Flag of British Indian Ocean Territory
The Union Flag in the canton on a field of wavy white and dark blue stripes. A palm tree and a crown are in the fly.
What the flag means
The wavy lines show the waters of the Indian Ocean around the islands.
History
Queen Elizabeth II granted the flag on 8 November 1990, the 25th anniversary of the territory's creation. It was first meant for the commissioner, who is based at the Foreign Office in London, and later gained semi-official use on land. In 2025 the UK and Mauritius agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, with a 99-year lease keeping the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
Chagos Islanders living in the UK have carried this flag at protests against the 2025 agreement, calling for a referendum on the territory's future.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
