory.