2009 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2009 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Background
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.
Geography
Area
total: 123 sq km country comparison to the world: 223 note: includes a salt lake and wetlands
Area - comparative
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Coastline
56.3 km
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
Geographic coordinates
34 37 N, 32 58 E
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
Land boundaries
total: 47.4 km border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km
Location
Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus
Map references
Europe
People and Society
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 comparison to the world: 218
Government
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
Constitution
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document
Country name
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area conventional short form: Akrotiri
Dependency status
a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Administrator Major General Jamie GORDON (since October 2008); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch
Flag description
the flag of the UK is used
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
Economy
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
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 note: on 1 January 2008 Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopted the euro along with the rest of Cyprus
Communications
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 and Security
Military - note
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit page last updated on July 2, 2009