Coastline:
56.3 km
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; 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
Languages:
English, Greek
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:
name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of 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
Constitution:
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council
1960, effective 16 August 1960
Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY
(since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of
Defence
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is
appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
the flag of the UK is used
Economy Akrotiri
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.
Currency (code):
Cypriot pound (CYP)
Exchange rates:
Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005),
0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003), 0.6107 (2002)
Communications Akrotiri
Radio broadcast station
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