America, considered the world’s biggest power, is once again considering buying land from another country. According to reports, President Donald Trump’s administration is discussing the option of purchasing the Chagos Archipelago located in the Indian Ocean. If this happens, it will be the first time since 1917 that America will buy the territory of another country. This means that America can take such a step after about 109 years.
The Chagos Archipelago is currently under British control and is considered a British Overseas Territory. This area is very important because there is a big military base named Diego Garcia here, which is used jointly by America and Britain. This base located in the Indian Ocean is considered very important for America’s military strategy.
From which countries has US purchased land?
America has already purchased land from other countries many times. In the year 1803, America purchased Louisiana from France, due to which its area almost doubled. After this, Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867. Alaska gave America natural resources, access to the Arctic region, and military advantage. America’s last major land purchase was in 1917, when it purchased the Danish West Indies from Denmark, which are today called the US Virgin Islands.
After the Second World War, the rules regarding the borders of countries in the world changed. After the formation of the United Nations (UN), it was recognized that the land of any country cannot be considered merely as a commodity to be bought and sold. To change the control of an area, legal agreements, treaties or the will of the people there are considered necessary.
What disputes Chagos?
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) had asked Britain to hand over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. But the Trump administration did not approve this proposal. America fears that if Chagos goes to Mauritius, China’s influence on the US-UK military base there may increase.
According to the report, Trump believes that many international problems can be solved through trade deals. This is the reason why the idea of buying Chagos has come up. Trump has also previously expressed his desire to buy Greenland. However, no final decision has been taken yet to buy Chagos.
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