Île du Coin
| Disputed island | |
|---|---|
Abandoned church on Île du Coin | |
Location of Île du Coin in Peros Banhos | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Peros Banhos, Chagos Archipelago |
| Area | 1.275 km2 (0.492 sq mi) |
| Territory | British Indian Ocean Territory Chagossian Government (de-facto) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 7[1] (26 February 2026) |
| Languages | Chagossian creole, English |
| Ethnic groups | 6 Chagossians 1 White British |
Île du Coin, also known as Coin Island,[2] is an inhabited island in the atoll of Peros Banhos in the Chagos Archipelago.[3][4]
Île du Coin is the largest and most important island in Peros Banhos, with a length of 1.65 nautical miles (3.1 km) and an area of 127.5 hectares (315 acres) with a maximum height of about 2 metres.[5] Until 1973[6] it was home to the Perch Settlement from where the coconut plantations of the atoll were run. This island was the main port of the atoll and had a jetty to load and unload merchandise. There is an abandoned church on the island[7] and around 150 graves.[5]
Abandoned coconut plantations form about 92% of the vegetation on the island. A rat-infestation limits the number of breeding birds on the island.[6]
2026 resettlement
On 16 February 2026, four British Chagossians landed on Île du Coin to establish a permanent settlement, without seeking government permission. They became the first Chagossians to live on the islands since the expulsion of the Chagossians in 1971. An injunction by the Chief Justice of the British Indian Ocean Territory three days later prevented the immediate deportation of the islanders.[8]
References
- ^ Mendick, Robert (28 February 2026). "My 72-hour ocean odyssey to meet the Chagos Islanders who made it home". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ "Chagos islanders say they refuse to leave in protest against UK handover". Arab News. 18 February 2026.
- ^ "Four islanders land on remote Chagos atoll, hope to block UK-Mauritius deal". The Straits Times. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ "Chagos Islanders Return!". Conservative Post. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Feasibility Study for the Resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Volume II: Annexes)" (PDF). KPMG. 31 January 2015. pp. 3–9. Retrieved 17 February 2026 – via parliament.uk.
- ^ a b Carr, Peter; Trevail, Alice; Sara Bárrios; Clubbe, Colin; Freeman, Robin; Koldewey, Heather J.; Votier, Stephen C.; Wilkinson, Tim; Nicoll, Malcolm (July 2021). "Potential benefits to breeding seabirds of converting abandoned coconut plantations to native habitats after invasive predator eradication" (PDF). Restoration Ecology. 29 (5). doi:10.1111/rec.13386. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ "Chagos Islands: an explainer". Leigh Turner. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ David Maddox (19 February 2026). "Starmer's Chagos Islands deal hits new crisis after judge blocks removal of islanders". The Independent. Retrieved 20 February 2026.