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
Location:
Eastern Mediterranean, 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: 103 km
(approximately) border countries: Cyprus 103 km (approximately)
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; 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
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
dependents
Languages:
English, Greek
Government
Dhekelia
Country name:
conventional long form:
Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area conventional short form: Dhekelia
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); 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,
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 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):
euro (EUR) adopted 1 January
2008; note - the Cypriot pound (CYP) formerly used
Exchange rates:
Cypriot pounds per US dollar -
0.4286 (2007), 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003)
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)
Military
Dhekelia
Military - note:
includes Dhekelia Garrison and
Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway
