Thanks for the memories The 1st Battalion, @rbx_pwrr, good luck in your next posting. Welcome to the team, The 1st Battalion, The @Official_1WG, it’s great to have you here. #BritishBases #Cyprus #1PWRR #WelshGuards https://t.co/HbpSY8wnZc

This travel article explores the unique British Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus, remnants of British colonial rule retained after the island's independence in 1960. Covering about 3% of Cyprus's territory, these enclaves grant the UK full sovereignty to maintain military bases projecting power into the Middle East, near Beirut and Damascus. Unlike other British overseas territories, the SBAs lack their own civil society or economy; nearly 20,000 people, including over 10,000 Cypriots, live or work there under British law while paying taxes and receiving services from the Cypriot government. The SBA Police handles security, traffic, and civil matters in British zones, coordinating with Cypriot police on minor issues. The authors visit sites like the Monastery of Saint Nicholas of the Cats inside Akrotiri, a supermarket near the airbase, and crumbling 1960 border markers. Dhekelia features four Cypriot enclaves, including villages like Ormidia and a power plant split by a British road. A standout is the 'world's most border-heavy road' to Ayios Nikolaos garrison, a narrow British strip flanked by Greek Cypriot and Turkish-occupied zones since the 1974 invasion, where Turkish forces halted to avoid British territory. Road signs in English over Greek, euro currency with km/h clarification, and building restrictions stunting growth highlight daily quirks. The piece blends personal anecdotes—like driving a manual car on the left and chatting with SBA police—with geopolitical oddities, such as customs posts curbing smuggling across the Green Line.