Paracel Islands (2006) | Dhekelia (2005) | |
Airports | 1 (2006) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
- |
Area | total: NA sq km
land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 130.8 sq km
note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves |
Area - comparative | NA | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. | 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 in total: Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area. |
Capital | - | Episkopi Cantonment; located in Akrotiri |
Climate | tropical | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
Coastline | 518 km | 27.5 km |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands |
conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | occupied by China, also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam | - |
Economy - overview | China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m |
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Environment - current issues | NA | netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Maj. Gen. Peter Tomas Clayton PEARSON (since 9 May 2003); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch |
Flag description | - | the flag of the UK is used |
Geographic coordinates | 16 30 N, 112 00 E | 34 59 N, 33 45 E |
Geography - note | composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus |
Industries | - | none |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: NA; note - boundary with Cyprus is being resurveyed |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
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Languages | - | English, Greek |
Legal system | - | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines | on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Middle East |
Maritime claims | NA | - |
Military - note | occupied by China | includes Dheklia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway |
Natural hazards | typhoons | - |
Natural resources | none | - |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons |
no indigenous personnel
note: approximately 2,200 military personnel are on the base; 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 |
Terrain | mostly low and flat | - |