Government of British Indian Ocean Territory
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Country name:
- conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
- conventional short form: none
- abbreviation: BIOT
Dependency status:
- overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Legal system:
- the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; a special agreement applies to persons subject to U.S. military law [1] (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jksonc/docs/bancoult-d16b1.html#ii)
Executive branch:
- chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952)
- head of government: Commissioner Tony Crombie (since January 2004); Administrator Charles A. Hamilton (since 2002); note - both reside in the UK
- elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US:
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
- white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag