World · permanent entity record · QZ
Akrotiri
Thirty-second orientation
Akrotiri at a glance
- Capital
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2024-04-15
- Population
- (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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2024-04-15
- Area
- total: 123 sq km note: includes a salt lake and wetlands
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2024-04-15
- Languages
- 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.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2024-04-15
Claims are attributed · classifications are dated
Claims and contested status
Maintained classification
Dependency or area of special sovereignty
United Kingdom
U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty · as of 2026-03-31A claim’s appearance records that the cited source reports it. It does not constitute an Almanac ruling on sovereignty.
Maintained profile
- Classification
- Dependency or area of special sovereignty
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty · Federal classification and wording follow the current State Department register.
- Sovereignty or administration
- United Kingdom
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty ·
- Administrative center
- Episkopi
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty ·
Preserved public-domain record · not maintained current data
Final CIA World Factbook profile
This is the preserved historical baseline from the Factbook’s final public snapshot. It is presented as the CIA stated it, not as a current Standard American Almanac finding. Current, independently maintained facts appear above when available.
CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · profile updated · pinned source record · commit d81154954b8b
Introduction1 fields
- 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 southernmost and smaller of the two is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Geography9 fields
- Location
- Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area
- total: 123 sq km note: includes a salt lake and wetlands
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area - comparative
- about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Land boundaries
- total: 48 km border countries (1): Cyprus 48 km
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Climate
- temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Geography - note
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
People and Society11 fields
- Population
- (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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Languages
- 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.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Age structure
- 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio: NA youth dependency ratio: NA elderly dependency ratio: NA potential support ratio: NA
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Drinking water source
- improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: NA unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: NA
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- NA
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Environment2 fields
- Environment - current issues
- hunting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Climate
- temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Government11 fields
- Country name
- conventional long form: none conventional short form: Akrotiri etymology: named for the village that lies within the Western Sovereign Base Area on Cyprus
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Dependency status
- a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Capital
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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) amendments: amended 1966
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Executive branch
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Judicial branch
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Diplomatic representation from the US
- embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- National anthem
- note: as a UK area of special sovereignty, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Economy1 fields
Communications1 fields
- Broadcast media
- British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Military and Security1 fields
- Military - note
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Transnational Issues1 fields
The underlying United States government material is public domain. The Almanac’s reuse terms do not change the legal status of this preserved source layer.