Dhekelia (2008) | Tromelin Island (2002) | |
Airports | - | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 130.8 sq km
note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves |
total: 1 sq km
land: 1 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC | about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
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. | First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station. |
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 |
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Climate | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters | tropical |
Coastline | 27.5 km | 3.7 km |
Constitution | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tromelin Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Tromelin |
Dependency status | a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus | possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | - |
Disputes - international | - | claimed by Madagascar and Mauritius |
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. | no economic activity |
Elevation extremes | - | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 m |
Environment - current issues | netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn | NA |
Exchange rates | Cypriot pounds per US dollar - NA (2007), 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003) | - |
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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Flag description | the flag of the UK is used | the flag of France is used |
Geographic coordinates | 34 59 N, 33 45 E | 15 52 S, 54 25 E |
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 | climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises) |
Industries | none | - |
Irrigated land | - | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 103 km (approximately)
border countries: Cyprus 103 km (approximately) |
0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (grasses; scattered bushes) (1998 est.) |
Languages | English, Greek | - |
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 | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
Location | on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar |
Map references | Middle East | Africa |
Maritime claims | - | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Military - note | includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway | defense is the responsibility of France |
Natural hazards | - | NA |
Natural resources | - | fish |
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 | uninhabited, except for visits by scientists (July 2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | none; offshore anchorage only |
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) | - |
Terrain | - | low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic |
Waterways | - | none |