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 southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area.

Geographic coordinates: 34 37 N 32 58 E

Area
Rank: 224
Comparative: about 0.7 times the size of Washington DC

Coastline: 56.3 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 (SBA) land 60% is privately owned and farmed 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense and 20% is SBA Crown land

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
Rank: 221

Languages: English Greek

Environment
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

Constitution: Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960 effective 16 August 1960 functions as a basic legal document

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

Judicial branch: The Court headed by a resident judge and senior judges from the UK as needed; note - the laws of the Sovereign Base Areas are kept as close as possible to the laws of the Republic of Cyprus; concerned with non-military offenses by any person within Akrotiri and Dhekalia

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
From the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description: the flag of the UK is used

Economy overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

Broadcast media: British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Akrotiri Sovereign Base (2009)