Flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory

What the flag looks like

The Union Jack in the canton on a field of wavy dark blue and white horizontal lines, with a green palm tree rising behind a gold crown in the fly.

What it means

The wavy lines are the Indian Ocean around the islands, the palm tree stands for the islands themselves, and the crown for British sovereignty.

How to remember it

The British Indian Ocean Territory is the Union Jack floating on rolling waves, with a palm tree sprouting out of a crown.

Fun facts

• The flag was granted in 1990 to mark the territory's 25th anniversary.
• The islands have had no permanent civilian population since the Chagossians were removed in the late 1960s and early 1970s to make way for the military base on Diego Garcia.

British Indian Ocean Territory at a glance

Status

British Overseas Territory

Sovereign state

United Kingdom

Sovereignty

Claimed by Mauritius; a treaty signed in 2025 to transfer the islands had not been ratified as of 2026

Region

British Overseas Territory

Area

60 km²

Languages

English

Flag adopted

1990