Flag of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
The Flag of Akrotiri and Dhekelia is the United Kingdom's Union Jack. This is because Akrotiri and Dhekelia is part of the British Sovereign Base Areas and, unlike all other British Overseas Territories, has no unique flag.
History
.svg)
Akrotiri and Dhekelia formally used the British flag of Cyprus while the whole of Cyprus was under British control. Upon Cypriot independence, the British flag of Cyprus ceased to have official usage and no replacement was created for Akrotiri and Dhekelia as there had been no official grant from the College of Arms.[1] As a result, the Union Jack became the flag of Akrotiri and Dhekelia by default.[2] 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] Since Ascension Island, the other British Overseas Territory without a unique flag,[3] was granted its own flag by Queen Elizabeth II in 2013, Akrotiri and Dhekleia is the only British Overseas Territory without its own unique flag.[4][3]
The Union Jack is flown over all official buildings in Akrotiri and Dhekelia as well as at border checkpoints.[1]
Other flags
The Flag of Cyprus is used in Akrotiri and Dhekelia[5] by local residents but has no official status, though is occasionally flown as a courtesy foreign flag. The Dhekelia Garrison uses a green and yellow version of the British Cyprus flag without the Union Jack, based, like the flag of British Cyrpus, on King Richard I of England's coat of arms due to his conquest and creation of the Kingdom of Cyprus. The green and yellow emblem is widely used within the territory, not only as a flag of Dhekehelia Garrison but also appearing on the coat of arms of King Richard School, Cyprus[6] and on the flag of the Dhekelia Sailing Club.[7], and so is sometimes cited as an unofficial flag of Akrotiri and Dhekelia [8] [9]
References
- ^ a b c "Cyprus: Sovereign Base Areas (United Kingdom)". Crwflags.com. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
- ^ "Dhekelia". CIA World Facbook. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
- ^ a b "Parliament Square Flags". The Flag Institute. 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
- ^ "Infrastructure Update". The Islander. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
- ^ "Cyprus flag". Marconis-institute.com. 1960-08-16. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
- ^ "Home". King Richard School. 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
- ^ "New Constitution" (PDF). Dhekelia Sailing Club. 2007. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Akrotiri und Dhekelia". Retrieved 2015-01-25.
- ^ "Akrotiri and Dhekelia". Retrieved 2015-01-25.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help)