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  Dhekelia
(UK sovereign base area)
 
Flag of Dhekelia
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
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 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008


Map of Dhekelia



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Dhekelia 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 larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.
   Geography    Dhekelia Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
34 59 N, 33 45 E
Map references:
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Middle East
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 130.8 sq km
note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 103 km (approximately)
border countries: Cyprus 103 km (approximately)
Coastline:
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27.5 km
Climate:
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temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Environment - current issues:
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netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn
Geography - note:
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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    Dhekelia 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    Dhekelia Top of Page
Country name:
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conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia
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:
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name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia); located in Akrotiri
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:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
the flag of the UK is used
   Economy    Dhekelia Top of Page
Economy - overview:
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Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Industries:
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none
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    Dhekelia Top of Page
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM NA, FM 1 (located in Akrotiri), 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    Dhekelia Top of Page
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway

This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008


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