Compare Akrotiri (2006) - Montserrat (2002)

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.

Much of this island has been devastated and two-thirds of the population has fled abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that began on 18 July 1995.

Birth rate

-

17.54 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Budget

-

revenues: $31.4 million

expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million

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

Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat)

Climate

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

56.3 km

40 km

Constitution

Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960

present constitution came into force 19 December 1989

Country name

conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area

conventional short form: Akrotiri

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Montserrat

Currency

-

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Death rate

-

7.47 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Debt - external

-

$8.9 million (1997) (1997)

Dependency status

overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Disputes - international

-

none

Economic aid - recipient

-

Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance

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.

Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcano and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade.

Electricity - consumption

-

4.65 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

-

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

-

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

-

5 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

-

fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2000)

Elevation extremes

-

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) 914 m

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

land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation

Ethnic groups

-

black, white

Exchange rates

-

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

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 Defence

elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Anthony LONGRIGG (since NA May 2001)

head of government: Chief Minister John OSBORNE (since 5 April 2001)

cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary

elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister

Exports

-

$1.5 million (1998)

Exports - commodities

-

electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle

Exports - partners

-

US, Antigua and Barbuda (1993)

Fiscal year

-

1 April - 31 March

Flag description

the flag of the UK is used

blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross

GDP

-

purchasing power parity - $31 million (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

-

agriculture: 5%

industry: 14%

services: 81% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

-

purchasing power parity - $2,400 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-

-1.5% (1999 est.)

Geographic coordinates

34 37 N, 32 58 E

16 45 N, 62 12 W

Geography - note

British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus

the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains seven active volcanoes

Highways

-

total: 269 km

paved: 203 km

unpaved: 66 km (1995)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

-

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Illicit drugs

-

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

Imports

-

$26 million (1998)

Imports - commodities

-

machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials

Imports - partners

-

US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1993)

Independence

-

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Industrial production growth rate

-

NA%

Industries

-

tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances

Infant mortality rate

-

7.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-

5% (1998) (1998)

International organization participation

-

Caricom, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, WCL

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

-

17 (2000)

Irrigated land

-

NA sq km

Judicial branch

-

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court)

Labor force

-

4,521 (1992); note - lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity

Labor force - by occupation

-

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Land boundaries

total: 47.4 km

border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km

0 km

Land use

-

arable land: 20%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 80% (1998 est.)

Languages

English, Greek

English

Legal system

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

English common law and statutory law

Legislative branch

-

unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)

note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members

elections: last held NA April 2001 (next to be held by November 2006)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPLM 7, NPP 2

note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council

Life expectancy at birth

-

total population: 78.2 years

male: 76.1 years

female: 80.4 years (2002 est.)

Literacy

-

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population: 97%

male: 97%

female: 97% (1970 est.)

Location

peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico

Map references

Middle East

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

-

exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 3 NM

Merchant marine

-

none (2002 est.)

Military - note

Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Military branches

-

no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force

National holiday

-

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Nationality

-

noun: Montserratian(s)

adjective: Montserratian

Natural hazards

-

severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1996)

Natural resources

-

NEGL

Net migration rate

-

74.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Political parties and leaders

-

National Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

-

NA

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

8,437

note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

-

NA%

Population growth rate

-

8.43% (2002 est.)

Ports and harbors

-

Plymouth (abandoned), Little Bay (anchorages and ferry landing), Carr's Bay

Radio broadcast stations

FM 1

note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006)

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

-

7,000 (1997)

Railways

-

0 km (2003)

Religions

-

Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations

Sex ratio

-

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Suffrage

-

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

-

general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

Telephones - main lines in use

-

4,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

-

70 (1994)