Akrotiri
Akrotiri as the 2025 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 38 fields, one of 22 editions from 2004 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 smaller of the two is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area.
Geography
Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus
9 fieldsGeography - note
- British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus;
- of the Sovereign Base Area (SBA) land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land
People and Society
11 fieldsLanguages
English, Greek; major-language sample(s): Το Παγκόσμιο Βιβλίο Δεδομένων, η απαραίτητη πηγή βασικών πληροφοριών. (Greek); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio:
- NA
- youth dependency ratio:
- NA
- elderly dependency ratio:
- NA
- potential support ratio:
- NA
Environment
2 fieldsEnvironment - current issues
- hunting around the salt lake;
- note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles;
- only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base
Government
11 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Akrotiri
- etymology:
- named for the village that lies within the Western Sovereign Base Area on Cyprus
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)
- 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
- etymology:
- "Episkopi" means "episcopal" in Greek and stems from the fact that the site previously served as the bishop's seat of an Orthodox diocese
Constitution
- history:
- presented 3 August 1960, effective 16 August 1960 (The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960 serves as a basic legal document)
- amendments:
- amended 1966
Legal system
- laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus;
- note - the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022)
- head of government:
- Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Peter J.M. SQUIRES (since 1 September 2022);
- note - administrator reports to the British Ministry of Defense and is also Commander, British Forces Cyprus (BFC);
- the chief officer, an appointed civilian, is responsible for the day-to-day running of the civil government of the Sovereign Base Areas
- elections/appointments:
- the monarchy is hereditary; administrator appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Ministry of Defense
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Senior Judges' Court (consists of several visiting judges from England and Wales)
- judge selection and term of office:
- see entry for United Kingdom
- subordinate courts:
- Resident Judges' Court; Courts Martial
National anthem
note: as a UK area of special sovereignty, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom)
Economy
1 fieldCommunications
1 fieldBroadcast media
British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
Military and Security
1 fieldMilitary - note
defense is the responsibility of the UK; Akrotiri (aka the Western Sovereign Base Area) has a full Royal Air Force base, headquarters for British Forces Cyprus, and the Episkopi Cantonment
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Akrotiri.” The World Factbook 2025. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/akrotiri.