Dhekelia-
| Introduction | Dhekelia |
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. |
| Geography | Dhekelia |
Location: |
Eastern Mediterranean, on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta |
Geographic coordinates: |
34 59 N, 33 45 E |
Map references: |
Middle East |
Area: |
total: 130.8 sq km note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves |
Area - comparative: |
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC |
Land boundaries: |
total: 103 km (approximately) border countries: Cyprus 103 km (approximately) |
Coastline: |
27.5 km |
Climate: |
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
Environment - current issues: |
netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn |
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 Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land |
| People | Dhekelia |
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 |
Languages: |
English, Greek |
| Government | Dhekelia |
Country name: |
conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area conventional short form: Dhekelia |
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); 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 |
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 |
Executive branch: |
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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Flag description: |
the flag of the UK is used |
| Economy | Dhekelia |
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 |
Currency (code): |
euro (EUR) adopted 1 January 2008; note - the Cypriot pound (CYP) formerly used |
Exchange rates: |
Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.4286 (2007), 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003) |
| Communications | Dhekelia |
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM NA, FM 1 (located in Akrotiri), shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) |
Television broadcast stations: |
0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) |
| Military | Dhekelia |
Military - note: |
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway |
