The World Factbook CIA Home CIA Home About CIA Careers Offices of CIA News & Information Library Kid’s Page Contact CIA CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

         
  Akrotiri
(UK sovereign base area)
 
Flag of Akrotiri
Click to enlarge
Categories Banner
 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
 Transportation
 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008


Map of Akrotiri



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Akrotiri Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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 Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
34 37 N, 32 58 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Middle East
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
56.3 km
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
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
   People    Akrotiri Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
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:
Definition Field Listing
English, Greek
   Government    Akrotiri Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); 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:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
the flag of the UK is used
   Economy    Akrotiri Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
euro (EUR) adopted 1 January 2008; note - the Cypriot pound (CYP) formerly used
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Cypriot pounds per US dollar - NA (2007), 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003)
   Communications    Akrotiri Top of Page
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)

   Military    Akrotiri Top of Page
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit

This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008


Bottom Banner