2021 Edition

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.

Area

note

note: 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

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

border countries

Cyprus 48 km

total

48 km

Location

Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus

Map references

Middle East

Age structure

0-14 years

NA

15-24 years

NA

25-54 years

NA

55-64 years

NA

65 years and over

NA

Birth rate

NA

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current Health Expenditure

NA

Death rate

NA

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

NA

potential support ratio

NA

total dependency ratio

NA

youth dependency ratio

NA

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Languages

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.

Population

approximately 18,195 on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 11,000 Cypriots and 7,195 Service and UK-based contract personnel and dependents (2020)

Capital

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)

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

amendments

amended 1966

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)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Akrotiri

etymology

named for the village that lies within the Western Sovereign Base Area on Cyprus

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

embassy

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)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; administrator appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Ministry of Defense

head of government

Administrator Major General Robert J. THOMSON (since 25 September 2019); note - administrator 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

highest courts

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; Courts Martial

Legal system

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

National anthem

note: as a UK area of special sovereignty, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

Economic 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

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 Area

Airports

total

1 (2020)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

1 (2017)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK; Akrotiri (aka the Western Sovereign Base Area) has a full RAF base, headquarters for British Forces Cyprus, and the Episkopi Cantonment

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