2012 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2012 Archive (HTML)
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
- 123 sq km includes a salt lake and wetlands
- total
- 123 sq km
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
- 47.4 km Cyprus 47.4 km
- border countries
- Cyprus 47.4 km
- total
- 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
Government
Capital
- Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia) 34 40 N, 32 51 E UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
- daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
- geographic coordinates
- 34 40 N, 32 51 E
- name
- Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia)
- time difference
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document
Country name
- none Akrotiri
- conventional long form
- none
- 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
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) 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 none; the monarchy is hereditary; the administrator appointed by the monarch
- chief of state
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
- elections
- none; the monarchy is hereditary; the administrator appointed by the monarch
- 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
Flag description
the flag of the UK is used
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; concerned with non-military offenses by any person within Akrotiri and Dhekalia
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
National anthem
- as a United Kingdom area of special sovereignty, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
- note
- as a United Kingdom area of special sovereignty, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
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
- uses the euro
- note
- uses the euro
Communications
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)
Military and Security
Military - note
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit