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Akrotiri

Akrotiri flag
ⓘ

2021 Factbook flag mirror; image identity has not been individually audited. Source.

Last updated: October 29, 2026

Akrotiri: CIA World Factbook map from 2021; original boundary notes preserved.
ⓘCIA World Factbook map, February 2021 media edition. Identity reviewed; current boundaries have not been audited. visual contact sheet or original identity check; does not verify current boundaries Boundaries, place names and designations may be dated or disputed; original annotations retained. SHA-256: c5daf41d7248e5a22db178564f646c37ab52981f10bde6cd53c88b0a31b2b6d6. Provenance and inspection record.

Introduction

Background:1

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

Location:2

Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus

Geographic coordinates:3

34 37 N, 32 58 E

Map references:4

Middle East

Area:5

total:123 sq km
note:includes a salt lake and wetlands

Area - comparative:6

about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:7

total:48 km
border countries (1):Cyprus 48 km

Coastline:8

56.3 km

Climate:9

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Geography - note:10

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

Population:11

(2020) approximately 18,195 on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 11,000 Cypriots and 7,195 Service and UK-based contract personnel and dependents

Languages:12

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.

Age structure:13

0-14 years:NA
15-64 years:NA
65 years and over:NA

Dependency ratios:14

total dependency ratio:NA
youth dependency ratio:NA
elderly dependency ratio:NA
potential support ratio:NA

Birth rate:15

NA

Death rate:16

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate:17

NA

Drinking water source:18

improved:urban: NA
improved
rural:NA
total:NA
unimproved:urban: NA
unimproved
rural:NA
total:NA

Current health expenditure:19

NA

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:20

NA

Education expenditures:21

NA

Environment

Environment - current issues:22

hunting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base

Climate:23

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Government

Country name:24

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:25

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

Capital:26

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:27

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:28

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:29

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:30

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:31

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:32

embassy:none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:33

the flag of the UK is used

National anthem:34

note:as a UK area of special sovereignty, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom)

Economy

Exchange rates:35

note:uses the euro

Communications

Broadcast media:36

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

Military - note:37

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

Illicit drugs:38

NA

Historical observations

Notes & sources

  1. Background. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  2. Location. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  3. Geographic coordinates. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  4. Map references. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  5. Area. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  6. Area - comparative. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  7. Land boundaries. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  8. Coastline. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  9. Climate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  10. Geography - note. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  11. Population. Reference edition; observation: 2020. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  12. Languages. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  13. Age structure. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  14. Dependency ratios. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  15. Birth rate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  16. Death rate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  17. Contraceptive prevalence rate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  18. Drinking water source. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  19. Current health expenditure. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  20. Children under the age of 5 years underweight. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  21. Education expenditures. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  22. Environment - current issues. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  23. Climate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  24. Country name. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  25. Dependency status. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  26. Capital. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  27. Constitution. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  28. Legal system. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  29. Executive branch. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  30. Judicial branch. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  31. Diplomatic representation in the US. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  32. Diplomatic representation from the US. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  33. Flag description. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  34. National anthem. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  35. Exchange rates. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  36. Broadcast media. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  37. Military - note. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  38. Illicit drugs. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2024-04-15 23:47:56 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
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