Introduction - Dhekelia: |
Country | Dhekelia |
|
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 larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area. |
|
Location - Dhekelia: |
Location | on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta |
|
Geographic coordinates | 34 59 N, 33 45 E |
|
Map references | Middle East |
|
Area | total: 130.8 sq km
note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves |
|
Area comparative | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries | total: NA; note - boundary with Cyprus is being resurveyed |
|
Coastline | 27.5 km |
|
Climate | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
|
Environment current issues | netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn |
|
Geography note | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus |
|
People - Dhekelia: |
Population | no indigenous personnel
note: approximately 2,200 resident military personnel; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both the bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base but do not live there |
|
Dependency status | overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus |
|
Languages | English, Greek |
|
Government - Dhekelia: |
Country name | conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia |
|
Capital | name: Episkopi Cantonment; 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 | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960 |
|
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply |
|
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 |
|
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 - Dhekelia: |
Economy overview | 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 | none |
|
Currency code | Cypriot pound (CYP) |
|
Exchange rates | Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003), 0.6107 (2002) |
|
Communications - Dhekelia: |
Radio broadcast stations | 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 | 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) |
|
Transportation - Dhekelia: |
Military - Dhekelia: |