sful; potential opium production of 4,950
metric tons; potential heroin production of 582 metric tons if all
opium was processed; source of hashish; many narcotics-processing
labs throughout the country; drug trade source of instability and
some antigovernment groups profit from the trade; 80-90% of the
heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan opium; vulnerable to
narcotics money laundering through informal financial networks

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Akrotiri

Introduction 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.

Geography Akrotiri

Location:
peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus

Geographic coordinates:
34 37 N, 32 58 E

Map references:
Middle East

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

Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC

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

Environment - current issues:
shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead
and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on
the base

Geography - note:
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small
off-post sites scattered across Cyprus

People Akrotiri

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
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

Government Akrotiri

Country name:
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri

Dependency status:
overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is
also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

Capital:
Episkopi; also serves as capital of Dhekelia

Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen Eli