The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia has no official flag of its own and as a result is represented by the flag of the United Kingdom, the Union Jack. Akrotiri and Dhekelia is a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus that comprises two military bases and their hinterland.
The island of Cyprus was a British protectorate 1878–1914, under British military administration 1914–1922, then a Crown Colony 1922–1960. From 1922, the colonial flag of British Cyprus was in use throughout the island, including the areas now comprising Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Upon Cypriot independence in 1960, when the colonial flag ceased to have official usage, the territory of the Sovereign Base Areas was also established. However, no distinctive flag was created for Akrotiri and Dhekelia and no grant of arms by the College of Arms on which to base a Blue Ensign-type flag common to most British Overseas Territories. [1] As a result, the Union Jack became the flag of Akrotiri and Dhekelia by default. [2]
The Union Jack is flown over all official buildings in Akrotiri and Dhekelia as well as at border checkpoints. The Royal Air Force Ensign was sometimes used as a de facto flag locally because the Royal Air Force ran the bases and also because of local sensitivity towards the Union Jack. [1]
Akrotiri and Dhekelia is one of only two British Overseas Territories without an official flag, the other being Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (where each individual island has its own flag). [3] [4]
A green flag charged with two gold lions is often cited as an unofficial flag of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. [5] [6] This is the flag used by the Dhekelia Garrison, itself derived from the colonial flag of Cyprus. The two lions are from King Richard I of England's coat of arms, because of his conquest and creation of the Kingdom of Cyprus. The gold lions on green are widely used within the territory; they also appear on the coat of arms of the King Richard School [7] and on the flag of the Dhekelia Sailing Club. [8] RAF Akrotiri, a Royal Air Force base on the island, has its own flag.
The Union Jack or Union Flag is the de facto national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Flag was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. The flag continues to have official status in Canada, by parliamentary resolution, where it is known as the Royal Union Flag.
The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is the civil ensign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is one of the British ensigns, and it is used either plain or defaced with either a badge or a charge, mostly in the right half.
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) are the 14 territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, while not forming part of the United Kingdom itself, are part of its sovereign territory. The permanently inhabited territories are delegated varying degrees of internal self-governance, with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defence, foreign relations and internal security, and ultimate responsibility for good governance. Three of the territories are chiefly or only inhabited by military or scientific personnel, the rest hosting significant civilian populations. All fourteen have the British monarch as head of state. These UK government responsibilities are assigned to various departments of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and are subject to change.
The special territories of members of the European Economic Area (EEA) are the 32 special territories of EU member states and EFTA member states which, for historical, geographical, or political reasons, enjoy special status within or outside the European Union and the European Free Trade Association.
Akrotiri and Dhekelia, officially the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (SBA), 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.
British Forces Cyprus (BFC) is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on the island of Cyprus and at a number of related 'retained sites' in the Republic of Cyprus. The United Kingdom retains a military presence on the island in order to keep a strategic location at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, for use as a staging point for forces sent to locations in the Middle East and Asia. BFC is a tri-service command, with all three services based on the island reporting to it.
Akrotiri Bay is a part of the Mediterranean Sea east of the Akrotiri Peninsula on the southern coast of the island of Cyprus. The Western Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory set up after Cypriot independence was gained and was unanimously agreed with the British Empire that sovereign bases could be set up for use in the event of an invasion, administered as a Sovereign Base Area, borders the bay. The city of Limassol is also located on the bay. The southern end of the bay is formed by Cape Gata.
Xylotymbou is a small town in Larnaca District in south-eastern Cyprus. It is one of the four enclaves surrounded by the Eastern Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory, administered as a Sovereign Base Area. The others are the village of Ormidhia and two separate parts of Dhekelia Power Station. It is administered by the internationally recognized government of Cyprus, the Republic of Cyprus.
Episkopi Cantonment is the capital of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British overseas territory on the island of Cyprus, administered as a military base. It is located in the northwestern part of the Western Sovereign Base Area (Akrotiri), one of the two areas which comprise the territory. Although it is not the largest of the British military bases on the island, it is home to both the civilian and military administration headquarters of the Sovereign Base Areas. Episkopi is the current command centre of British Forces Cyprus.
The European Union Customs Union (EUCU), formally known as the Community Customs Union, is a customs union which consists of all the member states of the European Union (EU), Monaco, and the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Some detached territories of EU states do not participate in the customs union, usually as a result of their geographic separation. In addition to the EUCU, the EU is in customs unions with Andorra, San Marino and Turkey, through separate bilateral agreements.
Cypriot–British relations are foreign relations between Cyprus and the United Kingdom. Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, after 82 years of British control. The two countries now enjoy warm relations; however, the continuing British sovereignty of the Akrotiri and Dhekelia Sovereign Base Areas has continued to divide Cypriots. The two countries share membership of the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations.
Sovereign Base Areas Customs and Immigration is a semi-autonomous branch of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of the United Kingdom. It has jurisdiction over Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus, administered as a Sovereign Base Area, and home to British Forces Cyprus. It is managed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and around 3,500 military personnel are posted there at any one time.
This page lists topics related to Akrotiri and Dhekelia, two British Overseas Territories on the island of Cyprus.
British Cyprus was the island of Cyprus under the dominion of the British Empire, administered sequentially from 1878 to 1914 as a British protectorate, from 1914 to 1925 as a unilaterally annexed military occupation, and from 1925 to 1960 as a Crown colony. Following the London and Zürich Agreements of 19 February 1959, Cyprus became an independent republic on 16 August 1960.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia enjoy most of the same rights as non-LGBT people.
Dhekelia Cantonment is a military base in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus, administered as the Sovereign Base Areas. It is located in the Eastern Sovereign Base Area, one of the two areas which comprise the territory. It is the larger of the British military bases on the island, and it is also the location of Alexander Barracks, which is home to the 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. In autumn 2017 the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment deployed to Dhekelia replacing 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom enable the British Armed Forces to conduct expeditionary warfare and maintain a forward presence. Bases tend to be located in or near areas of strategic or diplomatic importance, often used for the build-up or resupply of military forces, as was seen during the 1982 Falklands War and the use of RAF Ascension Island as a staging post. Most of the bases are located on British Overseas Territories or former colonies which retain close diplomatic ties with the British government.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Akrotiri and Dhekelia since 3 June 2014. An Order in Council to legalise same-sex marriages was approved by the Privy Council of the United Kingdom on 28 April 2014 and came into effect on 3 June. However, this only applies if one of the parties to the marriage is a member of the British Armed Forces. The order does not apply to the local civil population residing in Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Military personnel have also been able to enter into civil partnerships since 2005.
The borders of Akrotiri and Dhekelia refer to the international boundary between the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia and the republic of Cyprus.
The Dhekelia Airfield is a British military airfield located in the Eastern Sovereign Base Area (ESBA) of Dhekelia, on the island of Cyprus. It is part of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory established in 1960.
