UK sovereign base

The UK sovereign bases are those British military base areas located in countries formerly ruled by the United Kingdom which were retained by it and not handed over when those countries attained independence.

Éire

After the creation of Éire (the Irish republic) in 1922, the UK retained two ports in Queenstown, Ireland (now Cobh) and Berehaven and a base at Lough Swilly. These were handed over to Eire in 1938. Some considered this a short-sighted decision, since following the outbreak of World War II, the British supply routes across the Atlantic Ocean were initially more difficult to protect without these bases, because the convoy escort refuelling facilities which Berehaven and Queenstown would have provided were 200 miles further out into the Atlantic than those which were available in Northern Ireland and England. This became less important after the Allies established bases in Iceland following the British occupation in 1940.

Cyprus

Akrotiri and Dhekelia military bases are UK sovereign bases in Cyprus, a former UK overseas territory. 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 a sovereign base area (unlike Guantanamo Bay, there are roads running through the bases open to traffic from Cyprus). In particular, the road names are all very English, like "Worcester Road".

The Sovereign Bases in Cyprus are not part of the United Kingdom but are a UK overseas territory, administered by an Administrator appointed by the Queen. However, unlike other colonial administrators the Administrator is responsible not to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, but to the Ministry of Defence.