The Chagos Archipelago, recently in the news, is a disputed territory between which two countries?

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (c) United Kingdom and Mauritius

Explanation:

• The Chagos Archipelago is a disputed territory between the United Kingdom and Mauritius.

• The UK separated the archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), before Mauritius gained independence in 1968.

• Mauritius claims that the separation was unlawful and that the islands should be returned.

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the UN General Assembly have supported Mauritius’s claim.

• Recently, both countries have moved toward an agreement to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while keeping the joint UK–US military base on Diego Garcia operational under a long-term lease.

Information Booster:

• The Chagos issue is one of the major decolonization disputes still unresolved under the UN system.

• Diego Garcia hosts one of the most strategically important US military bases in the Indian Ocean region.

Additional Knowledge:

France and Mauritius (Option a)

• No territorial dispute exists between them over the Chagos Archipelago.

United States and United Kingdom (Option b)

• The US operates a military base on Diego Garcia but does not claim sovereignty.

• The dispute is not between these two countries.

United Kingdom and India (Option d)

• India fully supports Mauritius’s claim, but India is not a party to the dispute.