factbook.json/europe/ax.json

{
  "Introduction": {
    "Background": {
      "text": "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."
    }
  },
  "Geography": {
    "Location": {
      "text": "Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus"
    },
    "Geographic coordinates": {
      "text": "34 37 N, 32 58 E"
    },
    "Map references": {
      "text": "Middle East"
    },
    "Area": {
      "total": {
        "text": "123 sq km"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "includes a salt lake and wetlands"
      }
    },
    "Area - comparative": {
      "text": "about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC"
    },
    "Land boundaries": {
      "total": {
        "text": "48 km"
      },
      "border countries": {
        "text": "Cyprus 48 km"
      }
    },
    "Coastline": {
      "text": "56.3 km"
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters"
    },
    "Environment - current issues": {
      "text": "hunting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base"
    },
    "Geography - note": {
      "text": "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"
    }
  },
  "People and Society": {
    "Population": {
      "text": "approximately 15,700 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": {
      "text": "English, Greek"
    }
  },
  "Government": {
    "Country name": {
      "conventional long form": {
        "text": "none"
      },
      "conventional short form": {
        "text": "Akrotiri"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "named for the village that lies within the Western Sovereign Base Area on Cyprus"
      }
    },
    "Dependency status": {
      "text": "a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus"
    },
    "Capital": {
      "name": {
        "text": "Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia)"
      },
      "geographic coordinates": {
        "text": "34 40 N, 32 51 E"
      },
      "time difference": {
        "text": "UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
      },
      "daylight saving time": {
        "text": "+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October"
      }
    },
    "Constitution": {
      "text": "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); amended 1966 (2016)"
    },
    "Legal system": {
      "text": "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"
    },
    "Executive branch": {
      "chief of state": {
        "text": "Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)"
      },
      "head of government": {
        "text": "Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Michael WIGSTON (since 21 January 2015); note - administrator reports to the British Ministry of Defense; the chief officer is responsible for the day-to-day running of the civil government of the Sovereign Bases"
      },
      "elections/appointments": {
        "text": "the monarchy is hereditary; administrator appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Ministry of Defense"
      }
    },
    "Judicial branch": {
      "highest court(s)": {
        "text": "Senior Judges' Court (consists of several visiting judges from England and Wales)"
      },
      "judge selection and term of office": {
        "text": "see entry for United Kingdom"
      },
      "subordinate courts": {
        "text": "Resident Judges' Court; Courts Martial"
      }
    },
    "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
      "text": "none (overseas territory of the UK)"
    },
    "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
      "text": "none (overseas territory of the UK)"
    },
    "Flag description": {
      "text": "the flag of the UK is used"
    },
    "National anthem": {
      "note": {
        "text": "as a UK area of special sovereignty, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Economy": {
    "Economy - overview": {
      "text": "Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported."
    },
    "Exchange rates": {
      "note": {
        "text": "uses the euro"
      }
    }
  },
  "Communications": {
    "Broadcast media": {
      "text": "British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area (2009)"
    }
  },
  "Military and Security": {
    "Military - note": {
      "text": "defense is the responsibility of the UK; Akrotiri has a full RAF base, headquarters for British Forces Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit"
    }
  }
}