Introduction
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 larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.
Geography
- note
- note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves
- total
- 131 sq km
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
27.5 km
34 59 N, 33 45 E
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; several small Cypriot enclaves exist within the Sovereign Base Area (SBA); of the SBA land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land
- border countries
- Cyprus 108 km
- total
- 108 km
Eastern Mediterranean, on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta
Middle East
People and Society
- 0-14 years
- NA
- 15-64 years
- NA
- 65 years and over
- NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
- elderly dependency ratio
- NA
- potential support ratio
- NA
- total dependency ratio
- NA
- youth dependency ratio
- NA
- improved: rural
- rural: NA
- improved: total
- total: NA
- improved: urban
- urban: NA
- unimproved: rural
- rural: NA
- unimproved: total
- total: NA
- unimproved: urban
- urban: NA
NA
- Languages
- English, Greek
- major-language sample(s)
- Το Παγκόσμιο Βιβλίο Δεδομένων, η απαραίτητη πηγή βασικών πληροφοριών. (Greek)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
approximately 15,500 on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 9,700 Cypriots and 5,800 Service and UK-based contract personnel and dependents
Government
- daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
- etymology
- "Episkopi" means "episcopal" in Greek and stems from the fact that the site previously served as the bishop's seat of an Orthodox diocese
- geographic coordinates
- 34 40 N, 32 51 E
- name
- Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia); located in Akrotiri
- time difference
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- history
- presented 3 August 1960, effective 16 August 1960 (The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, serves as a basic legal document); amended 1966
- conventional long form
- none
- conventional short form
- Dhekelia
a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
none (overseas territory of the UK)
none (overseas territory of the UK)
- chief of state
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022)
- elections/appointments
- the monarchy is hereditary; administrator appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Ministry of Defense
- head of government
- Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Peter J.M. SQUIRES (since 1 September 2022); note - the administrator reports to the British Ministry of Defense and is also Commander, British Forces Cyprus (BFC); the chief officer, an appointed civilian, is responsible for the day-to-day running of the civil government of the Sovereign Base Areas
the flag of the UK is used
- highest court(s)
- Senior Judges' Court (consists of several visiting judges from England and Wales)
- judge selection and term of office
- see entry for United Kingdom
- subordinate courts
- Resident Judges' Court; military courts
laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus; note - the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters
note: as a United Kingdom area of special sovereignty, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom)
Economy
note: uses the euro
none
Communications
British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Dhekelia Sovereign Base
Military and Security
defense of Dhekelia (aka Eastern Sovereign Base Area) is the responsibility of the UK; includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway
Environment
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn