Akrotiri

Introduction ::Akrotiri
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 ::Akrotiri
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 kmcountry comparison to the world: 230
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:

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

People ::Akrotiri
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 dependentscountry comparison to the world: 219
Languages:

English, Greek

Government ::Akrotiri
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
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 monarch is hereditary; the administrator is 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 ::Akrotiri
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 ::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 ::Akrotiri
Military - note:

Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit