CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Akrotiri

!| Background:
 * By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovreignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers in total: 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.

!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: note: includes a salt lake and wetlands !| Area - comparative: !| Climate: !| Environment - current issues: !| Geography - note:
 * peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus
 * 34 37 N, 32 58 E
 * Middle East
 * total: 123 sq km
 * about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
 * temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
 * shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base
 * British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus

!| Population: note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; note - there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there
 * no indigenous inhabitants

!| Country name: conventional short form: Akrotiri !| Dependency status: !| Capital: !| Legal system: !| Executive branch: elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch head of government: Administrator Maj. Gen. Peter Tomas Clayton PEARSON (since 9 May 2003) note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence !| Diplomatic representation in the US: !| Diplomatic representation from the US: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
 * overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
 * Episkopi; also serves as capital of Dhekelia
 * the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
 * chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952)
 * none (overseas territory of the UK)
 * none (overseas territory of the UK)
 * 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.
 * }