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| The World Factbook |
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Akrotiri |
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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus
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Geographic coordinates:
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34 37 N, 32 58 E
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Map references:
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Middle East
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Area:
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total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands
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Area - comparative:
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about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km
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Coastline:
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56.3 km
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Climate:
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temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
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Environment - current issues:
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shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base
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Geography - note:
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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
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Population:
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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
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Languages:
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English, Greek
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri
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Dependency status:
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a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
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Capital:
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name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and 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
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Constitution:
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Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document
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Legal system:
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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
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Executive branch:
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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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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Flag description:
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the flag of the UK is used
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Economy - overview:
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Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
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Currency (code):
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euro (EUR) adopted 1 January 2008; note - the Cypriot pound (CYP) formerly used
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Exchange rates:
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Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.4286 (2007), 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003)
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM NA, FM 1, shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)
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Television broadcast stations:
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0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)
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Military - note:
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Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit
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This page was last updated on 4 September, 2008
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| | Source : The World Factbook |
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