Go to: http://metrocosm.com/disputed-territories-map.html to check out the interactive map of global territorial disputes. Click on red countries to get brief information about the location of the dispute.
Once you’ve played around with the map, choose a specific country that is engaged in a territorial dispute to research more thoroughly. Include the following in complete sentences in your post: Name and relative location of disputed territory Countries involved in the dispute Reasons for the dispute History of territorial ownership Previous negotiations over territorial dispute - include date, location, players involved (including international organizations if any), and results of negotiation Citizenry of populace Cultural traits of population including ethnicity, language, religion, standard of living Current state of situation All information should be written in your own words. Academic grammar and vocabulary is expected. Please cite at least one source in MLA format at the end of your post.Your initial post should be at least 250 words. After you have posted, please comment on the post of two other classmates indicating which country in your opinion seems to have rights to the disputed territory. Please answer in complete sentences and provide researched evidence to support your opinion (at least 100 words per comment). 3 posts total
39 Comments
Henry Smith
2/20/2019 01:26:17 pm
The Dokdo islets are located about 215 kilometers off the eastern border of Korea and 90 kilometers east of South Korea's Ullung Island. South Korea controls the Islets but Japan has the authority. South Korea calls it Dokdo which means solitary islands. Japan calls it Takeshima which means bamboo islands. Also it has also been known as the Liancourt Rocks, named by French whalers, after their ship in 1849.The islands consist of two main islands and about 30 smaller rocks. A South Korean coast guard detachment has been stationed there since 1954. Both say they have historical ties to it but after World War ll Dokdo was restored to Korea. Japan has even made a day about the islands and making strong protests against Korea. And as recently as July 2012, Japan filed a formal diplomatic protest with South Korea after a man rammed his big truck against the gate of its embassy in Seoul to protest against Japan's claim to the islands. They lies good fishing grounds where citizens for Japan and South Korea both go. There are only 50 people living there. The language of Dokdo is Korean. In my opinion these islands should always be known as South Korea’s islands due to their historical past by claiming the islands first. There has been threats from Japan that they will forcefully try and take it over but has not done so yet.
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Jasmine Floyd
2/20/2019 03:57:15 pm
I think you are right, It should be South Korea's land.
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Savannah :)
2/20/2019 04:45:23 pm
I think that the islands should also be known as South Korea’s. Since South Korea controls the islands it seems only fair. Why should Japan have authority if they don’t even control the islands? Also, like you said South Korea has had a coast guard stationed there since 1954. Plus, after World War II Dokodo was restored to South Korea. It seems like all of these factors should make it territory of South Korea. Especially since you said the language spoken there is Korean. If the population is mostly South Korean (which I’m assuming since they speak Korean) it should definitely be property of South Korea and not Japan.
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Mark Outland
2/21/2019 11:13:09 pm
There is no real reason for Japan to have the island. Korean is the spoken language and South Korea has a coast guard detachment located there. Japan needs to accept that they had to give up the islands post World War II.
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Suzanna
2/22/2019 12:14:49 pm
I also believe that the island should rightfully belong to South Korea. If the language, and land fall under South Korea’s influence, then the land needs to go to them. Just because Japan has authority doesn’t necessarily mean that that's who should own it. The formal protest staged against Japan, while small, should’ve had a bigger impact on the Japanese, in my opinion.The fishing grounds would definitely be an advantage to both states but I believe that the small population of fifty people should be under the authority of South Korea. These reasons, among others, back up why I think that the territory should go to South Korea
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Lindsey
2/20/2019 01:37:54 pm
Europa Island, which is located in the Mozambique Channel to the southwest of Madagascar, has been under France's possession since 1897 as administered by Réunion. However, in 1972, Madagascar claimed Europa Island and a few more of the closest Scattered Islands because of their proximity. While there are no native inhabitants on Europa Island, there is a small French military garrison (which includes an unpaved runway), and a meteorological station in which a few meteorologists live and work. The Island is visited occasionally by scientists (often because of the meteorological station) who study factors such as weather and also wildlife. Europa has been identified as an IBA (Important Bird Area) due to its diverse number of bird species, and is also a breeding ground for Green Sea Turtles. Therefor, the island has been officially named a nature reserve. When applicable, the island uses the French flag and legal system. So far, there have been no true "negotiations" to settle the dispute over Europa Island. Réunion, an overseas department of France located to the east of Madagascar, has officially administered the land to France. With no native population and an existing French military garrison, Madagascar can do very little for their situation. The only thing they really can do is to claim the land like they have done already and hope for the best, unless they want to start beef with a world power.
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Savannah :)
2/20/2019 04:55:24 pm
While Madagascar is in close proximity to Europa Island, I think that it should be French territory. There are no native inhabitants of Europa Island, but like you said there are French military garrison. So, if the only people there are French it seems logical that it would be a territory of France. Also, if the island chooses to use the the French legal system and to fly the French flag, it makes sense for it to be considered French territory. Maybe if Madagascar had people living there, then it would be a different story, but if there are no natives and the French have already established their legal system there, then it is only right for it to be considered French territory.
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Lindsey
2/21/2019 09:54:34 pm
(Continued) Europa Island is not the only island Madagascar has claimed in spite of France. As I mentioned, Madagascar wants control over the smaller Scattered Islands in the Mozambique Channel. Bassas da India and Juan de Nova are also under dispute, but these issues are more complicated than that of Europa's. In these scenarios, native islanders and other factors are involved. However, in Europa's case, it is simply an almost desolate island with a couple of research facilities and a French military base.
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Lindsey
2/21/2019 10:07:39 pm
and finally
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Maggie Killmon
2/22/2019 12:13:46 am
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Savannah :)
2/20/2019 01:39:29 pm
The location I picked is the Falkland Islands. It is territory of the UK, but Argentina wants to discuss who controls the area. The Falkland Islands are in the Atlantic Ocean and are in both the Western and Southern hemispheres. They are about 300 miles from Argentina, hence the dispute. The dispute started because Argentina believes that they should own it because they received the islands in the 1800s from the Spanish crown. They also believed they should own the islands because the islands are closer to them. In 1690, an English captain landed on the islands, this was the first recorded landing. In 1764, a French navigator established the first settlement on the East Falkland island. In 1765, the British established a settlement on the West Falkland island. They left because of the Spanish in 1770, but returned a year later in 1771. They eventually left again in 1774. In 1820, Argentina claimed the islands. In 1831, a US warship destroyed the settlement that Argentina established. In 1833, the British ousted the last of the Argentine officials and appointed a governor. In 1965, the United Nations requested that Britain and Argentina come up with a peaceful solution. In 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, starting a war. In 1990, Argentina and Britain repair their diplomatic relations. Finally, in 2013, the citizens of the island voted to remain British territory. Recently, Argentina has been asking to negotiate power over the Falkland Islands, but the British have been rejecting their offers. In 1965 (closest date I could find), the UN did ask Argentina and Britain to negotiate control over the islands. The UN said the islanders should be asked whether they wanted to be territory of Argentina or Britain. The islanders were mostly British, so they remained a territory of the UK. Today, the Falkland Islands are still considered territory of the UK. The population of the Falkland Islands is still mostly British. The culture of the Falkland Islands is very similar to the culture of the UK, since the population is mainly British. The standard of living in the Falkland Islands is decent.
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Lindsey
2/21/2019 10:14:27 pm
From what it sounds like, the settlers consider themselves British and want to remain part of Britain. If that is what the islanders want, then I believe that the Falkland Islands should remain part of Britain.
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Maggie Killmon
2/21/2019 11:52:26 pm
I believe the Falkland Islands should be owned by the UK. Everyone on the Falkland Islands are mainly British and Britain were the first to discover the islands. I don't think that just wanting the islands because they are close to you is a very good reason that you should start a war. Even if they did receive the islands from the Spanish crown, they didn't seem to care about the islands before someone else wanted them. It also seems like the citizens on the Falkland Islands are fine with being owned by the UK instead of Argentina.
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Suzanna
2/22/2019 01:03:32 am
I believe that the Falkland Islands shou remain a British territory because if the Falkland Islands were settled by Britain, it would make the most sense that the territory belongs to them. Argentina’s “right” to the island was after the British had discovered and settled the islands. If the British had landed, settled, and explored the areas in the 1700s, why should Argentina make a claim to it in the 1800s? The fact that the inhabitants of the island are considered citizens of Britain also proves that it should fall under British jurisdiction. I agree with Maggie that the location of the the territory shouldn't be the main reason for starting a war.
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ture
2/22/2019 11:55:26 am
I believe that the falklands should be Argentinean territory because they are willing to go to war with a government that is part of NATO just for some islands with no real importance. Another reason is that it is so close to their land and the only reason is that within the territorial waters of large oil fields that the UK want. But with the global push to use renewable electric sources like wind and sun is making the want for large oil fields obsolete.
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lindsey
2/20/2019 01:40:14 pm
this post is not finished ^^
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ture
2/20/2019 02:17:19 pm
For this report I wrote about the territorial dispute on the Crimea peninsula. The dispute is Ukraine vs Russia fighting over territory that previously owned by ukraine. The dispute started when russia got the crimean peninsula in 1783 then gave it to ukraine in 1954 as a gift. Then, in 2014 the ukrainian revolution started and that is when things went bad there where huge riots in the streets that led to 130 deaths and a total overthrow of the ukrainian government. With seeing that ukraine is weak russia decided to annex crimea. To annex is to add to as a subordinate or extra and that is what russia did to crimea. Crimea is in the north of the black sea connected to ukraine. The population of the crimean peninsula is 1,967,119 people and they mostly think of themself as ukrainian but legally they are russian. The citizens of crimea hate the lack of political freedom, lack of jobs, and high levels of corruption. A big problem with the economy in crimea is there is no easy way to transport goods in and out of crimea because the only neighbor ukraine has cut of most commercial traffic from going across the border leaving the only other way is by boat which is much costlier. but there are some good parts that the citizens have found including the safety of being part of russia. Russia brings the safety of not having russia backed rebels fighting in the country like what is happening in east ukraine.
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Jasmine Floyd
2/20/2019 04:00:03 pm
I believe that the Crimea peninsula should be Ukraine's if all of its inhabitants believe they are Ukrainian
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Thomas Oliver
2/20/2019 06:15:59 pm
I believe that Russia has no intentions to help the Crimean people and that they have been wronged by being separated from the land that they identify with and wish to be a part of. I believe that Crimea should stay it's own state, free from Russian oppression.
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Thor Whi
2/21/2019 04:23:56 pm
It seems that the Crimea has no say in it's freedom and is controlled by others because they're are belittled by them and it seems that both Russia and Ukraine need the Crimea because it has access to the sea which can open up trade for both of them.
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Mark Outland
2/20/2019 02:21:25 pm
The Kuril islands form a volcanic archipelago in between Japan and far east Russia, and seperate the sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific ocean. The dispute of the ownership of the Kuril islands is between Russia and Japan. The dispute dates back to World War II, were the Soviet Union attacked the historically Japanese islands in the last few weeks of the war after declaring war on the Imperial Empire of Japan. After the war was over the Soviets kept the islands and refused to return them to Japan. The Russians argue that the explicit language of the Yalta Treaty gave the Soviet Union a right to the Kurils, and the Soviet Union upheld its own obligations under that treaty. The Japanese argue that Russia had not previously claimed the disputed islands since it began diplomatic relations with Japan. Therefore, the disputed islands could not be considered part of the territories acquired by Japan in World War II. There have been multiple negotiations over the islands most have resulted in Russia getting its way.
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Thomas Oliver
2/20/2019 06:19:53 pm
If the islands are inhabited by people that overwhelmingly see themselves as Russian and the islands have not yet been made of any use by Japan then I believe that the Kuril islands should stay Russian.
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Tate
2/22/2019 12:13:53 pm
I believe that the islands should be Russian Territory. The Russians took control of it in war and there was no promise in a treaty to give it back, so they should be allowed to keep this land. The population is overwhelmingly Russian, so that should be Russian land.
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Ben
2/24/2019 07:20:55 pm
I think Russia should keep the land that was once Japans because they lost it in a war.
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Thor Whi
2/20/2019 03:26:40 pm
Name of Disputed Land: Atacama Corridor
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Jasmine
2/20/2019 03:54:58 pm
The Kuril islands are in dispute between Russia and Japan. Russia and Japan have a disagreement over the land for natural resources. Rich fishing grounds, the belief that there may be oil and gas reserves offshore, and the rare Rhenium deposits on the Kudriavy volcano on the island Iturup are many reason neither country wants to give up their claim to the island.
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Thor Whi
2/21/2019 04:33:13 pm
It seems that this issue is a 50 50 split between Russia and Japan. Japan has conquer it first before Russia and Japanese is spoken there, but Russians have settle there along with the natives and also has Russian Orthodox there which settles their claim to the island as well.
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Thomas Oliver
2/20/2019 06:07:07 pm
The disputed territories of Israel and Palestine are the gaza strip and the west bank, parts of the southern middle-east that both states are trying to occupy but which are currently attempting to be defended by Palestine and occupied by Israel. This conflict was started when jewish mass migration into the largely arabic and overwhelmingly muslim Palestine led to zionist ideas taking a foothold, leading to civil unrest as the jews believed parts of Palestinian land to be their holy land and rightfully theirs. The end of World War II then saw British control of the previously Ottoman Empire allegiant Palestine and the Balfour Declaration of 1917 where a period of protection of Jewish rights within Palestine allowed jewish communities to thrive and jews became more present in Palestinian higher classes and took up more land. Civil unrest in this split state led Britain to want to abandon rule of the conflicted area and in 1947 the United Nations relieved Britain of its service to the people of Palestine and the state was instantly split as Israel was born, recognised by the US and Russia as a legitimate country, and then subsequently declared war on Palestine. The war of 1949 then followed, where Israeli forces took the majority of land between the two powers, leaving the gaza strip and the west bank for Palestine, subsequent wars eroding even more of the west bank but leaving the gaza strip for the Palestinians. To this day fighting between the two powers continue, with an Israeli blockade further hurting the Palestinians of the gaza strip, the only real remaining Palestinian controlled area. Ethnic and cultural aspects of both states are still relatively unchanged and while much of Israel has been well established there is still questionable ownership of land around the west bank as fighting continues.
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Lindsey
2/21/2019 10:11:41 pm
While the Israeli deserve their own piece of land, they shouldn't have wedged themselves into a state without any negotiation. The Palestinians were there first.
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Mark Outland
2/21/2019 10:52:34 pm
The land is rightfully Palestinian. They were there first and seem to be getting treated rather unfairly by the western powers. It is a shame so much fighting and violence have happened because of this, hopefully some agreement which represents both sides fairly can be reached soon.
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Tate
2/22/2019 12:14:58 pm
The Palestinians got the land when the Israelis abandoned it, the land is theirs and they have had control of it for a long period of time. Simply not wanting to give it up is not enough reason for the UN to revoke the land from them.
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Maggie Killmon
2/21/2019 11:43:12 pm
I chose Baikonur Cosmodrome. It is located in Kazakhstan and is being leased to Russia. Baikonur Cosmodrome is the first and the biggest operational space launch facility. On October 4, 1957, the soviet launched the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik, from Baikonur Cosmodrome. The problem on Russia’s side is the annual rent price of $115 million and the deal only goes to 2050. The problem on Kazakhstan’s side is the fallout zone of debris. A lot of residence of Baikonur are also scared of the toxic rocket fuels in the air and they also worry about random space objects landing in their backyards. Kazakhstan has also owned Baikonur Cosmodrome but has leased it out to Russia. Baikonur Cosmodrome has been the launch site for Russia and the Soviet Union since the exploration of space which is around 1957. In 2009 the population of Baikonur was approximately 36,000. Baikonur is a closed military town right beside Baikonur Cosmodrome. As you can imagine the people living in Baikonur are concerned that pollution will continue to go up as more rockets are launched. Islam is the largest religion practiced in Baikonur. The main languages spoken are Kazakh and Russian.In Kazakhstan the ethnicity goes in the following order, Kazakhs with 58.9% and then Russian is next with 25.9%, after Russian it’s Ukrainians with 2.9%. They are more ethnic groups living in Kazakhstan but those were the largest. Baikonur Cosmodrome is still a busy spaceport that the Russians use. The next launch will be Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft preliminary, which will be launched sometime in March. I think it is every important to explore space but I’m a afraid that such a beautiful place like Baikonur, Kazakhstan will be destroyed.
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ture
2/22/2019 12:19:42 pm
with this territorial disputes it is a little less complicated because it dosent seem that Kazakhstan wants the land they get 115 million a year in addition to being known as the country that has the biggest launch complex in the world. the downside you said was the amount of rocket debris that fall on the neighboring area. my problem with that is that the currently used Russian booster the Soyus-FG has a 100% success rate with the 55 flights that have been with the Soyus-FG in the past 17 years. the fuels that are currently used are not putting off any toxic chemicals because it uses liquid oxygen and RP-1(high quality kerosene) and inhaling it will have negative health effects but at room temperature it is liquid. the high temperature this week being 36 degrees there will be no chance of the RP-1 turning into gas. Even if it does turn into gas it will just float up and eventually condense into liquid and fall back down. Therefore their are only positive effects of russia owning Baikonur Cosmodrome.
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Suzanna
2/22/2019 12:51:16 am
Fergana Valley is an extension of Uzbekistan that extends to a point surrounded by southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan and is part of a current dispute between the three countries. Due to the fact that it is considered part of Uzbekistan, the territory of 14 million is home to many cultures and split between the surrounding states,despite the fact that the inhabitants are considered citizens of Uzbekistan. These countries compete for access to the Fergana Valley because it is a major agricultural region and a major source of food for central Asia. The valley offers a large source of cotton, oil, and other minerals, as well as access to the Syr Darya River and the many tributaries that flow from it. It was discovered by the Chinese before 200 BC. Later, Russia took over during the “Great Game” of the 19th century. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, newly formed Soviet republics at the time, were given pieces of the valley to control. The valley stayed in the Soviet Union until in 1991, when it was dissolved and Uzbekistan claimed independence. It then had a big religious revival and the effects of it can be observed today. Islam is the main religion of the region as is most of central Asia.
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Tate
2/22/2019 12:10:22 pm
The Pinnacle islands, off the North East coast of Taiwan. This is happening between Japan, China, and Taiwan. There were potential oil reserves found and the ownership was changed from the US to Japan, causing territorial disputes as Taiwan and China both tried to claim it from Japan. China claims to have discovered and originally owned the islands, but from 1895 to the end of WWII (1945) Japan had control, then America claimed it until 1971 when they returned it to Japan. Taiwan recognizes the islands as being part of Taiwan, as the Toucheng Township. China has a diplomatic alliance with Taiwan, and through that they are agreeing with Taiwan’s claims, but Japan believes the islands are an extension of their city, Ishigaki, and ignores the claims of both Taiwan and China. There is a population of around 200 Japanese citizens. Currently both sides call claim of the islands and neither respects the other, meaning a resolution likely isn’t close.
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Ben
2/24/2019 07:17:42 pm
I think the Islands should go to China because they discovered it and owned it first.
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caroline
2/22/2019 12:14:20 pm
Mbanie is an island off the coast of Equatorial Guinea, which the ownership of has been disputed by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It has been disputed because in 2002 the International Court of Justice tried to create a halfway-between-countries maritime border, but Mbanie is rich in oil, and although Gabon occupies it, Equatorial Guinea still wants to claim the land, because the previously defined maritime border was not precise enough to give ownership to either country. In 2016, the presidents of both Gabon and Equatorial Guinea signed an agreement over the island, but the solution to the dispute was not released. Previous to this, they had decided to both exploit the land until a further solution had been reached. The inhabitants of Mbanie are from Gabon, and have a very similar culture to mainland Gabon. Gabon is a french colony in Africa, so it has a similar culture to other West African countries, and France. They include poetry, myths, song and dance in their culture heavily. The citizens are very spiritual, and incorporate worship into their lives. Many people in Gabon are Christian, but they also have many people involved in more traditional beliefs. The official language is French. Many people are of Bantu origin. The surrounding islands were also being disputed, before the foreign ministers came to an agreement about the borders. The solution was made to be accepted by both countries, who are both large oil producers.
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Ben
2/24/2019 07:15:06 pm
Iran has 3 disputed areas which are Abu Musa Island, Shatt al-Arab River, and the Caspian Sea. The countries that are involved in the dispute are United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. The reason for the dispute is that the Caspian Sea has a lot of natural resources and every country nearby wanted some. The Caspian Sea has been in dispute since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. So far 5 of the countries have signed off for the Caspian Sea to be shared between them all. There are a lot of different cultures of the Caspian Sea because it is bordered by 5 countries and the land has been in dispute for over a hundred years. There are many religions that are practiced in the disputed areas around the Caspian Sea which include Sunni, Christianity, and Muslim. There has been a discussion about who owns the Caspian Sea and the countries are settling on a deal that they all own the area.
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Ronnie
2/26/2019 12:00:18 pm
The Chagos Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean below India and parallel to Tanzania. The United kingdom and Mauritius are the two countries involved in the dispute over the ownership of The Chagos Archipelago. Mauritius has claimed The Chagos Archipelago many times and argued that it a violation of the United Nations’ resolution that calls for the ban of the dismemberment of colonial territories before independence. Mauritius has always believed that the Chagos Archipelago is part of their country but in the eighteenth century Great Britain made a claim on the island. The Chagos Archipelago was governed by Mauritius in at the same time that it was a British colony so the dispute has gone on for many years. The population of the Chagos Archipelago is 3,000 as of 2014 which is much more than some may expect for the size of the island. The majority of people there are british or american and the other small percentage is comprised of many different ethnic groups and the citizens on the island are considered British because under the United Nations law it is still considered British territory. Some of the natives of the island are still on the island and speak their original language. Some of the original citizens of the islands descendants were forced to move off the island even the ones in their old age.
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