"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 larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Eastern Mediterranean, on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta"
"text":"British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; several small Cypriot enclaves exist within the Sovereign Base Area (SBA); of the SBA land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land"
"text":"approximately 15,500 on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 9,700 Cypriots and 5,800 Service and UK-based contract personnel and dependents"
"text":"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"
"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"
"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)"
"text":"Administrator Major General Robert J. THOMSON (since 25 September 2019); 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"
"text":"Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported."
"text":"British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Dhekelia Sovereign Base"