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 larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.

Geographic coordinates: 34 59 N, 33 45 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves
Rank: 223
Comparative: about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 108 km
Border countries: (1) Cyprus 108 km

Coastline: 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; several small Cypriot enclaves exist within the Sovereign Base Area (SBA); of the SBA land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land

Population
Note: approximately 15,500 on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 9,700 Cypriots and 5,800 Service and UK-based contract personnel and dependents

Languages: English, Greek

Environment
Current issues: netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Dhekelia

Capital
Name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia); located in Akrotiri
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); 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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
Head of government: Administrator Major General James ILLINGWORTH (since 14 March 2017); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense
Electionsappointments: the monarchy is hereditary; administrator appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Ministry of Defense

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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; military courts

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

National anthem: note: as a United Kingdom area of special sovereignty, 'God Save the Queen' is official (see United Kingdom)

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

Industries: none

Exchange rates: note: uses the euro

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