Is Britain about to give up the vestiges of its empire?

The transfer of sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory back to Mauritius has highlighted the sometimes complicated relationship of the UK with its vestigial imperial possessions, now known as British overseas territories. They're a mixed bunch, to say the least, and each has its own charms and challenges.

- SEAN O'GRADY

The change in status of the BIOT, which hosts a major UK-US military base on the island of Diego Garcia (and will continue to do so), has been called a betrayal of British national interests. Fairly or not, a change in status is not being ruled out for the other territories...

What are the British overseas territories?

First things first, they are not the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly the British Commonwealth), which is mostly a collection of former colonies, protectorates and dominions that were once ruled by the UK but are now completely independent. A minority retain the British monarch as head of state, and most of the others are republics, but either way, these aren't under UK rule.

The BOTs are the remnants of empire, what used to be called crown colonies. The inhabited territories enjoy democratically elected governments and internal self-rule, and include Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.