Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty Bureau of Intelligence and Research Washington, DC ! New change, since previous list Short-form name Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands Australia Heard Island and McDonald Islands Territory of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region China Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha United Kingdom South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands United None NOTES Note 1: Geopolitical Entities, Names, and Codes (GENC) Standard two-letter and three-letter codes. GENC is the replacement standard for FIPS 10-4 and is the U.S. Government profile of the ISO 3166 international country code standard. For more information on GENC please see Note 2: Antarctica consists of the territory south of 60 degrees south latitude. This area includes claims by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the legal status of which remains in suspense under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. The United States recognizes no claims to Antarctica. Note 3: Chagos Archipelago (including Diego Garcia). Note 4: U.K.

Overseas Territory (also claimed by Argentina). Note 5: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte and Reunion are first-order administrative divisions of overseas France, and are therefore not dependencies or areas of special sovereignty. They are included in this list only for the convenience of the user. The Department of Guadeloupe includes the nearby islands of Marie-Galante, La Desirade, and Iles des Saintes. Note 6: The French Southern and Antarctic Lands includes Île Amsterdam, Île Saint-Paul, Îles Crozet, and Îles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean; the "Iles Eparses" (Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island and Tromelin Island) in the Mozambique Channel and western Indian Ocean; and the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Terre Adélie." The United States does not recognize the French claim to "Terre Adélie" (see note 2). Note 7: The Bailiwick of Guernsey includes the islands of Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and nearby smaller islands.

Note 8: Under a Sino-British declaration of September 1984, Hong Kong reverted to Chinese control on July 1, 1997. It is now a semi-autonomous entity that exists pursuant to international agreement and maintains its own government apart from the People's Republic of China. Note 9: Administered from Oslo, Norway, through a governor resident in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Note 10: Under the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau signed in 1987, Macau reverted to Chinese control on December 20, 1999. It is now a semi-autonomous entity that exists pursuant to international agreement and maintains its own government apart from the People's Republic of China. Note 11: The Netherlands Antilles dissolved on October 10, 2010. Curaçao and Sint Maarten (the Dutch two-fifths of the island of Saint Martin) became autonomous territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius now fall under the direct administration of the Netherlands.

Note 12: South China Sea islands occupied by China but claimed by Vietnam. Note 13: The territory of Saint Helena includes the island group of Tristan da Cunha and Ascension Island. Note 14: South China Sea islands claimed in entirety by China and Vietnam and in part by Brunei, the Philippines and Malaysia; each of these states occupies some part of the islands. Note 15: United Kingdom sovereign base area on the island of Cyprus. Note 16: The joint force headquarters, under the Commander of the British Forces Cyprus, administers both sovereign base areas from Episkopi. Note 17: The island of Saint Martin is divided: the northern three-fifths form the French collectivity of Saint-Martin, while the southern two-fifths (Sint Maarten) is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Source: Office of The Geographer and Global Issues, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC.

In This Section: Atlas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia - Wikimedia Commons Atlas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository The introductions of the country, dependency and region entries are in the native languages and in English. The other introductions are in English. Akrotiri and Dhekelia Akrotiri and Dhekelia - Sovereign Base Areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two areas on the island of ► Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. The bases were retained by the UK following the transition of Cyprus' status from a colony in the British Empire to an independent Commonwealth republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. The United Kingdom retained the bases arising from the strategic location of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea.

Ελληνικά ► British overseas territory on ► Cyprus , present status since 1960 Location Protestantism and Greek Orthodoxy More information Location of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus Map of Akrotiri Map of Dhekelia History maps This section holds a short summary of the history of the area of present-day Akrotiri and Dhekelia, illustrated with maps, including historical maps of former countries and empires that included present-day Akrotiri and Dhekelia. When Cyprus becomes independent the British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia stay under British jurisdiction and remain British sovereign territory. See Atlas of Cyprus for maps. Notes and references General remarks: The WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Atlas of the World is an organized and commented collection of geographical, political and historical maps available at Wikimedia Commons. The main page is therefore the portal to maps and cartography on Wikimedia. That page contains links to entries by country, continent and by topic as well as general notes and references . Every entry has an introduction section in English. If other languages are native and/or official in an entity, introductions in other languages are added in separate sections.

The text of the introduction(s) is based on the content of the Wikipedia encyclopedia. For sources of the introduction see therefore the Wikipedia entries linked to. The same goes for the texts in the history sections. Historical maps are included in the continent, country and dependency entries. The status of various entities is disputed. See the content for the entities concerned. The maps of former countries that are more or less continued by a present-day country or had a territory included in only one or two countries are included in the atlas of the present-day country. For example the Ottoman Empire can be found in the Atlas of Turkey . ↑ Romanization: Akrotiri & Dhekeleia.

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ly Islands • Falkland Islands • South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands • Bajo Nuevo Bank • Serranilla Bank • Southwestern Somalia Subnational autonomous entities Akrotiri and Dhekelia Akrotiri and Dhekelia .

Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two areas on the island of Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. The bases were retained by the UK following the transition of Cyprus' status from a colony in the British Empire to an independent republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. The United Kingdom retained the bases arising from the strategic location of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. The Bases are split into Akrotiri (Greek: Ακρωτήρι; Turkish: Agrotur, along with Episkopi Garrison, is part of an area known as the Western Sovereign Base Area or WSBA) and Dhekelia (Greek: Δεκέλεια; Turkish: Dikelya, along with Ayios Nikolaos, is part of the Eastern Sovereign Base Area or ESBA.) History The Sovereign Base Areas were created in 1960 by the Treaty of Establishment, when Cyprus, a colony within the British Empire, was granted independence. The United Kingdom wished to retain sovereignty over these areas, as this guaranteed the use of UK military bases in Cyprus, including RAF Akrotiri, and a garrison of the British Army.

The importance of the Bases to the British is based on the strategic location of Cyprus, at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean, close to the Suez Canal and the Middle East; the ability to use the RAF base as staging post for military aircraft; and for general training purposes. In 1974, Turkey invaded the North of Cyprus, leading to the establishment of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. However, this did not affect the status of the Bases, and the British were not involved in the fighting. Greek-Cypriots fleeing from the Turks were permitted to travel through the Dhekelia base, and were given humanitarian aid. The Turkish advance halted when it reached the edge of the base area, rather than risk war with Britain. The Ayia Napa area was thus preserved in Greek hands. Cyprus has occasionally demanded the return of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, citing that the bases take up a large amount of territory that could be used for civilian development. For 4 years after Cypriot independence in 1960, the British government paid the Republic of Cyprus rent for the bases.

After the intercommunal conflict of 1963-64 they stopped, claiming there was no guarantee that both communities would benefit equally from that money. The Cypriot government is still claiming money for the years from 1964 to now. Estimates for this range from several hundred thousand to over one billion Euros. In July 2001, violent protests were held at the Bases by local Cypriots, angry at British plans to construct radio masts at the bases, as part of an upgrade of British military communication posts around the world. Locals had claimed the masts would endanger local lives and cause cancer, as well as have a negative impact on wildlife in the area. The British government denied these claims. The UK has shown no intention of surrendering the Bases, although it has offered to surrender 45 square miles of farmland as part of the rejected Annan Plan for Cyprus. Today, around 3,000 troops of British Forces Cyprus are based at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Ayios Nikolaos , in the ESBA, is a listening station of the intelligence network ECHELON.

Map of Akrotiri (Western) SBA, Map of Dhekelia (Eastern) SBA Politics The Bases are administered by the Administrator of the Sovereign Base Areas, who is the Commander British Forces Cyprus. The Administrator is officially appointed by the British monarch, on the advice of the Ministry of Defence. The Administrator has all the executive and legislative authority of a Governor of an overseas territory. A Chief Officer is appointed, and is responsible to the Administrator for the day-to-day running of the civil government. No elections are held in the Bases, although British citizens are normally entitled to vote in United Kingdom elections (as British Forces or overseas electors). Law The Bases have their own legal system, distinct from the UK and Cyprus. This consists of the laws of the Colony of Cyprus as at August 1960, amended as necessary. The laws of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are kept, as far as possible, the same as the laws of Cyprus. The Court of the Sovereign Base Area is concerned with non-military offences committed by any person within Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Geography Akrotiri and Dhekelia cover 3% of the land area of Cyprus, a total of 98 square miles (47.5 at Akrotiri and 50.5 at Dhekelia). 60% of the land is privately owned, either by British or Cypriot citizens. The other 40% is owned by the Ministry of Defence, or is classed as Crown land. In addition to Akrotiri and Dhekelia themselves, the Treaty of Establishment also provides for the continued use by the British Government of certain facilities within Cyprus, known as Retained Sites. 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 territory controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, but Dhekelia also borders on the United Nations (UN) buffer zone and the Turkish-occupied part of the island. Ayia Napa lies to the East of Dhekelia.

The villages of Xylotymvou and Ormidhia, also in the Republic of Cyprus, are enclaves surrounded by Dhekelia SBA. The Dhekelia Power Station, divided by a British road into two parts, also belongs to Cyprus. The northern part is an enclave, like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea, and therefore not an enclave, though it has no territorial waters of its own. Demographics When the Bases were being established, the boundaries were drawn up to avoid centres of population. However, around 14,000 people live in the Bases. Around 7,000 native Cypriots live in the Bases, who either work in the Bases themselves, or on farmland within the boundaries of the Bases. The British military and their families make up the rest of the population. There is no specific citizenship available for the Bases, although some people may be able to claim British Overseas Territories citizenship (BOTC) status. Unlike all other British territories, BOTCs connected solely with the Sovereign Base Areas do not have any entitlement to full British citizenship.

Under the terms of the 1960 agreement with Cyprus establishing the Sovereign Base Areas, the United Kingdom is committed not to use the Areas for civilian purposes. This was stated in 2002 as the primary reason for the exclusion of the Areas from the scope of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 Economy There are no economic statistics gathered for Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The main economic activities are the provision of services to the military, and limited agriculture. References Vassilis K. Fouskas. 2003. Zones of Conflict: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Balkans and the Greater Middle East. Pluto Press. ISBN 0745320309. Pp. 93, 111 Links Sovereign Base Area - Court Court Court Welcome to Her Majesty's Court of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The Courts comprise the Resident Judges’ Court, staffed by a single judge who is resident in Cyprus and The Senior Judges’ Court, staffed by a panel of visiting judges from England and Wales.

The Resident Judge’s Court deals with the majority of criminal cases and the less complex civil cases, In the Senior Judges’ Court there is a Presiding Senior Judge who presides and a number of Senior Judges. This Court deals with appeals from the Resident Judge’s Court , cases involving Human Rights issues and Judicial Reviews. Senior Judges may sometimes sit in the Resident Judges’ Court to hear the more serious criminal cases or complex civil cases involving claims of large amounts of money. These Courts were set up following the Treaty of Establishment in 1960 by which the Republic of Cyprus gained independence.The Courts serve all the population living or working in , or transiting through the Sovereign Bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which are those portions of the Island of Cyprus that were not included in the Republic of Cyprus at independence. This includes all Citizens of the Republic and any others living and working in the Sovereign Base Areas, the ex patriate community, the military community and its families and dependents, and any tourists passing through. The Courts do not deal with purely military offences which are the province of military courts, known as” Courts Martial”.

The Courts apply neither military law nor English law; they apply Sovereign Base Area law, which is closely aligned with, and in some cases identical to, the laws operating within the Republic of Cyprus There is one Court House in Episkopi serving the Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri and another in Dhekelia serving that Sovereign Base Area but there is no limitation to the jurisdiction of any of the two courts based on locality. Each of the two Court Houses has a Registrar responsible for the day to day running of the Court, and a Bailiff responsible for the issue of, and service of, Summonses. There is a PA (Personal Assistant), who is also the Court stenographer (shorthand writer) for the judge and an usher (who is also the judge’s driver). These two staff are based at Episkopi but travel with the judge when he goes to Dhekelia. In addition, the Registrar at Episkopi is also the Senior Registrar controlling all the staff at either Court House. The Senior Registrar is also the Registrar of the Senior Judges’ Court, the Compensation Assessment Tribunal and the Industrial Disputes Tribunal. The Resident Judge is based at Episkopi.

He is an English judge seconded to the post from The Ministry of Justice in the United Kingdom . The Senior Judge deals with more serious cases and appeals, and travels out from the United Kingdom as and when required. He is assisted by a panel of other Senior Judges who sit with him in a Court of three judges for the more serious cases. In addition there are some Associate and Acting judges to cover for the Resident Judge when he is off island. These are lawyers of appropriate qualification. The Courts apply both Criminal and Civil law; the latter including a small amount of Family or Divorce law. The Resident Judge is also ex officio Her Majesty’s Coroner for the Sovereign Base Areas dealing with all sudden or suspicious deaths occurring within the Sovereign Base Areas. He is assisted by one other medically qualified Coroner.

Cyprus: Sovereign Base Areas (United Kingdom) This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Cyprus: Sovereign Base Areas (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force (United Kingdom) Status of the bases Cyprus gained its independence only in exchange for the creation of three British military bases on its territory, prescribed by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment: these are the base of Akrotiri, the base of Dhekelia and the Mount Olympus radar centre on the top of the Troodos Mountains. The British Law is the only law there. Pascal Vagnat & Panayiotis Panayiotou, 25 November 2002 Use of flag on the bases Quoting a retired military officer who served in Cyprus in 1985 and again in 2003-2004: The Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) of Akrotiri and Dhekelia comprise the 99 square miles of the island of Cyprus that remained under British sovereignty when the rest of the island achieved independence in 1960. British sovereignty over the SBAs is symbolized by the Union Flag which is flown at police stations, court houses and at border crossing points.

The Commander British Forces Cyprus is ex officio Administrator of the SBAs. When he carries out engagements in the latter capacity his car displays the plain Union Flag. The military command structure in the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area once included Episkopi Garrison and RAF Akrotiri. I understand that these are now merged but there may once have been a flag and a badge for Episkopi Garrison. RAF Akrotiri has its own badge (placed within the standard template for the badges of RAF stations) and flies the RAF Ensign . Many military units within the SBAs other than Dhekelia Garrison and RAF Akrotiri fly their own flags. But the proliferation of military flags does not alter the fact that there is no discrete flag for the SBAs as a whole other than the plain Union Flag. David Prothero, 29 August 2008 Quoting Colours of the Fleet [frr94] : The two Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus are administered by the Commander British Forces on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, and not by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

At one time the RAF Ensign was taken to be the de-facto national flag of the Sovereign Base Areas because of local political sensitivity to the use of the Union Flag in Cyprus. The British Sovereign Bases are a remnant of the British Empire and are, as their name implies, British territory, and so the Cyprus flag would only be flown as a courtesy "foreign" flag. David Prothero & Graham Bartram, 26 May 1999 The flag flying at the Britsh bases is the Union Jack although the RAF flag might be seen, but more rarely. At the check points only the Union Jack can be seen. New highways have been built bypassing both bases resulting in less cars using the old roads (Limassol-Paphos crossing Akrotiri and Larnaka-Ayia Napa crossing Dhekelia) and therefore the checks are now less than before. In the bases, the traffic signs and the road lines are slightly different from that of the Republic of Cyprus and the police there is the British police of the bases.

Panayiotis Panayiotou, 25 November 2002 Quoting the RAF website : The RAF Ensign is never displayed except properly mounted on a staff or mast. As an ensign, it is not permitted to be carried on a parade nor may it be used as decoration among other coloured bunting. Further, it is not correct to use it to drape a coffin at funeral, the appropriate flag for that purpose being the Union Flag. There are some occasions when the Royal Air Force Ensign has flown as other than merely the flag of the Royal Air Force, taking the temporary status of a national flag. This is demonstrated at the police border posts of the British Sovereign Base Areas on the island of Cyprus. The size of the ensign flown is usually 3 feet by 6 feet (0.91 m x 1.8 2m). On important days and on days when a formal inspection is to take place, then an ensign twice this size is flown. When the situation dictates however, such as on a high building, a much larger ensign is flown to give an enhanced aesthetic appearance. Gerald E.

Noeske, 30 April 2015 Unofficial RAF roundel The pamphlet Notes for R.A.F. Personnel Posted to Cyprus, apparently a predecessor to the series, The Royal Air Force in Cyprus, was issued by Air Headquarters, Cyprus 1955. A most interesting image here is the unofficial RAF roundel on the cover ( image ), which has the two lions from the Cyprus colonial badge superimposed over the center red dot. It certainly is consistent with the practice of emerging Commonwealth air forces (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa & Southern Rhodesia), but of course was never authorized as a roundel for NEAF or any other RAF formation (including the SBAs). It is intriguing that this image appeared on an ostensibly official (?) publication. Gerald E. Noeske, 30 April 2015 Dhekelia Garrison The Flagsonline website shows (and sells) the "Akrotiri and Dhekelia's flag".

The flag is in proportion 5:7, green with two Norman leopards with black nails and tongue, taking up a rectangular area at the mid hoist as hight as half the flag's height and as wide as half the flag's width. Chrystian Kretowicz & António Martins, 16 July 2008 Quoting a retired military officer who served in Cyprus in 1985 and again in 2003-2004: The green flag with two golden lions is the flag of Dhekelia Garrison. There is a similar badge for the Garrison - a green shield with two golden lions. The flag and badge are purely military and like most items of this nature have been authorized at a fairly low level within the military chain of command. They certainly do not derive from a grant of Arms made by the College of Arms in London. Two red lions were the colonial flag badge of Cyprus and purportedly marked the historic associations between Cyprus and King Richard I; colonial Cyprus never received a grant of Arms.

It would have been quite logical for Dhekelia Garrison to have adopted the two lions, changing the colour to gold and placing them on the green background that is traditional for the flags of Army garrisons. The King Richard School is run by the Ministry of Defence and is located within Dhekelia Garrison. David Prothero, 29 August 2008 Two yellow lions on green was the badge of the British Army's Cyprus District, which was responsible for the administration of the Army garrison there. I don't think that formation exists anymore, but there seems to be something called the British Army In Cyprus . My sources on British Army badges all say that the Cyprus District badge is based on the arms of Cyprus. Ian Sumner, 12 August 2008 Dhekelia Sailing Club Annex A of the new Constitution (April 2007) of the Dhekelia Sailing Club shows the various club flags.

Jan Mertens, 11 August 2008 A GUIDE TO THE BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES - Telegraph A GUIDE TO THE BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES Passed to the Telegraph by WikiLeaks 9:09PM GMT 04 Feb 2011 Ref ID: 09LONDON1039 Classification: CONFIDENTIAL Destination: 08LONDON2667|09LONDON993|09NASSAU169 Header: VZCZCXRO4441PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSRDE RUEHLO #1039/01 1211502ZNY CCCCC ZZHP 011502Z MAY 09FM AMEMBASSY LONDONTO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2183INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITYRUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 029

7RUEHBH/AMEMBASSY NASSAU PRIORITY 0203RUEHPL/AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS PRIORITY 0137RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC PRIORITYRHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITYRHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITYRHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITYRUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1425RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITYRUVNSAO/NAVSUPPFAC DIEGO GARCIA PRIORITYRUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITYRUENAAA/SECNAV WASHDC PRIORITY Tags: PGOV,PREL,ECON,ETRD,MOPS,MARR,AY,CJ,FK,GI,IO,PC,SH,TK,UK C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 LONDON 001039 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE E.O.

12958: DECL: 04/29/2029 TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ECON, ETRD, MOPS, MARR, AY, CJ, FK, GI, IO, PC, SH, TK, UK SUBJECT: A GUIDE TO THE BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES REF: A)NASSAU 169 B)LONDON 993 C)08 LONDON 2667 Classified By: Political Affairs Counselor, Rick Mills for reasons 1.4 (b, c, and d) Introduction and Summary ------------------------ 1. (C) The British Overseas Territories (BOT) are fourteen far-flung possessions under British sovereignty that hearken to the era when Britannia truly ruled the waves. One Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) official accurately characterized the BOTs as "remnants of empire" -- acquired by Great Britain when the phrase "the sun never sets on the British Empire" could be spoken without a trace of irony. The territories run the gamut from remote locales without a permanent population, such as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, to largely autonomous entities like Bermuda.

Some, such as the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar, are subject to sovereignty claims by other nations - although the overwhelming percentage of the populations of both the Falklands and Gibraltar strongly prefer to remain under British rule. The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT, which includes the atoll of Diego Garcia), Ascension Island, and the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus, are notable for their strategic value to the US government. The BOTs comprise a mosaic of distinct cultural traditions, reflecting their worldwide locations. Since 2002, BOT citizens have been British citizens, with limited exceptions. However, the BOTs are not constitutionally part of the UK. Each has a distinct constitution and a unique legal relationship to the UK. HMG guarantees the defense of all BOTs and handles their foreign relations. Many aim for economic self-sufficiency, with tourism and finance playing a significant part in the economies of many BOTs. 3. (SBU) This telegram provides an overview of the BOTs. The FCO Country Profiles pages at offer specific information about individual BOTs, as does the CIA World Factbook.

Both are valuable sources of in-depth information about the BOTs, as are the websites of many of the BOTs themselves. End Introduction and Summary. What They Are ------------- 4. (SBU) The fourteen BOTs are, in alphabetical order, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the Cayman Islands, the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena and its dependencies (Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The BOTs are sometimes mistakenly lumped in the popular British imagination with the Crown Dependencies. However, Crown Dependencies are possessions of the British Crown, as opposed to BOTs or colonies. Crown Dependencies are the Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. 5.

(C) Facts and figures about each BOT are available on the FCO's Country Profiles pages at As one FCO officer with extensive experience covering OT issues recently told Poloff, these territories are "the remnants of empire." Indeed, Britain acquired most of them at the apogee of its national power and prestige, with dates of acquisition ranging from the 17th to the early 20th century. Bermuda was the first, settled in 1609; Britain claimed the last, the British Antarctic Territory, in 1908. 6. (U) The overall population of the BOTs totals approximately 200,000, ranging from 67,000 in Bermuda to about 50 on the Pitcairn Islands. Some BOTs have a transient population, but no permanent inhabitants. For example, the LONDON 00001039 002 OF 004 inhabitants of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands include British officials, scientists, and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey who maintain scientific bases on the islands. The transient populations of the BIOT atoll of Diego Garcia and Ascension Island in the South Atlantic consist of U.S.

and UK military personnel, as well as civilian contractors of various nationalities. Where They Are -------------- 7. (SBU) Gibraltar and the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus are the only BOTs located in Europe and fall under EU jurisdiction. -Five OTs -- Anguilla, the BVI, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands--are located in the Caribbean Sea. Bermuda is situated in the North Atlantic, off the U.S. coast on roughly the same latitude as Charleston, South Carolina. -The Falklands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Ascension Island are all located in the South Atlantic. Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world, about 1700 miles west of Cape Town. -The Pitcairn Islands, officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands in the South Pacific 1550 miles southeast of Tahiti. Only Pitcairn Island - the second largest - is inhabited.

-The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), which comprises the Chagos Archipelago and includes the atoll of Diego Garcia, lies between Africa and Indonesia. -The British Antarctic Territory comprises that sector of the Antarctic south of latitude 60 degrees south, between longitude 20 degrees and 80 degrees west. So What IS a British Overseas Territory? ---------------------------------------- 8. (U) The BOTs are constitutionally not part of the UK. Each has a separate constitution. All have governors that are appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, except the uninhabited ones. For these, HMG appoints a commissioner, who is an FCO employee. The governors and commissioners dually represent HMG in the BOT and the BOT before HMG. 9. (U) Each BOT is constitutionally unique. The degree of self-government depends on the BOT's constitutional relationship with the UK. Larger, more developed BOTs are largely autonomous in regard to their internal affairs, as is the case with Bermuda, Gibraltar, the Falklands, and others. The common thread among them is recognition of UK sovereignty, acknowledgment of the Queen as the Head of State, and British citizenship. 10.

(U) HMG can and will intervene directly and significantly in a BOT's internal government under extraordinary circumstances, as is presently the case in the Turks and Caicos Islands (see Paragraph 16). Larger BOTs, such as the Cayman Islands and the BVI, have popularly-elected legislatures and executive heads, and the UK-appointed governors have limited control over local affairs. For example, Gibraltar has an independent parliament and the governor does not intervene in local affairs; Bermuda is largely self-governed, and practically independent in all areas other than foreign relations and defense. The Falkland Islands and Saint Helena have elected legislative councils, but the governors appointed by the Queen are the heads of government. The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia have no locally elected government and are represented by the Commander of the British Forces in Cyprus. Cypriots who live in that BOT are subject to the LONDON 00001039 003 OF 004 laws of Cyprus. 11. (SBU) The BOTs are supported in HMG by the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA).

UKOTA acts like a lobbying group in London; it exists to promote and defend the common interests of the BOTs, as well as promote cooperation and common positions among BOT governments. UKOTA's members are the BOT governments themselves, represented by a delegate named by each government. Who are BOT Residents? ---------------------- 12. (U) With the signing of the British Overseas Territories Act in 2002, nearly all residents of the BOTs became full citizens of the UK. There are limited exceptions. For example, those connected solely with the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus are not entitled to full British citizenship. Some BOT citizens had British citizenship prior to the 2002 Act, e.g. Falkland Islanders. The 2002 Act changed the official name of the areas from British Dependent Territories to British Overseas Territories. 13. (U) Although the BOTs are united by their common British sovereignty, they are a mosaic of different cultures. For example, Gibraltar is a melting pot of English, Spanish, and North African influences. The Falkland Islands are mostly populated by people of British origin, with more sheep than human beings on the islands.

Bermuda and the Caribbean BOTs are vibrant mixtures of diverse cultures and languages. Unsurprisingly, these sunny BOTs are popular tourist destinations for UK residents. Some BOTs have unique languages or dialects. For example, Pitcairn residents speak "Pikern," a mixed language of 18th century English dialect infused with Tahitian elements. Economy ------- 14. (SBU) Tourism and financial services account for most of the revenue generated in the BOTs. Shipping and the sale of fishing licenses are also revenue sources for many BOTs. As philatelists know, the BOTs also generate revenue from the sale of postage stamps. HMG has, for example, issued stamps for the BIOT and the uninhabited British Antarctic Territory. Many BOTs are self-sustaining, except for defense costs. Saint Helena, the Pitcairn Islands, and Montserrat depend on subsidies from HMG. The BOTs do not make a direct contribution to the British Exchequer, although some contribute towards the cost of the governor and his staff. 15. (U) Bermuda has an economy roughly the size of all the other BOTs combined.

Bermuda's economy is based on providing financial services for international business and tourism. According to the FCO, the Bermuda per capita GDP in 2007 was USD 91,477. Problems -------- 16. (C) The FCO has identified several problems facing the BOTs. According to the FCO, many BOTs face challenges common to all small island economies, i.e. smaller countries risk marginalization in a globalized economy. Some BOT economies are fragile because of dependence on one or two sectors (e.g. tourism and international finance). Some of the BOTs, especially those in the Caribbean, are vulnerable to drug-trafficking and associated crime. In some instances, the lack of a developed civil society, a strong legislature and/or a vibrant press mean there are few checks on the executive. For example, in July 2008, HMG conducted an inquiry into allegations of corruption in the Turks and Caicos Islands' government. The embattled Premier resigned and HMG intervened directly in governance (see ref A). The final report of the Commission of Inquiry has been delayed until the end of May, the FCO has confirmed.

The islands are LONDON 00001039 004 OF 004 currently deeply in debt, due in large part to executive mismanagement. Who Else Claims Them? --------------------- (SBU) Some BOTs are sources of international controversy based on competing sovereignty claims. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982, but Britain retook them after a fiercely fought, seven-week-long armed conflict. Argentina's constitution claims the Falkland Islands, although Argentina agreed in 1995 to no longer use force to press its claim. HMG continuously rejects requests for sovereignty talks between the UK and Argentina, citing the strong preference of the Falklands' population to remain British subjects. Argentina also claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. 18. (C) HMG will contest Argentina's claim for sovereign rights (including oil and mineral rights) to seabed surrounding Britain's South Atlantic Overseas Territories, including the Falkland Islands. Great Britain will submit its own claim for seabed rights for its South Atlantic territories to the UN body that considers claims for seabed rights.

HMG does not presently plan to file seabed rights claims for the British Antarctic Territory, but will reserve the right to make claims in the future (see ref B). 19. (SBU) Gibraltar was ceded from Spain to Great Britain in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht. Although Spain claims Gibraltar, the population overwhelmingly wants to remain under British sovereignty. HMG has affirmed that it will not consider independence or a power-sharing agreement with Spain without the consent of Gibraltar's citizens. 20. (SBU) Mauritius claims the Chagos Islands (BIOT), contending that the islands were "wrongfully detached" by the UK before Mauritius became independent from British colonial rule. The BIOT has been the subject of a legal battle between HMG and some of the islands' former inhabitants, whom the UK relocated off the archipelago in the early 1970s. "Chagossians" and their advocates contest the legality of the islanders' resettlement and seek the right to return (see ref C). Strategic Relevance ------------------- 21. (C) Diego Garcia, in the BIOT, presently is home to a joint U.S.-UK naval support facility.

The atoll is of vital strategic importance for defense purposes to the U.S. and UK, including in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Note. For further information about the U.S. Navy Support Facility on Diego Garcia see End Note.) Ascension Island (Saint Helena BOT) is the location of Wideawake Airfield, which is a joint facility of the RAF and the U.S. Air Force. The island was used extensively by the U.S. during WWII and was integral to British success in the Falklands War. 22. (C) The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus are geographically distinct military bases. RAF Akrotiri is an important aircraft staging point and one of the few major RAF stations located outside the United Kingdom. Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX TOKOLA

Question: The Sovereign Base Areas are on which island?
Answer: Cyprus