Akrotiri and Dhekelia are UK Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) in Cyprus, a former British Crown Colony. Akrotiri is located in the south of the island near the city of Limassol (or Lemesos). Dhekelia is in the southeast near Larnaca. Both of these areas include military bases as well as farmland and some residential land. Akrotiri is surrounded by the territory controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, but Dhekelia also borders on the UN buffer zone and the territory controlled by the Turkish part of the island.

A British garrison force is stationed there to defend them, and they contain a British listening post, and the only fully fledged RAF station in the Mediterranean (since Gibraltar does not have any aircraft permanently based there), RAF Akrotiri. In addition to the garrison, the UK makes a contribution to the United Nations force in Cyprus. In total, some 3,500 British personnel are based in Cyprus.

There is certain disorientation when entering the military parts of a sovereign base area (unlike Guantanamo Bay, there are roads running through the territory and even through the military camps themselves, which are open to traffic from Cyprus). In particular, the road names in the military camps are all very English, like "Worcester Road". Civilian laws are enacted by the British civilian authorities, but are patterned on those of the Republic of Cyprus. Many Cypriots work in the SBAs, mainly for the British authorities or as farmers, or for a few local businesses. But only those Cypriots with a local connection are permitted to live there, such as those who live in Akrotiri village or in the outskirts of villages neighbouring the bases. Also the villages of Xylotimbou and Ormidhia , in the Republic of Cyprus, are enclaves surrounded by Dhekelia SBA.

The Sovereign Bases in Cyprus are an overseas territory, but instead of having a Governor, like other such territories, it has an Administrator, who, while appointed by the Queen, is responsible to the Ministry of Defence, not to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

A sizeable antenna (probably an over the horizon radar) was erected within the Akrotiri base, raising concern for the effect on local wildlife and on the health of people living in Limassol.

Ayios Nikolaos in the Dhekelia base is a listening station of the spying network ECHELON.

See also

• Crown Colonies

External link

• Sovereign Base Areas Administration web-pages http://www.sba.mod.uk/