British Overseas Territories explained
UK Defence works on behalf of the UK Government to support our 14 overseas territories. They include thousands of small islands, vast areas of ocean, and in Antarctica, land six times the size of the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom’s 14 overseas territories have been entwined in our national history and remain linked to Britain in the 21st century. Each territory is different. Each history is different.
The majority of people in the British overseas territories are British nationals and the safety and security of each territory is a UK Government priority.
The 14 British overseas territories (and the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyrpus) are;
Each territory has its own written constitution and is largely self-governing — but each has a unique relationship with the UK. The Queen is the sovereign of both the UK and the territories and together with the Crown Dependencies, we form one undivided realm.
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Within each territory, the Governor or other officer administering the territory is responsible for external affairs, defence, and internal security (including policing); the elected government of the relevant territory is responsible for domestic areas such as healthcare, immigration and the economy.
The UK sees its responsibility for the defence, security and safety of the Overseas Territories as a core task of Government and as with British nationals in the UK, the UK Government looks to protect the safety and security of British nationals in the Territories.
In times of crisis, the UK Government will continue to support British nationals in the overseas territories and offer the necessary support.
In addition to the 14 overseas territories, the UK maintains a number of Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) in Cyprus which include Akrotiri, Episkopi, Dhekelia and Ayios Nikolaos. These have remained under the sovereignty of the UK on the island of Cyprus since its independence in 1960.
Separated into the Western SBAs (Akrotiri, Episkopi,) and the Eastern SBAs (Dhekelia, Ayios Nikolaos) the ‘British Bases’, as they are better known in the region, cover just under three per cent of land on the island, or 98 square miles.
Military personnel are located in both the ESBA and the WSBA, with Resident Infantry Battalions (RIBs) stationed in Dhekelia and Episkopi, accompanied by their families, carrying out a range of on-island roles and as the Regional Standby and Enhanced Light Force Battalion.
The most well-known base within the SBAs is RAF Akrotiri, which has been the Forward Mounting Base for multiple operations, including Typhoon fast-jet deployments as it supports British military operations around the world and as a trial location for the new Lightning (F-35) aircraft.
The Bases support visiting Royal Navy ships, including recently, HMS Enterprise, which was deployed to assist in the relief effort following the explosion in Beirut. The ship loaded stores from RAF Akrotiri and took them across the Mediterranean to Lebanon’s capital city where it also carried out vital survey work in the port after the tragedy
