|
Akrotiri
Europe:: Akrotiri
(UK Sovereign Base Area) |
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
Location: |
Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on
the southwest coast of Cyprus |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
34 37 N, 32 58 E |
|
Map references: |
Europe |
|
Area: |
total: 123
sq km note: includes a salt lake and wetlands |
|
Area - comparative: |
about 0.7 times the size
of Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 47.4
km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km |
|
Coastline: |
56.3 km |
|
Climate: |
| Current Weather
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 |
|
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 |
|
|
|
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 |
|
Languages: |
English, Greek |
|
|
|
Country name: |
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 monarchy is hereditary; the
administrator appointed by the monarch |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none (overseas territory
of the UK) |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none (overseas territory
of the UK) |
|
Flag description: |
the flag of the UK is
used |
|
|
|
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
- 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827 (2008)
note: on 1 January 2008 Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopted
the euro along with the rest of Cyprus |
|
|
|
| Communications ::Akrotiri |
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 - note: |
Akrotiri has a full RAF base,
Headquarters for British Forces Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit |
|
|
|
|
Back to Countries in Europe
Back to All Travel to Destinations Homepage
|
|
|
