2010 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2010 (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 larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.
Geography
Area
- total
- 130.8 sq km note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves
Area - comparative
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Climate
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Coastline
27.5 km
Environment - current issues
netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn
Geographic coordinates
34 59 N, 33 45 E
Geography - note
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area 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 103 km (approximately)
- total
- 103 km (approximately)
Location
Eastern Mediterranean, on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta
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
- 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); located in Akrotiri
- 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
- conventional long form
- none
- conventional short form
- Dhekelia
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)
- elections
- none; the monarchy is hereditary; the administrator appointed by the monarch
- head of government
- Administrator Major General Jamie GORDON (since October 2008); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense
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
National anthem
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 Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827 (2008) note: on 1 January 2008, Dhekelia and Akrotiri adopted the euro along with the rest of Cyprus
Industries
none
Communications
Broadcast media
British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Dhekelia Sovereign Base (2009)
Military and Security
Military - note
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway page last updated on January 12, 2011 ======================================================================