Situated in the Chagos Islands and created under a bilateral agreement in 1976, the Anglo-American permanent military base on the atoll of Diego Garcia has become the only one of its kind in the Indian Ocean, controlling air and maritime traffic over an area of approximately 75,000,000 square kilometres. It did not, however, play a significant role during the Iraq War that started in April 2003, and compared with the Gulf War in 1991, it saw a relative decline in its role. At the same time, the Chagos Archipelago has been claimed by Mauritius since 1980. Its original population, mostly transplanted to Port Louis, is also asking to be allowed to return to their birthplace. No doubt the international community will be hearing about Diego Garcia on a legal and political level in future.