The flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is similar to the flags of other British dependencies and colonies as it has the

Union Flag The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

in the upper hoist-side corner. The palm tree and crown are symbols of the Indian Ocean Territory. The Flag was initially intended to be used by the Commissioner but has gained semi-official status as a territorial flag for use on land.

Overview

The flag contains the

in its canton (upper hoist quarter). It depicts the waters of the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...

, where the islands are located, in the form of white and blue wavy lines. The flag also depicts a palm tree rising above the

St Edward's Crown St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th cen ...

. It is understood that the flag, which was granted by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

on the 25th anniversary of the BIOT in 1990, is that of the Commissioner and has only semi-official status. Given that it is impossible for civilians to visit the British Indian Ocean Territory, it is not clear how widely this flag is used. However, a video released by the Naval Support Facility on

Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is an island of the British Indian Ocean Territory, a disputed overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It is a militarised atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of the 60 small islands of ...

shows a scene where the flag is being flown on land within the territory. The only settlements on the Islands are the Anglo-American naval and air facilities. The flag does indeed fly at Diego Garcia, along with the American Flag. Both are lowered at the end of the duty day. The Flag was designed for the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The Commissioner is based at the

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' ministries of foreign affairs, it was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreig ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

.CIA – The World Factbook – British Indian Ocean Territory
Accessed 28 August 2006

Other images

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:British Indian Ocean Territory, Flag of the National flags Blue Ensigns Flag

Flags introduced in 1990

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...