Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Introduction

Background

By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the United Kingdom retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 sq km (98 sq mi) -- Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smaller of the two is Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area. The larger area is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area. (2024)

Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Definitions and Notes

Geography

Location

Eastern Mediterranean; Akrotiri is on a peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus; Dhekelia is on the southwest coast of Cyprus near Famagusta

Geographic coordinates

Akrotiri: 34 37 N, 32 58 E
Dhekelia: 34 59 N, 33 45 E

Map references

Middle East

Area

total : 254 sq km

Akrotiri: 123 sq km, includes salt and wetlands
Dhekelia: 131 sq km, area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves

comparison ranking: total 213

Area - comparative

Akrotiri: about 0.7 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Dhekelia: about three-quarters the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries

border countries (1): Akrotiri: Cyprus 48 km
Dhekelia: Cyprus 108 km

Coastline

Akrotiri: 56.3 km
Dhekelia: 27.5 km

Climate

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

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 UK Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land

People and Society

Languages

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.

Greek audio sample:

Environment

Environmental issues

Akrotiri: hunting around the salt lake; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base

Dhekelia: netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn

Climate

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Government

Country name

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Akrotiri and Dhekelia

etymology: Akrotiri: named after a village located on a peninsula; the name is derived from the Greek word akroterion, meaning "promontory"

Dependency status

both are a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

Capital

name: Episkopi Cantonment in Akrotiri (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 may indicate that the site previously served as the bishop's seat of an Orthodox diocese

Legal system

laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus (ROC); however, the SBA Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters, its own police force for civil law enforcement, and a Cyprus Joint Police Unit for military law enforcement; SBA Police coordinate closely with ROC police and UN Peacekeeping Forces in Cyprus (UNFICYP); the SBA Police force is composed almost entirely of Greek Cypriots in ROC regions of the SBAs, and Turkish Cypriot officers in the small portion of Dhekelia administered by the Turkish Cypriots

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)

Executive branch

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022)

head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshall 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

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 the United Kingdom

subordinate courts: Resident Judges' Court; Courts Martial