| Introduction - Akrotiri: |
Country | Akrotiri |
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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. |
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| Location - Akrotiri: |
Location | peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus |
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Geographic coordinates | 34 37 N, 32 58 E |
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Map references | Middle East |
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Area | total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands |
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Area comparative | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries | total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km |
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Coastline | 56.3 km |
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Climate | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
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Environment current issues | shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base |
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Geography note | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus |
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| People - Akrotiri: |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there |
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Dependency status | overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus |
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Languages | English, Greek |
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| Government - Akrotiri: |
Country name | conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri |
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Capital | name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of 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 |
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Constitution | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960 |
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Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply |
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Executive branch | 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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the us | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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Diplomatic representation from the us | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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Flag description | the flag of the UK is used |
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| 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. |
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Currency code | Cypriot pound (CYP) |
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Exchange rates | Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003), 0.6107 (2002) |
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| 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) |
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Television broadcast stations | 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) |
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| Transportation - Akrotiri: |
| Military - Akrotiri: |
This page was last updated on 16 September, 2007