Akrotiri

Map of Cyprus withAkrotiri and Dhekelia in pink. Akrotiri is on the western portion of the island. The map is adapted from the CIA World Factbook map.

Author: Central Intelligence Agency
Topic Editor: Peter Saundry

Countries and Regions of the World Collection

Akrotiri is part of the island of Cyprus under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom used as a military base.

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.

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.

Its major environmental issues include: hunting around the salt lake. It is a breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles and the only remaining colony of griffon vultures.

Location: Eastern Mediterranean (Mediterranean Sea), peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus

Geographic Coordinates: 34 37 N, 32 58 E

Area: 123 sq km (includes a salt lake and wetlands)

Land Boundaries: 47.4 km with Cyprus

Coastline: 56.3 km

Climate: temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

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

Episkopi Bay, Cyprus on the west coast of Akrotiri. Source: Karpouzi/Wikipedia

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

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

Oona Räisänen - Self-made in Inkscape. Borders based on CIA World Factbook. Some map data (roads) © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA.

Citation

Central Intelligence Agency (2016). Akrotiri. Retrieved from http://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/Akrotiri