Description

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Context

US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Australian remote external territories including Heard & McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island & even British Indian Ocean Territory baffling both island administrators & trade analysts.

Key Highlights

Heard & McDonald Islands (HIMI)

Located ~4,100 km southwest of Perth & ~1,600 km north of Antarctica.

No human is believed to have visited islands in nearly a decade.

These volcanic, glacier-covered islands are among most remote territories on Earth home only to penguins, seals & seabirds.

They are one of seven external territories of Australia.

US Tariff Move

US President Donald Trump imposed a 10% tariff on imports from HIMI.

It is unclear what if any exports originate from these uninhabited islands.

HIMI joins list of countries facing US tariffs under guise of reciprocal trade enforcement.

Other Australian Territories Affected

Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island & Norfolk Island were also included in Trump tariff list.

These are all external territories of Australia not sovereign countries.

Norfolk Island Case

Received highest tariff at 29% which is 19 percentage points more than mainland Australia.

The island has a small population (~2,000) & limited export capacity.

Local Administrator stated that they do not export anything to US.

British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)

Chagos Archipelago also targeted with a 10% US tariff despite being uninhabited by civilians.

Diego Garcia largest island hosts a major US-UK military base with around 4,000 military personnel.

Chagos has no exports to US & no civilian economic activity.

Heard & McDonald Islands (HIMI)

Attribute	Details
Sovereign Nation	Australia
Status	External Territory of Australia
UNESCO Status	World Heritage Site (since 1997)
Geological Type	Volcanic Islands
Highest Point	Mawson Peak (2,745 m), an active volcano on Big Ben massif
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)	~410,000 sq. km
Flora & Fauna	Endemic mosses, seabirds, penguins (e.g., macaroni penguin), seals
Legal Protection	Governed under Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, 1999
Human Activity	No permanent human presence; occasional scientific expeditions only
Accessibility	Accessible only by special vessel from Australia; no airstrips
Climate	Sub-Antarctic, glacial, harsh winds, freezing temperatures
Administration	Managed by Australian Antarctic Division (AAD)

Norfolk Island

Attribute	Details
Sovereign Nation	Australia
Political Status	Self-governing territory (until 2016); now governed by Australian laws
Population	~2,000
Official Language(s)	English, Norfuk (creole language derived from 18^th century English & Tahitian)
Capital	Kingston
Geography	Volcanic origin; lush green landscape
Economy	Tourism, horticulture, philatelic sales
Key Exports	Small-scale exports of local produce; largely self-sufficient
Transport	Norfolk Island Airport (IATA: NLK) links to Australia
Legal System	Operates under Australian law post 2016 reforms
Culture	Strong Pitcairn heritage from Bounty mutineers
Governance Reform (2016)	Revoked self-government; now governed by an Administrator & Regional Council

Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory - BIOT)

Attribute	Details
Sovereign Nation	United Kingdom (disputed by Mauritius)
Strategic Importance	Diego Garcia hosts a major US-UK military base
Civilian Population	None (indigenous Chagossians forcibly removed between 1968–1973)
Legal Dispute	Mauritius claims sovereignty; supported by UNGA & ICJ (2019 ruling)
Marine Protected Area (MPA)	Declared by UK in 2010; contested by Mauritius & Chagossians
Location	Central Indian Ocean, ~2,200 km northeast of Mauritius
Military Presence	~4,000 US & UK personnel on Diego Garcia
Accessibility	Restricted; no public entry; governed by UK military & Foreign Office
Strategic Role	Logistics, surveillance, operations in Middle East & Indo-Pacific
Key Islands	Diego Garcia (largest), Peros Banhos, Salomon Atoll
Area	Land area ~60 sq. km; vast EEZ of ~640,000 sq. km

UNESCO World Heritage Islands

Island Name	Country	Year Inscribed	Region	UNESCO Criteria	Significance & Features
Galápagos Islands	Ecuador	1978 (extended 2001)	South America	Natural (vii, viii, ix, x)	Birthplace of Darwin theory; volcanic archipelago with unique endemic biodiversity.
Heard & McDonald Islands	Australia	1997	Southern Ocean	Natural (viii, ix)	Volcanic origin; glacier covered; only sub Antarctic island with active volcanoes.
Macquarie Island	Australia	1997	Southern Ocean	Natural (viii)	Only place on Earth where rocks from Earth mantle are actively exposed above sea level.
Henderson Island	United Kingdom (UK)	1988	Pacific Ocean	Natural (vii, x)	One of few atolls with relatively undisturbed ecosystem & high endemism.
Gough & Inaccessible Islands	United Kingdom (UK)	1995 (extended 2004)	South Atlantic	Natural (vii, x)	Among world least disrupted island ecosystems; important seabird nesting sites.
Surtsey	Iceland	2008	North Atlantic	Natural (ix)	Volcanic island formed in 1963; preserved for scientific study of colonization processes.
Socotra Archipelago	Yemen	2008	Arabian Sea	Natural (x)	Known as Galápagos of Indian Ocean; rich endemism in flora & fauna.
Jeju Volcanic Island & Lava Tubes	South Korea	2007	East Asia	Natural (vii, viii)	Volcanic island with lava tubes, Mount Halla & rich biodiversity.
St. Kilda	United Kingdom (Scotland)	1986 (extended 2004)	North Atlantic	Mixed (iii, v, vii, ix)	Remote archipelago with unique cultural & natural heritage; seabird colonies.
New Caledonia Lagoon	France	2008	Pacific Ocean	Natural (vii, ix, x)	One of world largest lagoons; pristine coral reefs; biodiversity hotspot.
Ogasawara Islands	Japan	2011	Pacific Ocean	Natural (ix)	Galápagos of Orient; remote with distinct evolution of species.
Coiba National Park & Islands	Panama	2005	Central America	Natural (ix, x)	Marine biodiversity hotspot; protection of threatened species like sharks & turtles.
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park	Philippines	1993	Southeast Asia	Natural (vii, ix, x)	Remote reef ecosystem; high coral & fish diversity; no human inhabitants.
Aldabra Atoll	Seychelles	1982	Indian Ocean	Natural (vii, ix, x)	World's second largest coral atoll; giant tortoise population; isolated ecosystem.
Phoenix Islands Protected Area	Kiribati	2010	Pacific Ocean	Natural (vii, ix)	One of largest marine protected areas; rich pelagic biodiversity.
Cocos Island National Park	Costa Rica	1997	Pacific Ocean	Natural (ix, x)	Oceanic island with dense rainforest; critical marine habitat & shark populations.

Criteria (UNESCO)

(vii) Natural beauty

(viii) Earth’s history/geology

(ix) Ecological & biological processes

(x) Biodiversity & threatened species

(iii, v) Cultural heritage (used for mixed sites)

British Indian Ocean Territory

Aspect	Details
Full Form	British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)
Status	Overseas Territory of United Kingdom
Location	Central Indian Ocean, between Africa & Indonesia about 1,770 km south of India & 2,000 km east of Tanzania
Main Island	Diego Garcia (largest island & only inhabited one by military personnel)
Inhabitants	No permanent civilian population. About 4000 US & UK military personnel live on Diego Garcia.
Strategic Significance	Houses a joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia (critical for operations in Middle East, Indo Pacific & Africa). Diego Garcia Naval Support Facility is a major logistics & intelligence hub.
History	Created in 1965 when UK split it from Mauritius prior to Mauritius independence. Native Chagossians were forcibly evicted between 1968 to 1973. Mauritius has legally contested this move.
Legal Dispute	Mauritius claims sovereignty over territory. In 2019 International Court of Justice ruled that UK must return territory to Mauritius. UN General Assembly supported this, but UK has not complied.
Environment	BIOT has been designated Marine Protected Area since 2010 (excluding Diego Garcia) one of largest marine reserves in world.

Australia External Territories

Territory	Location	Administered By	Population (approx.)	Strategic / Environmental Importance	Unique Features
Norfolk Island	South Pacific Ocean, ~1,600 km NE of Sydney	Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Communications (DITRDC)	~2,000	Previously self-governed; now under Australian Commonwealth laws (since 2016)	Blend of Polynesian & British heritage; site of penal colony; World Heritage listed Kingston & Arthur Vale.
Christmas Island	Indian Ocean, ~2,600 km NW of Perth	DITRDC via Administrator	~1,800	Home to a large detention centre; strategically located between Asia & Australia	Famous for annual red crab migration; 63% is national park; high biodiversity.
Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Indian Ocean, ~2,700 km NW of Perth	DITRDC via Administrator	~600	Critical airstrip & maritime position; monitored by Australian Defence for Indo-Pacific security	Two atolls with 27 coral islands; Malay majority population; unique culture & language blend.
Heard Island & McDonald Islands (HIMI)	Southern Indian Ocean, ~4,100 km SW of Perth	Administered by Australian Antarctic Division	Uninhabited	UNESCO World Heritage Site; one of most pristine ecosystems on Earth	Glaciers, active volcanoes, remote sub Antarctic biodiversity.
Ashmore & Cartier Islands	Timor Sea, north of Western Australia	Administered from Darwin by Australian Government	Uninhabited	Close to Indonesian EEZ; significant for maritime boundary issues & defence	Marine reserve; traditionally visited by Indonesian fishers; oil & gas exploration area.
Coral Sea Islands	Coral Sea, off Queensland coast	Administered from Canberra by Australian Government	Uninhabited	Important for surveillance, meteorology & weather stations in Pacific	Coral reefs, cays & atolls; automated weather & monitoring stations.
Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT)	Antarctic continent (42% of Antarctica)	Australian Antarctic Division, Hobart	No permanent population	Strategic claim under Antarctic Treaty System; home to research stations like Mawson, Davis & Casey	Largest territorial claim in Antarctica; key in polar science, climate research & international treaties.

For more such articles, please visit IAS GYAN

Sources:

INDIAN EXPRESS

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Examine geopolitical & environmental significance of remote overseas territories like British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) & Australia external islands. How do such territories pose challenges to international law, sovereignty claims & ecological conservation?