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By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area. |
Location: | |
Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus |
Geographic Coordinates: | |
34 37 N, 32 58 E |
Area: | |
Total: 123 sq km Note: includes a salt lake and wetlands |
Area - Comparative: | |
About 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Land Boundaries: | |
Total: 47.4 km Border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km |
Coastline: | |
56.3 km (Rank: 180) |
Climate: | |
Temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
Environment - Current Issues: | |
Hunting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base |
Geography - Note: | |
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area (SBA) land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land |
Languages: | |
English, Greek |
Population: | |
Approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK-based contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents |
Country Name: | |
Conventional long form: none Conventional short form: Akrotiri |
Capital: | |
Name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia) Geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Dependency Status: | |
A special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus |
Constitution: | |
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document |
Legal System: | |
The Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus |
Executive Branch: | |
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) Head of government: Administrator Air Vice Marshall Graham STACEY (since 4 November 2010); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense; the Chief Officer is responsible for the day-to-day running of the civil government of the Sovereign Bases Elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; the administrator appointed by the monarch |
Judicial Branch: | |
The Court headed by a resident judge and senior judges from the UK as needed; note - the laws of the Sovereign Base Areas are kept as close as possible to the laws of the Republic of Cyprus |
Diplomatic Representation in the US: | |
None (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic Representation From the US: | |
None (overseas territory of the UK) |
Flag Description: | |
The flag of the UK is used |
National Anthem: | |
Note: as a United Kingdom area of special sovereignty, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom) |
Affiliation: | |
(UK Sovereign Base Area) |
Economy - Overview: | |
Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. |
Exchange Rates: | |
Convert Euro to Any Currency Note: uses the euro |
Broadcast Media: | |
British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Akrotiri Sovereign Base (2009) |
Radio Broadcast Stations: | |
AM NA, FM 1, shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) |
Television Broadcast Stations: | |
0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) |
Military - Note: | |
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit |
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