Akrotiri and Dhekelia
British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the ruined ancient Minoan city, see Akrotiri (prehistoric city).
Akrotiri and Dhekelia (/ˌækroʊˈtɪəri ənd diˈkeɪliə/), officially the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia[2] (SBA),[lower-alpha 1] is a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus. The areas, which include British military bases and installations that were formerly part of the Crown colony of Cyprus, were retained by the British under the 1960 treaty of independence signed by the United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey and representatives from the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. The territory serves an important role as a station for signals intelligence and provides a vital strategic part of the United Kingdom surveillance-gathering network in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.[3][4]
Quick Facts Ακρωτήρι και Δεκέλεια (Greek) Ağrotur ve Dikelyacode: tur promoted to code: tr (Turkish), Sovereign state ...
Akrotiri and Dhekelia | |
---|---|
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | |
| |
Anthem: "God Save the King" | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Treaty of Establishment | 16 August 1960 |
Capital | Episkopi Cantonment |
Largest civilian settlement | Akrotiri |
Official languages | |
Government | De facto stratocratic dependency under a constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Charles III |
• Administrator | Air Vice-Marshal Peter Squires ex officio |
Government of the United Kingdom | |
• Minister | The Lord Benyon |
Area | |
• Total | 254 km2 (98 sq mi) |
• Akrotiri | 123 km2 (47 sq mi) |
• Dhekelia | 131 km2 (51 sq mi) |
Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 18,195[1] (not ranked) |
Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
UTC+03:00 (EEST) | |
Driving side | left |
Calling code | +357 |
Postal codes in Cyprus UK postcode | 4640 (Akrotiri) 7502 (Dhekelia) BFPO 57 / BF1 2AT (Akrotiri) BFPO 58 / BF1 2AU (Dhekelia) |
Close