Until today, there’s been much controversy over which nation has, in fact, control over the Chagos Archipelago. The dispute is between the UK and Mauritius, both considering that the archipelago is part of its own territory.

It all began in the 15th century, when explorers began to colonize the region. They mapped Mauritius for the first time and the other islands around it. After the Dutch colonized the islands, the British took control of the region in 1810. Since then, Mauritius were under British rule.

Meanwhile, the economy of the Chagos Archipelago was sustained thanks to trade with Mauritius. This made the two territories have a very particular sustainable relationship. So, the United Kingdom also considered the Chagos Archipelago as its territory.

In 1968, Mauritius gained its independence from Britain. And from there, the situation of the Chagos Archipelago became uncertain.

The UK proposed to continue in control of the archipelago after the separation of Mauritius. It’s believed that this was partly due to US pressure, since they saw the location of the archipelago as a military advantage. However, the Mauritian government isn’t fully convinced about giving up this territory. Many discussions were made between different parts of both sides, but the result was never conclusive.

In 2010, things changed a bit: the United Kingdom created a national protected area in the territory of the Chagos Archipelago, the most significant movement in the territorial issue so far. Five years later, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled this occupation as illegal. We will continue to follow this dispute to see what will be the fate of the Chagos Archipelago.

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