<Tr> <Th> Designated </Th> <Td> 4 July 2001 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Reference no . </Th> <Td> 1077 </Td> </Tr> <P> Diego Garcia is an atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of 60 small islands comprising the Chagos Archipelago . It was settled by the French in the 1790s and was transferred to British rule after the Napoleonic Wars . It was one of the "Dependencies" of the British Colony of Mauritius until it was detached for inclusion in the newly created British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in 1965 . </P> <P> Between 1968 and 1973, the population was forcibly removed by the United Kingdom and the United States to establish an American base through intimidation of locals and denying the return of any who left the island . Many were deported to Mauritius and the Seychelles, following which the United States built a large naval and military base, which has been in continuous operation ever since . As of March 2015, Diego Garcia is the only inhabited island of the BIOT; the population is composed of military personnel and supporting contractors . It is one of two critical US bases in the Asia Pacific region, along with Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Pacific Ocean . </P>

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