The legality of Britain's claim to the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, which house a major U.S. military base, will be considered by the International Court of Justice on Monday when it starts a week of hearings.
Britain has overseen the islands since 1814 and in 1965 detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, a British colony that became independent three years later.
Britain went on to lease the Chagos Islands' biggest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States in 1966, paving the way for construction of an air base that required the forced removal of around 1,500 people.