Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία (Greek) Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti (Turkish) Republic of Cyprus
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν Ymnos is tin Eleftherian Hymn to Liberty1
Location of  Cyprus  (dark green) – on the European continent  (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (light green)
Capital (and largest city)		Nicosia (Lefkosia, Lefkosa) 35°08′N, 33°28′E
Official languages		Greek,Turkish
Demonym		Cypriot
Government		Presidential republic
-	President	Dimitris Christofias
Independence		from the UK
-	Date	1 October 1960
EU accession		1 May 2004
Area
-	Total	9,251 km² (167th) 3,572 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	2007 census	788,457
-	Density	85/km² (85th) 221/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 IMF estimate
-	Total	$36. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. The Flag of Cyprus came into use on August 16, 1960 under the Zürich and London Agreements whereby a constitution was drafted and Cyprus was The coat of arms of Cyprus depicts a Dove carrying an Olive branch (a well-known symbol of Peace) over &ldquo 1960 A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's The Hymn to Liberty (Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν Ýmnos eis tīn Eleutherían) is a poem written by Dionýsios Solomós in 1823 that consists The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Cypriots share many customs but maintain distinct identities based on religion language and close ties with their respective motherlands Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature The President of Cyprus is the Head of state and the Head of government of the Republic of Cyprus. Dimitris Christofias (Δημήτρης Χριστόφιας also "Demetris" is a left-wing Greek Cypriot politician and the current and sixth Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic The Geary-Khamis dollar, also known as the international dollar, is a hypothetical unit of Currency that has the same Purchasing power that the U 533 billion (91st)
-	Per capita	$46,865 (7th)
GDP (nominal)		2007 IMF estimate
-	Total	$21. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 303 billion (87th)
-	Per capita	$27,327 (28th)
Gini (2005)		29 (low)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 903 (high) (28th)
Currency		Euro (EUR)
Time zone		EET (UTC+2)
-	Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD		.cy3
Calling code		+357
1	Also the national anthem of Greece. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Daylight saving time ( DST Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία
2	Before 2008: Cypriot pound
3	The .eu domain is also used, shared with other European Union member states. The pound, also known as the lira ( Greek: λίρα / plural λίρες and Turkish: lira, from the Latin The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

Cyprus (Greek: Κύπρος, Kýpros; Turkish: Kıbrıs), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti) is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean south of Turkey, west of the Levant, north of Egypt, and eastsoutheast of Greece. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. An island country is a Country that is wholly confined to an Island, several islands an Island group or several island groups and has no territory on Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches See also Names of the Levant The Levant (lə'vænt is a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia, roughly bounded on the north by the This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία

Cyprus is the third-largest island and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, attracting over 2. 4 million tourists per year. ^[1] A former British colony, it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960 and became a Commonwealth republic in 1961. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A Commonwealth republic is any one of the 31 sovereign states of the Commonwealth of Nations with a Republican form of government The Republic of Cyprus is a developed country and has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004. The term developed country, or advanced country, is used to categorize countries with developed Economies in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " It adopted the euro on 1 January 2008. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

In 1974, following a period of violence between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and an attempted Greek Cypriot coup d'état aimed at annexing the island to Greece^[2] and sponsored by the Greek military junta of 1967-1974, Turkey invaded and occupied one-third of the island. Cypriot intercommunal violence refers to periods of inter-ethnic conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on the island of Cyprus from Greek Cypriots ( Greek: Ελληνοκύπριοι Turkish: Kıbrıslı Rumlar are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots ( Turkish: Kıbrıs Türkleri or Kıbrıslı Türkler Greek: Τουρκοκύπριοι are the ethnically Turkish inhabitants of the Regime of the Colonels redirects here For the Polish regime of colonels see Colonels' group. The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on July 20 1974, was a Turkish Military operation against a coup which had been staged by the Cypriot This led to the displacement of thousands of Cypriots and the establishment of a separate Turkish Cypriot political entity in the north. Cypriot refugees are those Cypriot nationals or Cyprus residents who had their main residence (as opposed to merely owning property in an area forcibly evacuated The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its This event and its resulting political situation is a matter of ongoing dispute. The Cyprus dispute is a territorial conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and also Republic of Cyprus and Turkey over Cyprus, an

The Republic of Cyprus, the internationally recognized state, claimed sovereignty over 97% of the island of Cyprus and all surrounding waters, with the United Kingdom controlling the remaining three percent. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself The island is de facto partitioned into four main parts:^[3]

• the area under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus in the south of the island;
• the Turkish-occupied area in the north,^[4] calling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognized only by Turkey);
• the United Nations-controlled Green Line, separating the two; and
• two Sovereign Base Areas (Akrotiri and Dhekelia), over which the United Kingdom retained jurisdiction after Cypriot independence. ||}These lists of unrecognized or partially recognized countries give an overview of contemporary geopolitical entities that wish to be recognized as Sovereign The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences whereby a state acknowledges an act The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus runs for more than 300 km along the Green Line, which partitions the Republic of Cyprus into a southern area effectively The term Green Line is often used to refer to the cease fire line that de facto divides the Island nation of Cyprus into two cutting through The Sovereign Base Areas are military bases located on territory in which the United Kingdom is sovereign but which are separated from the ordinary British territory ^[5]

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Geography 3.1 Climate 4 Government 4.1 Districts 4.2 Exclaves and enclaves 4.3 Human rights 5 Military 6 Economy 7 Demographics 7.1 Religion 7.2 Education 8 Culture 8.1 Art 8.2 Music 8.3 Literature 8.4 Cuisine 8.5 Sports 8.6 Media 9 Infrastructure 9.1 Transportation 9.2 Health care 9.3 Telecommunications 10 International membership 11 International rankings 12 See also 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links 15.1 Government 15.2 General information 15.3 Official publications

Etymology

The name 'Cyprus' has a somewhat uncertain etymology. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time One suggestion is that it comes from the Greek word for the Mediterranean cypress tree (Cupressus sempervirens), κυπάρισσος (kypárissos), or even from the Greek name of the henna plant (Lawsonia alba), κύπρος (kýpros). The Genus Cupressus is one of several genera within the family Cupressaceae that have the common name cypress; for the others Cupressus sempervirens, the Mediterranean Cypress,(Or Italian Tuscan or Graveyard Cypress or Pencil Pine is a species of cypress native to the eastern Henna or Hina ( Lawsonia inermis, syn L alba) is a Flowering plant, the sole species in the genus Lawsonia Henna or Hina ( Lawsonia inermis, syn L alba) is a Flowering plant, the sole species in the genus Lawsonia Another school suggests that it stems from the Eteocypriot word for copper. Eteocypriot was a Pre-Indo-European language spoken in Iron Age Cyprus. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Georges Dossin, for example, suggests that it has roots in the Sumerian word for copper (zubar) or for bronze (kubar), from the large deposits of copper ore found on the island. Sumerian ( " native tongue " was the language of ancient Sumer, spoken in Southern Mesopotamia since at least the 4th millennium BC Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus Through overseas trade the island has given its name to the Classical Latin word for the metal through the phrase aes Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum. Classical Latin is the form of the Latin language used by the ancient Romans in what is usually regarded as "classical" Latin literature. ^[6] Cyprus is also called "the island of Aphrodite" ,^[7] since the Greek goddess Aphrodite, of beauty and love, was born in Cyprus. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities The most common theory is that it came from their word for copper, Kypros, because the island had rich deposits of copper.

History

Main article: History of Cyprus

Cyprus is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, Adonis and home to King Cinyras, Teucer and Pygmalion. Adonis (Άδωνης also Άδωνις is a figure of West Semitic origin where he is a central cult figure in various Mystery religions, who enters According to Greek mythology, the king Cinyras (in Greek, Κινύρας &ndash Kinuras) of Cyprus was a son of This article is about Teucer son of King Telamon of Salamis, for Teucer son of Scamander and Idaea, see King Teucer. Pygmalion is a Legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name Pumayyaton, he is most ^[8] The earliest confirmed site of human activity is Aetokremnos, situated on the south coast, indicating that hunter-gatherers were active on the island from around 10,000 BC, with settled, village communities dating from 8200 BC. Aetokremnos is a rock shelter near Limassol on the southern coast of Cyprus. Important remains from this early-Neolithic period can be found at Shillourokambos, Kastros, and Khirokitia, where decorated pottery and figurines of stone quite distinct from the cultures of the surrounding mainland survive. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Shillourokambos is an Aceramic Neolithic site (PPN B near Parekklisha 6 km east of Limassol in southern Cyprus. Kastros is an early Neolithic settlement in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus Choirokoitia (sometimes spelled Khirokitia) (GreekΧοιροκοιτία is an Archaeological site on the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean The Mycenaean Greeks first reached Cyprus around 1600 BC, with settlements dating from this period scattered all over the island. Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese Another wave of Greek settlement is believed to have taken place in the period 1100-1050 BC, with the island's predominantly Greek character dating from this period. Several Phoenician colonies were founded in the 8th century BC, like Kart-Hadasht ('New Town'), near present day Larnaca and Salamis

Cyprus was conquered by Assyria in 709 BC, before a brief spell under Egyptian rule and eventually Persian rule in 545 BC. The Neo-Assyrian Empire was a period of Mesopotamian history which began in 934 BC and ended in 609 BC Cypriots, led by Onesilos, joined their fellow-Greeks in the Ionian cities during the unsuccessful Ionian Revolt in 499 BC against the Achaemenid Empire. Onesilus or Onesilos ( Greek: Ονήσιλος (d 497 BC was the brother of king Gorgos (Gorgus of the Greek city-state of Salamis on the island of Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this The Ionian Revolts were triggered by the actions of Aristagoras, the Tyrant of the Ionian city of Miletus at the end of the 6th century The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of The island was brought under permanent Greek rule by Alexander the Great and the Ptolemies of Egypt following his death. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' The Ptolemaic dynasty (sometimes also known as the Lagids, from the name of Ptolemy I's father Lagus) was a Hellenistic Macedonian royal family Full Hellenization took place during the Ptolemaic period, which ended when Cyprus was annexed by Roman Republic in 58 BC. Hellenization (or Hellenisation) is a term used to describe the spread of Greek culture. The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the Cyprus was one of the first stops in apostle Paul's missionary journey. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. In 395 AD it became part of the Byzantine Empire,^[9] which lost it temporarily to the Arabs in 643 AD before reclaiming it in 966 AD.

Richard I of England captured the island in 1191 during the Third Crusade, using it as a major supply base that was relatively safe from the Saracens. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death The Third Crusade (1189&ndash1192 also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. A year later Guy of Lusignan purchased the island from the Templars to compensate the loss of his kingdom. Guy of Lusignan, Guy of Jerusalem or Guy of Cyprus (c 1150 or 1159/1160 &ndash Nicosia, July 18, 1194) was a French The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order

The Republic of Venice seized control of the island in 1489 after the abdication of Queen Caterina Cornaro, the widow of James II, the last Lusignan king of Cyprus. The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica Nobil Donna Catherine Cornaro (Italian Caterina) ( November 25, 1454 &ndash July 10 1510) was Queen of The Lusignan family originated in the Poitou near Lusignan in western France in the early 10th century. Using it as an important commercial hub, Venetians soon fortified Nicosia, the capital and most important city, with its famous Venetian Walls. Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. Throughout Venetian rule, the Ottoman Empire frequently raided Cyprus. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish In 1539 the Ottomans destroyed Limassol. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Limassol or Lemesos ( Greek: Λεμεσός, Lemesos; Turkish: Limasol, alt Fearing the worst, the Venetians fortified Famagusta, Nicosia, and Kyrenia. "Magusa" redirects here For the Moth Genus, see Magusa (moth. Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. For the village in Greece which see Keryneia Greece. Kyrenia (Keryneia (ΚερύνειαGirne is a town noted for its historic

In 1570, a full scale conquest under Piyale Pasha with 60,000 troops brought the island under Ottoman control, despite stiff resistance by the inhabitants of Nicosia and Famagusta. Piyale Pasha (c 1515-1578 also known as Piale Pasha in the West or Pialí Bajá in Spain Turkish: Piyale Paşa) was an Ottoman-Turkish Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. "Magusa" redirects here For the Moth Genus, see Magusa (moth. The Ottomans applied the millet system and allowed religious authorities to govern their own non-Muslim minorities, but at the same time invested the Orthodox Church as a mediator between Christian Cypriots and the authorities granting it not only religious but political and economic powers. Millet is an Ottoman Turkish term for a Confessional community in the Ottoman Empire. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine Heavy taxation led to rebellions - between 1572 and 1668, around twenty-eight bloody uprisings took place - forcing the Sultan to intervene. The Ottoman Dynasty (or the Imperial House of Osman) ( Turkish: Osmanlı Hanedanı) ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922 beginning with The first large-scale census of the Ottoman Empire in 1831, counting only men, showed 14,983 Muslims and 29,190 Christians. ^[10] By 1872, the population of the island had risen to 144,000 comprising 44,000 Muslims and 100,000 Christians. ^[11]

Administration (but not sovereignty) of the island was ceded to the British Empire in 1878, in the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). The Cyprus Convention of June 4, 1878 was a secret agreement reached between the United Kingdom and the Ottoman Empire which granted control The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 had its origins in a rise in nationalism in the Balkans as well as in the Russian goal of recovering territorial losses it had suffered The island would serve Britain as a key military base in its its colonial routes. By 1906, when the Famagusta harbour was completed, Cyprus was a strategic naval outpost overlooking the Suez Canal, the crucial main route to India, then Britain's most important colony. The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Following World War 1 and the Ottoman alliance with the Central powers, the United Kingdom annexed the island. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Central Powers ( German: "Mittelmächte" Hungarian: "Központi hatalmak" Turkish: "İttifak The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 In 1923, under the Treaty of Lausanne, the nascent Turkish republic relinquished any claim to Cyprus, and in 1925 it was declared a British Crown Colony. The Treaty of Lausanne ( July 24, 1923) was a Peace treaty signed in Lausanne that settled the Anatolian part of the Partitioning Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom Many Greek Cypriots, fought in the British Army during both world wars, under the impression that Cyprus would eventually be united with Greece. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία

In January 1950 the Orthodox Church organized a referendum boycotted by the Turkish Cypriot community with over 90% voting in favour of union with Greece. Restricted autonomy under a constitution was proposed by the British administration but eventually rejected. In 1955 the EOKA organisation was founded, seeking independence and union with Greece through armed struggle. EOKA ( Εθνική Οργάνωσις Κυπρίων Αγωνιστών, Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston ( Greek for National Organisation At the same time the TMT, calling for Taksim, was established by the Turkish Cypriots as a counterweight . Turkish Resistance Organization ( Turkish: Türk Mukavemet Teşkilatı &ndash TMT was a Turkish Cypriot pro- Taksim paramilitary organisation Taksim ( Turkish for "division" was the objective of Turkish Cypriots who supported a partition of the island of Cyprus into Turkish and Greek ^[12] Turmoil on the island was met with force by the British who started openly favouring Turks in police and administration as part of a divide-and-conquer policy. Nevertheless, Cyprus attained independence in 1960 after an agreement in Zürich and London between the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey. The Zürich and London Agreement was the agreement which took place on the 19 February 1959 between Turkey, Greece, the United Kingdom Britain retained two Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekelia while government posts and public offices were allocated by ethnic quotas giving the minority Turks a permanent veto, 30% in parliament and administration, and granting the 3 mother-states guarantor rights. The Sovereign Base Areas are military bases located on territory in which the United Kingdom is sovereign but which are separated from the ordinary British territory

Shortly afterward, inter-communal violence broke out, partially sponsored by both "motherlands"^[13] - with Turkish Cypriots shortly afterwards withdrawn in enclaves and Greek Cypriot leader Archbishop Makarios III calling for constitutional changes as a means to ease tensions. The Turkish Cypriot enclaves were Enclaves inhabited by Turkish Cypriots before the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Makarios III (Μακάριος Γ born Mihail Christodoulou Mouskos (Greek Μιχαήλ Χριστοδούλου Μούσκος) on August 13, The Zürich and London Agreement was the agreement which took place on the 19 February 1959 between Turkey, Greece, the United Kingdom In 1974 the US-backed Greek junta - in power since 1967 - partly in a move to draw attention away from internal turmoil and partly unsatisfied with Makarios' policy in Cyprus, attempted a coup on July 13 to replace him with Nikos Sampson and declare union with Greece. Regime of the Colonels redirects here For the Polish regime of colonels see Colonels' group. Nikos Sampson (Νίκος Σαμψών December 16, 1935 &ndash May 9 2001) was the de facto president of Cyprus Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Seven days later, Turkey launched an invasion of Cyprus to reinstate the constitution. The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on July 20 1974, was a Turkish Military operation against a coup which had been staged by the Cypriot This resulted in bloody conflict and partition of the island. The overwhelming Turkish land, naval and air superiority against the island's weak defences led to 37% of the land being brought under Turkish control. 170,000 Greek Cypriots were evicted from their homes in the north with 50,000 Turks following the opposite path.

In 1983 Turkish Cypriots unilaterally proclaimed independence, which was only recognized by Turkey. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its

As of today, there are 1,534 Greek Cypriots ^[14] and 502 Turkish Cypriots ^[15] missing as a result of the invasion. The events of the summer of 1974 dominate the politics on the island, as well as Greco-Turkish relations. The Cyprus dispute is a territorial conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and also Republic of Cyprus and Turkey over Cyprus, an Greece-Turkey relations have been marked by alternating periods of mutual hostility and reconciliation ever since Greece won its independence from the Ottoman Empire Around 100,000 settlers from Turkey are believed to be living in the north in violation of the Geneva Convention and various UN resolutions. The Geneva Conventions consist of four Treaties formulated in Geneva, Switzerland, that set the standards for International law for humanitarian Following the invasion and the capture of its northern territory by Turkish troops, the Republic of Cyprus announced that all of its ports of entry in the north are closed, as they are not under its effective control. Euphemistically Turkey refers to this event as an "embargo". A euphemism is a substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener or in the case of doublespeak

Since de facto but not de jure partition of the Republic, the north and south have followed separate paths. The Republic of Cyprus is a constitutional democracy that has reached great levels of prosperity, with a booming economy and good infrastructure. It is part of the UN, the European Union and several other organisations by whom it is recognized as the sole legitimate government of the whole island. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The area of the Republic of Cyprus not under its effective control, the north, is over-dependent on help from Turkey. The last major effort to settle the Cyprus dispute, was the Annan Plan. The Cyprus dispute is a territorial conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and also Republic of Cyprus and Turkey over Cyprus, an The Annan Plan was a United Nations proposal to settle the Cyprus dispute of the divided island nation of Cyprus as the United Cyprus Republic On 10 March 2003, this most recent phase of talks collapsed in The Hague, Netherlands, when 30 year strong Turkish Cypriot leader Denktaş told the Secretary-General he would not put the Annan Plan to referendum. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Rauf Raif Denktaş (in English often spelled Rauf Denktash) (born 27 January 1924) is the founder of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita "The plan was unacceptable for us. This was not a plan we would ask our people to vote for," Mr Denktaş said. The UN plan had undergone several revisions in an attempt to win support. It was the Turkish Cypriot side which refused to even talk further, and which was blamed for the failure of the peace process . ^[16] Later in its 5th ^[17] revision the plan gained the support of the Turkish Cypriots but lost support of the Greek Cypriots. The two major communities of the ''de facto'' divided Island nation of Cyprus held a referendum on settling the Cyprus dispute on 24

In July 2006 the island served as a safe haven for people fleeing Lebanon due to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation ^[18]

In March 2008, the Republic of Cyprus demolished a wall that for decades had stood at the boundary between the Greek Cypriot controlled side and the UN buffer zone. ^[19] The wall had cut across Ledra Street in the heart of Nicosia and was seen as a strong symbol of the island's 32-year division. On April 3, 2008, Ledra Street was reopened in the presence of Greek and Turkish Cypriot officials. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Ledra Street is a major shopping thoroughfare in central Nicosia, Cyprus. ^[20]

Geography

Main articles: Geography of Cyprus and List of cities, towns and villages in Cyprus

The third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia), Cyprus is situated in the eastern Mediterranean, just south of the Anatolian peninsula (or Asia Minor) of the Asian mainland; thus, it is often included in the Middle East (see also Western Asia and Near East). Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Sardinia (sɑrˈdɪnɪə Sardegna Sardigna or Sardinnya is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily) Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. B Syria - Belka Woman from Damascus Arab from Baghdadjpg|thumb|Inhabitants of the Near East late nineteenth century Turkey is 75 kilometres (47 mi) north; other neighbouring countries include Syria and Lebanon to the east, Israel to the southeast, Egypt to the south, and Greece to the westnorthwest. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics.

However, historically, politically and culturally Cyprus is closely aligned with Europe – the Greek Cypriots with Greece and the Turkish Cypriots with Turkey. The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language Historically, Cyprus has been at the crossroads between Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, with lengthy periods of mainly Greek and intermittent Anatolian, Levantine, and British influences. A crossroads (the word rarely appears in singular is a Road junction, where two or more Roads meet (there are three or more arms North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan See also Names of the Levant The Levant (lə'vænt is a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia, roughly bounded on the north by the The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. Though these influences may cause some to consider Cyprus as a transcontinental island, such a term is properly applied only to nations whose boundaries straddle more than one continent e. This is a list of countries spanning more than one continent, sometimes referred to as transcontinental states. g. Turkey, Russia and Egypt.

The central plain, the Mesaoria, is bordered by the Kyrenia and Pentadactylos mountains to the north and the Troödos mountain range to the south and west. The Mesaoria is a broad sweeping plain which makes up the centre of the island of Cyprus. The Pentadactylos mountains ( Turkish Beşparmaklar comprise the western half of the Kyrenia mountain range, a long narrow chain which runs 160 km (100 mi along Troodos is the biggest Mountain range of Cyprus, located in the center of the island There are also scattered, but significant, plains along the southern coast. The island's highest point is at the summit of Mount Olympus 1,952 metres (6,404 ft), in the heart of the Troödos range. Olympus is the highest point of the Troodos Mountains (1952 m in Cyprus.

The major cities in Cyprus are the capital Nicosia (Lefkosia in Greek, Lefkoşa in Turkish), Limassol (Lemesos in Greek), Larnaca, Paphos, Famagusta (Gazimağusa or Mağusa in Turkish, Ammochostos in Greek), and Kyrenia (Girne in Turkish, Kerynia in Greek). Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Limassol or Lemesos ( Greek: Λεμεσός, Lemesos; Turkish: Limasol, alt Larnaca, ( Greek: Λάρνακα, Turkish: Larnaka) is a City of the Republic of Cyprus situated on the southern coast Paphos (Paphos is usually written Paphos or Paphus in English, ( Ancient Greek:; Modern Greek Πάφος Páfos; Latin "Magusa" redirects here For the Moth Genus, see Magusa (moth. Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. For the village in Greece which see Keryneia Greece. Kyrenia (Keryneia (ΚερύνειαGirne is a town noted for its historic

Climate

The climate is temperate and Mediterranean with dry summers and variably rainy winters. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide Summer temperatures range from warm at higher elevations in the Troödos mountains to hot in the lowlands. Winter temperatures are mild at lower elevations, where snow rarely occurs, but are significantly colder in the mountains with sufficient snow for seasonal ski facilities. Dust storms are frequent throughout the year.

Government

Main articles: Politics of Cyprus and Foreign relations of Cyprus

Cyprus is a Presidential republic. A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature The head of state and the government is the President, who is elected by the universal suffrage for a five-year term. Executive power is exercised by the government. Federal legislative power is vested in both the government and the House of Representatives. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

The 1960 Constitution provided for a presidential system of government with independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as a complex system of checks and balances, including a weighted power-sharing ratio designed to protect the interests of the Turkish Cypriots. The executive, was headed by a Greek Cypriot president and a Turkish Cypriot vice president elected by their respective communities for five-year terms and each possessing a right of veto over certain types of legislation and executive decisions. Legislate power rested on the House of Representatives, also elected on the basis of separate voters' rolls. Since 1964, following clashes between the two communities, the Turkish Cypriot seats in the House remain vacant.

After an invasion of the island by Turkey in 1974, Cyprus was divided, de facto, into the Greek Cypriot controlled southern two-thirds of the island and the Turkish-occupied northern third. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The Turkish Cypriots subsequently declared independence in 1983 as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus but have not been recognized by any country in the world, except Turkey. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its In 1985, the TRNC adopted a constitution and held its first elections. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its All foreign governments (except Turkey), as well as the United Nations, recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole island of Cyprus.

The House of Representatives currently has 59 members elected for a five year term, 56 members by proportional representation and 3 observer members representing the Maronite, Latin and Armenian minorities. Maronites ( الموارنة,, Syriac: ܡܪܘܢܝܐ, Latin: Ecclesia Maronitarum) are members of one of the Syriac Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. 24 seats are allocated to the Turkish community but remain vacant since 1964. The political environment is dominated by the communist AKEL, the liberal conservative Democratic Rally, the centrist^[21] Democratic Party, the social-democratic EDEK and the centrist EURO.KO. The Progressive Party of Working People ( Greek: Ανορθωτικό Κόμμα Εργαζόμενου Λαού Anorthotikó Kómma Ergazómenou Laoú, AKEL The Democratic Rally ( Greek: Δημοκρατικός Συναγερμός Dimokratikós Sinayermós) or DISY, is a centre-right political party The Democratic Party ( Greek: Δημοκρατικό Κόμμα Dimokratikó Kómma) is a centrist Political party in Cyprus, founded The Movement for Social Democracy (Κίνημα Σοσιαλδημοκρατών is a Social-democratic Political party in Cyprus. The European Party ( Evropaiko Komma, Ευρωπαϊκό Κόμμα; abbreviated Ευρωκό, "Evroko" is a Political party

On 17 February 2008, Dimitris Christofias of the AKEL was elected President of Cyprus, thus marking his party's first electoral victory without being part of a wider coalition, making Cyprus one of only two countries in the world to have a democratically elected communist government (the other being Moldova), and is the only European Union member state currently under communist leadership. Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Dimitris Christofias (Δημήτρης Χριστόφιας also "Demetris" is a left-wing Greek Cypriot politician and the current and sixth The Progressive Party of Working People ( Greek: Ανορθωτικό Κόμμα Εργαζόμενου Λαού Anorthotikó Kómma Ergazómenou Laoú, AKEL Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania Christofias took over government from Tassos Papadopoulos of Democratic Party, who had been in office since February 2003. Tassos Nikolaou Papadopoulos (in Greek, Τάσσος Νικολάου Παπαδόπουλος &ndash born January 7, 1934 in Nicosia The Democratic Party ( Greek: Δημοκρατικό Κόμμα Dimokratikó Kómma) is a centrist Political party in Cyprus, founded

Districts

Main articles: Districts of Cyprus and List of cities, towns and villages in Cyprus

The Republic of Cyprus is divided into six districts:^[22] Nicosia, Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos. Cyprus is divided into six Districts (επαρχίες eparchies) whose Capitals share the same name This is a list of settlements in Cyprus. The list first lists the English name followed by the Greek name in Greek script - If this name differs

Map of Cyprus	Districts	Greek name	Turkish name
	Famagusta	Αμμόχωστος (Ammochostos)	Mağusa
	Kyrenia	Κερύvεια (Keryneia)	Kerinia
	Larnaca	Λάρνακα (Larnaka)	Larnaka/İskele
	Limassol	Λεμεσός (Lemesos)	Limasol/Leymosun
	Nicosia	Λευκωσία (Lefkosia)	Lefkoşa
	Paphos	Πάφος (Pafos)	Baf

Exclaves and enclaves

Cyprus has four exclaves, all in territory that belongs to the British Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Famagusta District is one of the six Districts of Cyprus. Its main town is the island's most important port Famagusta. Kyrenia District is one of the (old six Districts of Cyprus. Its main town is Kyrenia (Turkish Girne Larnaca District is one of the six Districts of Cyprus. Its main town is Larnaca. Limassol District is one of the six Districts of Cyprus. Its main town is Limassol. Nicosia District is one of the six Districts of Cyprus. Its main town is the Cypriot capital Nicosia. Paphos District is one of the six Districts of Cyprus and it is situated in the western part of Cyprus Pyrgos is officially comprised of two villages the larger Kato Pyrgos (Κάτω Πύργος and the smaller Pano Pyrgos (Πάνω Πύργος The first two are the villages of Ormidhia and Xylotymvou. Ormidhia { Greek: Ορμήδεια) is a village in Larnaca District in south-eastern Cyprus. Xylotymvou (Ξυλοτύμβου is a village in Larnaca District in south-eastern Cyprus. Additionally there is the Dhekelia Power Station, which is divided by a British road into two parts. The northern part is an enclave, like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea and therefore not an enclave, although it has no territorial waters of its own. ^[23]

The UN buffer zone separating the territory controlled by the Turkish Cypriot administration from the rest of Cyprus runs up against Dhekelia and picks up again from its east side, off Ayios Nikolaos (connected to the rest of Dhekelia by a thin land corridor). In that sense, the buffer zone turns the southeast corner of the island, the Paralimni area, into a de facto, though not de jure, exclave. Paralimni (Παραλίμνι is a Town situated in the South East of Cyprus, a little way inland within the Famagusta District.

Human rights

The constant focus on the division of the island can sometimes mask other human rights issues. Prostitution is rife in both the government-controlled and the Turkish-occupied regions, and the island as a whole has been criticised^[24] for its role in the sex trade as one of the main routes of human trafficking from Eastern Europe. Human trafficking is the recruitment transportation harbouring or receipt of people for the purposes of slavery forced labor (including bonded labor or debt bondage and servitude ^[25] The regime in the North has been the focus of occasional freedom of speech criticisms^[26] regarding heavy-handed treatment of newspaper editors. Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation. Domestic violence legislation in the Republic remains largely unimplemented,^[27] and it has not yet been passed into law in the North. Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or spousal abuse) occurs when a family member partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate Reports on the mistreatment of domestic staff, mostly immigrant workers from developing countries, are sometimes reported in the Greek Cypriot press. ^[28]

Military

Main article: Military of Cyprus

The Cypriot National Guard is the main military institution of the Republic of Cyprus. Military of Cyprus Military of Cyprus It is a combined arms force, with land, air and naval elements. Combined arms is an approach to Warfare which seeks to integrate different arms of a Military to achieve mutually complementary effects

The land forces of the Cypriot National Guard comprise the following units:

• First Infantry Division (Ιη Μεραρχία ΠΖ)
• Second Infantry Division (ΙΙα Μεραρχία ΠΖ)
• Fourth Infantry Brigade (ΙVη Ταξιαρχία ΠΖ)
• Twentieth Armored Brigade (ΧΧη ΤΘ Ταξιαρχία)
• Third Support Brigade (ΙΙΙη Ταξιαρχία ΥΠ)
• Eighth Support Brigade (VIIIη Ταξιαρχία ΥΠ)

The air force includes the 449th Helicopter Gunship Squadron (449 ΜΑΕ) - operating SA-342L and Bell 206 and the 450th Helicopter Gunship Squadron (450 ME/P) - operating Mi-35P, BN-2B and PC-9. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft mainline airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Current Senior officers include Supreme Commander, Cypriot National Guard: Lt. Gen. Konstantinos Bisbikas, Deputy Commander, Cypriot National Guard: Lt. Gen. Savvas Argyrou and Chief of Staff, Cypriot National Guard: Maj. Gen. Gregory Stamoulis.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Cyprus

The Cypriot economy is prosperous and has diversified in recent years. Economic affairs in Cyprus are dominated by the division of the country into the southern area controlled by the Cyprus Government and the northern Turkish Cypriot-administered area Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. ^[29] Its per-capita GDP (adjusted for purchasing power) is slightly lower than that of France, Germany, Italy and the UK, but slightly higher than the European Union average. This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Cyprus has been sought as a base for several offshore businesses for its highly developed infrastructure. Economic policy of the Cyprus government has focused on meeting the criteria for admission to the European Union. Adoption of the euro as a national currency is required of all new countries joining the European Union, and the Cypriot government adopted the currency on 1 January 2008. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[29]

Oil has recently been discovered in the seabed between Cyprus and Egypt, and talks are underway between Lebanon and Egypt to reach an agreement regarding the exploration of these resources. An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. ^[30] The seabed separating Lebanon and Cyprus is believed to hold significant quantities of crude oil and natural gas. Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, ^[30]

The economy of the Turkish-occupied area is dominated by the services sector, including the public sector, trade, tourism and education, with smaller agriculture and light manufacturing sectors. The economy operates on a free-market basis, although it continues to be handicapped by the political isolation of Turkish Cypriots, the lack of private and governmental investment, high freight costs, and shortages of skilled labor. Despite these constraints, the economy turned in an impressive performance in 2003 and 2004, with growth rates of 9. 6% and 11. 4%. The average income in the area is $5,000 per capita, and the Turkish government has pledged to increase this to $12,000 through investment and aid. ^[31] Growth has been buoyed by the relative stability of the Turkish new lira and by a boom in the education and construction sectors. The new lira (yeni türk lirası is the Currency of Turkey. The de facto independent state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Cyprus

According to the last census carried out by the Republic in 1960, Greek Cypriots comprise 77% of the island's population, Turkish Cypriots 18%, while the remaining 5% are of other ethnicities. Greek Cypriots ( Greek: Ελληνοκύπριοι Turkish: Kıbrıslı Rumlar are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots ( Turkish: Kıbrıs Türkleri or Kıbrıslı Türkler Greek: Τουρκοκύπριοι are the ethnically Turkish inhabitants of the However, after the Turkish invasion of 1974, about 150,000 Turks from Anatolia were transferred or decided to settle in the north. This has changed the actual demographic structure of the island. Northern Cyprus now claims 265,100 inhabitants,^[32] closer to 30% of the population of the island. The TRNC has granted citizenship to these immigrants: however, as the TRNC is not recognised by the Republic or the international community (with the exception of Turkey), its power to create new citizens is not recognised and the newcomers retain Turkish passports. The result of this situation is that percentage population estimates vary widely.

In the years since the census data were gathered in 2000, Cyprus has also seen a large influx of guest workers from countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as major increases in the numbers of permanent British residents. expatriate foreign worker is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a Citizen. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The island is also home to a significant Armenian minority, as well as a large refugee population consisting of people mainly from Serbia, Palestine and Lebanon. The Armenians in Cyprus are ethnic Armenians living in Cyprus. Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية There is also a Kurdish minority present in Cyprus.

Since the country joined the European Union, a significant Polish population has also grown up, joining sizeable communities from Russia and Ukraine (mostly Pontic Greeks, immigrating after the fall of the Eastern Bloc), Bulgaria, Romania and Eastern European states. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The term Pontic Greeks, Pontian Greeks, Pontians or Greeks of Pontus (Πόντιοι Ποντιακός Ελληνισμός or gr Έλληνες During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania

There is also a significant and thriving Cypriot Diaspora in other countries, with the United States, the United Kingdom, Greece and Australia hosting the majority of migrants who fled the Turkish invasion in 1974.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Cyprus

Most Greek Cypriots, and thus the majority of the population of Cyprus, are members of the Greek Orthodox Church, whereas most Turkish Cypriots are Muslim. The Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία Hellēnorthódoxē Ekklēsía) is formed by several autocephalous churches According to Eurobarometer 2005 ,^[33] Cyprus is one of the most religious countries in Europe, along with Malta, Romania, Greece and Poland. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland In addition to the Orthodox Christian and Muslim communities, there are also small Bahá'í, Jewish, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Maronite (Eastern Rites Catholic) and Armenian Apostolic communities in Cyprus. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Ancient invaders Cyprus is the large Island located in the east Mediterranean Sea. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Maronites ( الموارنة,, Syriac: ܡܪܘܢܝܐ, Latin: Ecclesia Maronitarum) are members of one of the Syriac The Armenian Apostolic Church (Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan

Education

Cyprus has a well-developed system of primary and secondary education offering both public and private education. The high quality of instruction can be attributed to a large extent to the above-average competence of the teachers. State schools are generally seen as equivalent in quality of education to private-sector institutions. However, the value of a state high-school diploma is limited by the fact that the grades obtained account for only around 25% of the final grade for each topic, with the remaining 75% assigned by the teacher during the semester, in a minimally transparent way. Greek (List of universities in Greece) and Cypriot universities (University of Cyprus) ignore high school grades almost entirely for admissions purposes. A listing of universities in Greece. Institutes of Higher Education (Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα All the state-accredited universities While a high-school diploma is mandatory for university attendance, admissions are decided almost exclusively on the basis of scores at centrally administered university entrance examinations that all university candidates are required to take. The majority of Cypriots receive their higher education at Greek, British, Turkish, other European and North American universities. Private colleges and state-supported universities have been developed by both the Turkish and Greek communities.

Culture

Art

Notable artists include Rhea Bailey, Mihail Kkasialos, Theodoulos Gregoriou, Helene Black, George Skoteinos,Kalopedis family, Nicos Nicolaides, Stass Paraskos, Arestís Stasí, Telemachos Kanthos, Adamantios Diamantis and Konstantia Sofokleous

Music

Main article: Music of Cyprus

The traditional folk music of Cyprus has many common elements with Greek mainland and island folk music, including dances like the sousta, syrtos, zeibekikos, tatsia, and the kartsilamas. Kourion (Κούριον also Curias ( Pliny v 13 or Latin: Curium, was a city in Cyprus, which endured from antiquity until Helene Black is a Cypriot Artist working with various media She has been exhibited in Museums and Contemporary art centers in Cyprus The Kalopedis Family are renowned jewelers from Cyprus who specialty is traditional Greek Byzantine style Icons and Ecclesiastic art found in Orthodox Nicos Nicolaides ( Greek:Νίκος Νικολαϊδης was a Greek painter and writer Stass Paraskos (born 1933 is an Artist from Cyprus, although much of his life was spent teaching and working in England. Arestís Stasí ( Aristides Anastassiades also known as il cipriota) was born in 1940 in Limassol, Cyprus and spent his first years in the village Telemachos Kanthos (1910-1993 was born in Alona a village in the highland Pitsillia area of Cyprus Konstantia Sofokleous, Greek: Κωνσταντία ή Κωνσταντίνα ή Ντίνα Σοφοκλέους (b The music of Cyprus includes a variety of classical folk and popular genres Sousta is the name of a Folk dance in Cyprus and Crete which is danced in Greece and generally in the Balkans. Syrtos (ΣυρτόςSirtoSyrtoSirtos is the name of a group of Greek Folk dances of ancient origin Zeibekiko (or Zeybekiko Greek Ζεϊμπέκικο is considered an urban improvisational dance from Greece with a rhythmic pattern of 9/4 or else 9/8 (broken down as 1/8 The instruments commonly associated with Cyprus folk music are the lute ("laouto"), violin ("fkiolin"), accordion and the Cyprus flute ("pithkiavlin"). Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either Fretted or unfretted and a deep round back or more specifically to an instrument from The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The accordion is a portable box-shaped Musical instrument of the hand-held Bellows -driven free-reed aerophone family sometimes referred to as a Squeezebox There is also a form of musical poetry known as "chattista", which is often performed at traditional feasts and celebrations. Composers associated with traditional music in Cyprus include Evagoras Karageorgis, Marios Tokas, Solon Michaelides, Savvas Salides. Evagoras Karageorgis, born 20 December 1957, Paphos Cyprus is a music teacher famous composer and Lute player Marios Tokas (Μάριος Τόκας ( June 8, 1954 – April 27, 2008) was a Cypriot (born in Limassol Pop music in Cyprus is generally influenced by the Greek pop music "Laïka" scene, with several artists such as Anna Vissi and Evridiki earning widespread popularity. This article is about the Greek music-culture For the Arcade Fire song see Neighborhood #2 (Laïka. Anna Vissi ( Greek: Άννα Βίσση; born December 20, 1957) is a Cypriot - Greek Singer, famous mainly Evridiki Theokleous ( Ευρυδίκη Θεοκλέους, born 25 February 1968) known professionally as simply Evridiki, is a Cypriot Cypriot rock and "entechno" rock music is often associated with artists such as Michalis Hatzigiannis and Alkinoos Ioannidis. Mihalis Hatzigiannis (Μιχάλης Χατζηγιάννης born in Nicosia, Cyprus on 5 November 1978, is one of the most popular Greek Alkinoos Ioannidis (Greek Αλκίνοος Ιωαννίδης is a Cypriot Composer and Singer born in Nicosia on 19 September Metal also has a following in Cyprus, represented by bands such as Winter's Verge, Blynd and Armageddon Rev. Winter's Verge is a Melodic Power metal band formed in Cyprus in 2004 16:16.

Literature

Literary production of the antiquity includes the Cypria, an epic poem probably composed in the later seventh century BC and attributed to Stasinus. The Cypria ( Ancient Greek: Kypria; Latin form Cypria) is an epic of ancient Greek literature that was quite According to some ancient authorities Stasinus of Cyprus, a semi-legendary early Greek poet, was the author of the Cypria, in eleven books The Cypria is one of the very first specimens of Greek and European poetry. The Cypria ( Ancient Greek: Kypria; Latin form Cypria) is an epic of ancient Greek literature that was quite ^[34] The Cypriot Zeno of Citium was the founder of the Stoic philosophy. Zeno of Citium (Ζήνων ὁ Κιτιεύς Zēnōn ho Kitieŭs) (334 BC - 262 BC was a Greek Philosopher from Citium (Κίτιον Epic poetry, notably the "acritic songs", flourished during Middle Ages. Two chronicles, one written by Leontios Machairas and the other by Voustronios, refer to the period under French domination (15th century). Poèmes d'amour written in medieval Greek Cypriot date back from 16th century. Some of them are actual translations of poems written by Petrarch, Bembo, Ariosto and G. Francesco Petrarca ( July 20, 1304 – July 19, 1374) known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar Bembo is the name given to an Old style serif Typeface based upon a face cut by Francesco Griffo, first printed in February 1496 (1495 more veneto Sannazzaro. Jacopo Sannazaro or Sannazzaro ( 28 July 1458 - April 27, 1530) was an Italian poet humanist and epigrammist ^[35] Modern literary figures from Cyprus include the poet and writer Kostas Montis, poet Kyriakos Charalambides, poet Michalis Pasardis, writer Nicos Nicolaides, Stylianos Atteshlis, Altheides and also Demetris Th. Gotsis. Kyriakos Charalambides (Κυριάκος Χαραλαμπίδης Kyriacos Charalambides is one of the most known and acknowledged Greek poets and writers Nicos Nicolaides ( Greek:Νίκος Νικολαϊδης was a Greek painter and writer Dr Stylianos Atteshlis (Στυλιανός Αττεσλής known as Daskalos (1912-1995 was born on December 12, 1912 in Cyprus where he spent most of Altheides (1193 &ndash 1262 was a Cypriot philosopher primarily known from sayings attributed to him in the works of others Demetris Th Gotsis (Δημήτρης Θ Γκότσης is a Greek poet and author residing in Cyprus. Dimitris Lipertis and Vasilis Michaelides are folk poets who wrote poems mainly in the Cypriot-Greek dialect. Dimitris Theophani Lipertis (Greek Δημήτρης Λιπέρτης is considered as one of the most prominent Cypriot Poets. Vasilis Michaelides ( Βασίλης Μιχαηλίδης) is considered by many and often referred to as the national poet of Cyprus. The majority of the play Othello by William Shakespeare is set on the island of Cyprus. William Shakespeare ( baptised Cyprus also figures in religious literature, most notably in Acts of the Apostles, according to which the Apostles Barnabas and Paul preached on the island. The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament.

Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Cyprus

Halloumi, (a cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk) originates from Cyprus, and is commonly served sliced and grilled as an appetizer. Cypriot cuisine is the cuisine encountered on the island of Cyprus, located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Halloumi ( Greek: χαλλούμι, Turkish: Hellim, Arabic: حلوم (transl Seafood dishes of Cyprus include calamari (squid), octopus in red wine, (red mullet), and sea bass. The Cucumber and tomato are used widely in Cypriot cuisine. Other common vegetable preparations include potatoes in olive oil and parsley, pickled cauliflower and beets, kolokasi (taro) and asparagus. Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive ( Olea europaea; family Oleaceae along with Lilacs Jasmine and ash trees Parsley ( Petroselinum crispum) is a bright Green, biennial Herb, also used as Spice. Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. The beet or beetroot is a Flowering plant species ( Beta vulgaris) in the family Chenopodiaceae. Taro (from Tahitian or other Polynesian languages) more rarely kalo (from Hawaiian) and gabi in The Philippines, is a Meat dishes marinated in dried coriander seeds and wine, and eventually dried and smoked, such as lounza, charcoal-grilled lamb (souvla), sheftalia (minced meat wrapped in mesentery), as well as cracked wheat (pourgouri) are some of the traditional delicacies of the island.

Sports

Governing bodies of sport in Cyprus include the Cyprus Automobile Association, Cyprus Badminton Federation[6]]], Cyprus Basketball Federation, Cyprus Cricket Association, Cyprus Football Association, Cyprus Rugby Federation and the Cyprus Volleyball Federation. The Cyprus Automobile Association (CAA is a non-profit organization governed by an elected council The Cyprus Basketball Federation ( Greek ΚΟΚ-Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Καλαθόσφαιρας Turkish: Kıbrıs Basketbol Federasyonu is The Cyprus Cricket Association is the governing body of cricket in Cyprus. The Cyprus football assosiation ( CFA) ( Greek: Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου, ΚΟΠ is the governing body of football The Cyprus Rugby Federation the governing body for Rugby union in Cyprus. Cyprus Volleyball Federation (Kypriaki Omospondia Petosfairisis = Greek Kυπριακή Oμοσπονδία Πετοσφαίρισης) is the governing body of Volleyball Marcos Baghdatis is one of the most successful tennis players in international stage. Marcos Baghdatis (Μάρκος Παγδατής ˈmaɾkos paɣðaˈtis born June 17 1985, Limassol is a Cypriot professional Tennis Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) He reached the Wimbledon semi-final in 2006. The Championships Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest Tennis tournament in the world and is widely considered as the most prestigious Also Kyriakos Ioannou a Cypriot high jumper born in Limassol achieved a jump of 2. 35 m at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics held in Osaka, Japan, in 2007 winning the bronze medal

The island has a keen football culture. Notable football teams include AC Omonia, APOEL, Anorthosis Famagusta FC, AEK Larnaca and AEL Limassol. Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia (Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Ομόνοια Λευκωσίας is a Cypriot football club which plays in the capital Anorthosis Famagusta FC ( Greek: Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου = Anorthosi Ammochostou) is a Cypriot football and Volleyball AEK Larnaca FC ( Greek:Αθλητική Έvωση Κίτιον Athletiki Enosi Kition is a Cypriot Sports club, based in the port of Larnaca A E Lemesos (Athlitiki Enosis Lemesou - AEL Αθλητική Ένωσις Λεμεσού - ΑΕΛ Athletic Union of Lemesos is a Greek Cypriot multisport club Stadiums or sports venues in Cyprus include the GSP Stadium(the largest and home venue of the Cypriot national football team), Makario Stadium, Neo GSZ Stadium, Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium and Tsirion Stadium. The Pancyprian Gymnastic Association Stadium (GSP Stadium (Στάδιο Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Παγκύπρια is a football Stadium in Makario Stadium is an all seater multi purpose Stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus. Neo GSZ Stadium or Gymnastic Club Zenon Stadium ( Greek: Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος ΖήνωνΓ Anorthosis Famagusta FC ( Greek: Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου = Anorthosi Ammochostou) is a Cypriot football and Volleyball Tsirion Stadium is an all seater multi purpose Stadium in Limassol, Cyprus. The Cyprus Rally is also on the World Rally Championship sporting agenda. The Cyprus Rally is a rallying competition held yearly in Cyprus since 1970 The WRc Group is a privately-owned group of companies providing research and consultancy on water supply waste treatment and the public

Media

Southern Cyprus: Newspapers include the Cyprus Mail, the Cyprus Observer, Famagusta Gazette, Cyprus Today, Cyprus Weekly, Financial Mirror, Haravgi, Makhi, Phileleftheros, Politis (Cyprus), and Simerini. Cyprus Mail is a Cypriot English-language Newspaper. It is published daily (except Mondays and a number of articles are available online The Cyprus Observer is a Turkish-owned English-language weekly newspaper which includes news from both the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and south of Cyprus Cyprus Today is the major English-language Newspaper in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The Cyprus Weekly is the top-selling English-language publication in Cyprus with a circulation exceeding 17000 The Financial Mirror is the top-selling daily business newspaper in Cyprus Haravgi is a Greek language newspaper published in Cyprus since 1956 Makhi ( Greek: Μάχη meaning "Battle" or "Struggle" is a Greek-language Cypriot daily Newspaper with Phileleftheros ( Greek: Ό Φιλελεύθερος meaning "The Liberal" is the largest newspaper (by circulation in Cyprus, with about Politis ( Greek: Πολίτης meaning "Citizen" is a daily Greek-language Newspaper published in Cyprus. For a Greek newspaper based in Patras, see Simerini (Patras Simerini (Greek word for today) is a Greek language independently TV channels include ANT1 Cyprus, Alfa TV, CNC Plus TV, Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation, Lumiere TV, Middle East Television, Mega Channel Cyprus and Sigma TV. ANT-1 TV Cyprus (pronounced Antenna is a free to air terrestrial TV channel established in 1993 Alfa TV is a Premium television service available in Cyprus, that broadcasts Sports and children's programming as well as the odd film CNC (Cyprus New Channel Plus' TV' is the island’s sixth free-to-air television channel launched on July 28 2006 The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation ( Greek: Ραδιοφωνικό Ίδρυμα Κύπρου Turkish: Kıbrıs Yayın Kurumu or CyBC (ΡΙΚ (KYK Lumiere TV (LTV is a Premium television service available in Cyprus, that broadcasts blockbuster movies and hit series Middle East Television (also known as "METV") is a Christian -based Satellite television broadcasting network located in Limassol Mega Channel, also known as Mega TV, was the second private channel to launch on the Cyprus airwaves Sigma TV is a commercial network in Cyprus that first hit the air on April 3, 1995.

Northern Cyprus: Newspapers include--Daily:

• Cyprus Gazette(English name) also known as Kibris Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• Cypriot Newspaper(English name) also known as Kibrisli Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• Africa Gazette(English name) also known as Afrika Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• Volkan Newspaper(English name) also known as Volkan Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• News & Gossip Paper(English name) also known as Haber Havadis Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• Union Newspaper(English name) also known as Birlik Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• NewOrder Gazette(English name) also known as Yeniduzen Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• Star Cyprus Newspaper(English name) also known as Star Kibris Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• Public's Voice Newspaper(English name) also known as Halkin Sesi Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• Motherland Gazette(English name) also known as Vatan Gazetesi(Turkish name)

Weekly:

• Cyprus Observer(English name) also known as Kibris Gozlemci Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• Cyprus Today(English name) also known as Kibris Bugun Gazetesi(Turkish name)
• Newperiod(English name) also known as Yenicag (Turkish name)

Infrastructure

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Cyprus

Since the last railway was dismantled in 1950, the remaining modes of transport are by road, sea, and air. Limassol or Lemesos ( Greek: Λεμεσός, Lemesos; Turkish: Limasol, alt Of the 10,663 km (6,626 mi) of roads in the Greek Cypriot area as of 1998, 6,249 km (3,883 mi) were paved, and 4,414 km (2,743 mi) were unpaved. As of 1996 the Turkish Cypriot area had a similar ratio of paved to unpaved, with approximately 1,370 km (850 mi) of paved road and 980 km (610 mi) unpaved. Cyprus is one of only four EU nations in which vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road, a remnant of British colonization. Right-hand traffic and left-hand traffic mean regulations requiring all traffic to keep either to the left or the right side of the Road.

Motorways

Main article: Roads and Motorways in Cyprus

• A1 Nicosia to Limassol
• A2 connects A1 near Pera Chorio with A3 by Larnaca
• A3 Larnaca to Agia Napa
• A5 connects A1 near Kofinou with A3 by Larnaca
• A6 Pafos to Limassol
• A9 Nicosia to Astromeritis (partially under construction)

Number of licensed vehicles ^[36]

Vehicle Category	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Private vehicles	270,348	277,554	291,645	324,212	344,953
Taxis	1,641	1,559	1,696	1,770	1,845
Rental cars	8,080	8,509	9,160	9,652	8,336
Buses	3,003	2,997	3,275	3,199	3,217
Light trucks (lighter than 40 tonnes)	107,060	106,610	107,527	105,017	105,327
Heavy trucks (over 40 tonnes)	10,882	11,182	12,119	12,808	13,028
Motorcycles (2 wheels)	12,956	14,983	16,009	16,802	16,836
Motorcycles (3 wheels)	42	41	43	55	558
Scooters	28,987	25,252	25,464	24,539	22,987
TOTAL	442,999	448,687	466,938	498,054	517,087

In 1999, Cyprus had six heliports and two international airports: Larnaca International Airport and Paphos International Airport. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation Since the arrival of the first motor cars on the island in 1907 Cyprus has developed one of the most modern road networks in Europe. The A1 motorway (locally referred to as the Nicosia - Limassol highway Greek δρόμος Λευκωσίας - Λεμεσού) marked the beginning of an ambitious government Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. Limassol or Lemesos ( Greek: Λεμεσός, Lemesos; Turkish: Limasol, alt The A2 motorway branches off the A1 at Pera Chorio-Nisou and connects to the A3. Larnaca, ( Greek: Λάρνακα, Turkish: Larnaka) is a City of the Republic of Cyprus situated on the southern coast The A3 motorway ( Greek δρόμος Διεθνούς Αερολιμένα Λάρνακας - Αγίας Νάπας) is a modern Motorway linking Larnaca International Larnaca, ( Greek: Λάρνακα, Turkish: Larnaka) is a City of the Republic of Cyprus situated on the southern coast Ayia Napa ( Αγία Νάπα Aya Napa today officially Transliterated into English as Agia Napa) is a Resort at the far eastern end of The A5 links the A1 motorway (at the level of Kofinou village with the A3 near Larnaca Larnaca, ( Greek: Λάρνακα, Turkish: Larnaka) is a City of the Republic of Cyprus situated on the southern coast The A6 highway (locally referred to as the Limassol - Paphos highway Greek νέος δρόμος Λεμεσού - Πάφου marked the ending of an ambitious government project to link all the Paphos (Paphos is usually written Paphos or Paphus in English, ( Ancient Greek:; Modern Greek Πάφος Páfos; Latin Limassol or Lemesos ( Greek: Λεμεσός, Lemesos; Turkish: Limasol, alt A9 is a Motorway under construction which is planned to connect Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, with the Troodos Mountains. Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. Astromeritis (Greek Αστρομερίτης is a large village in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. Vehicle size classes are a way of classifying cars The common North American parlance is word-based while English-speaking European writers also use words to describe car sizes Larnaca International Airport (Διεθνές Aεροδρόμιο Λάρνακας is an International airport located near Larnaca, Cyprus. Paphos International Airport (Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Πάφου is located 16 km (10 miles from the city of Paphos, Cyprus. Nicosia International Airport has been closed since 1974. Nicosia International Airport is an abandoned Airport. It lies to the west of the Cypriot capital city of Nicosia.

Public transport in Cyprus is limited to privately run bus services (except in Nicosia), taxis, and 'shared' taxi services (referred to locally as service taxis). Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. Per capita private car ownership is the 5th highest in the world. In 2006 extensive plans were announced to improve and expand bus services and restructure public transport throughout Cyprus, with the financial backing of the European Union Development Bank. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The main harbours of the island are Limassol harbour and Larnaca harbour, which service cargo, passenger, and cruise ships. A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences) or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the Weather or are stored Limassol New Port Although a title held by Famagusta Port for centuries Limassol Port has now become the principal seaport in Cyprus. Larnaca, ( Greek: Λάρνακα, Turkish: Larnaka) is a City of the Republic of Cyprus situated on the southern coast

Health care

Urban hospitals include:

• Nicosia New General Hospital- Nicosia
• Nicosia Old General Hospital
• Makario Hospital- Nicosia
• Limassol New General Hospital- Limassol
• Limassol Old General Hospital- Limassol
• Larnaca New General Hospital- Larnaca
• Larnaca Old General Hospital- Larnaca
• Paphos general hospital- Paphos

Telecommunications

Main article: Communications in Cyprus

Cyta, the state-owned telecommunications company, manages most Telecommunications and Internet connections on the island. Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. The decision for erecting a purpose built general Hospital in Nicosia was taken during the British colonial administration of Cyprus in 1936 Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. Limassol or Lemesos ( Greek: Λεμεσός, Lemesos; Turkish: Limasol, alt Limassol or Lemesos ( Greek: Λεμεσός, Lemesos; Turkish: Limasol, alt Larnaca, ( Greek: Λάρνακα, Turkish: Larnaka) is a City of the Republic of Cyprus situated on the southern coast Larnaca, ( Greek: Λάρνακα, Turkish: Larnaka) is a City of the Republic of Cyprus situated on the southern coast Paphos General Hospital is the Paphos district's main medical centre Paphos (Paphos is usually written Paphos or Paphus in English, ( Ancient Greek:; Modern Greek Πάφος Páfos; Latin Telephony Cyta, the state-owned telecommunications company manages most Telecommunications and Internet connections on the island CYTA (short for CY prus T elecommunication A uthority or ATHK ( Αρχή Τηλεπικοινωνιών Κύπρου in The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks However, following the recent liberalization of the sector, a few private telecommunications companies have emerged including MTN, Cablenet, TelePassport, OTEnet Telecom and PrimeTel. In general liberalization (or liberalisation) refers to a relaxation of previous government restrictions usually in areas of social or economic policy MTN Group is a South Africa -based multinational mobile telecommunications company operating in many African and Middle Eastern countries Cablenet is a privately-owned telecommunications carrier which operates a national Hybrid Fibre Coaxial network and a cutting-edge national intra-city fiber backbone PrimeTel is a private Cypriot telecommunications carrier Through their partnership with EAC they have built their own fiber-optic network and ADSL2+ platform

International membership

The island nation Cyprus is member of: Australia Group,CN, CE, CFSP, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ITUC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO,ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO. An island country is a Country that is wholly confined to an Island, several islands an Island group or several island groups and has no territory on The Australia Group is an informal group of countries (now joined by the European Commission established in 1985 (after the use of chemical weapons by Iraq in The Council of Europe (Conseil de l'Europe is the oldest International organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949 This article deals with the workings of European Union foreign policy Founded in 1991 the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 27 countries from central Europe The European Investment Bank ( Banque Européenne d'Investissement) is the European Union 's long-term lending institution established in 1958 under the Treaty The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD is one of five institutions that comprise the World Bank Group. The International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO) an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation The International Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit private international organization that works to promote and support global trade and Globalization. The International Criminal Court ( ICC or ICCt) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for Genocide, crimes against Inaugural Congress The founding and first congress of the ITUC was held November 1 - 3 2006 in Vienna The International Development Association ( IDA) created on September 24, 1960, is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one The International Finance Corporation (IFC promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries as a way to reduce poverty and improve people's lives The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO was originally established in 1921 as the International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB The International Labour Organization The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic Although there had been significant developments in Meteorology in the 18th century Matthew Fontaine Maury, of the US Navy, was instrumental in convening the first The International Criminal Police Organization, better known by its telegraphic address Interpol is an organization facilitating international police cooperation The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization The Inter-Parliamentary Union ( IPU) ( French: L'Union Interparlementaire (UIP) is an international organization established in 1889 by William Randal The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA is a member of the World Bank group. The Non-Aligned Movement ( NAM) is an International organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG is a multinational body concerned with reducing Nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that may be applicable The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW is an international agency located in The Hague, The Netherlands. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ( PCA) is an International organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR (established December 14, 1950) is a The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system headquartered The Universal Postal Union ( UPU, French: Union postale universelle) is an International organization that coordinates postal policies among member The World Confederation of Labour (WCL was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe The World Customs Organization ( WCO) is an Intergovernmental organization that helps Members (Governments usually represented by Customs administrations from 173 countries TemplateInfobox Union for usage -->The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU was established in the wake of the Second The World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO) is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations. The United Nations World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO) headquartered in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating  [7] [8]

International rankings

Organization	Survey	Ranking
State of World Liberty Project	State of World Liberty Index[37]	9 out of 159
United Nations Development Programme	Human Development Index 2006[38] Human Development Index 2004[39] Human Development Index 2000[39]	29 out of 177 29 out of 177 29 out of 177
The Economist	Worldwide Quality-of-life Index, 2005[40]	23 out of 111
University of Leicester	Satisfaction with Life Index[41]	49 out of 178
Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal	Index of Economic Freedom[42]	20 out of 157
Reporters Without Borders	Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2006[43] Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2005[44]	30 out of 168 25(tied) out of 168
Transparency International	Corruption Perceptions Index 2006[45] Corruption Perceptions Index 2005[46] Corruption Perceptions Index 2004[47]	37 out of 163 37 out of 158 36 out of 145
World Economic Forum	Global Competitiveness Report[48]	46 out of 125
International Monetary Fund	GDP per capita[49]	31 out of 180
Yale University/Columbia University	Environmental Sustainability Index 2005[50]	not ranked
Nationmaster	Labor strikes[51]	not ranked
A.T. Kearney / Foreign Policy	Globalization Index 2006 [52] Globalization Index 2005 [53] Globalization Index 2004 [54]	not ranked

See also

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain. The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA) freely available for use by researchers The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
• This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the S. government publication, is in the public domain. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
• Official Cyprus Government Web Site
• Embassy of Greece, USA – Cyprus: Geographical and Historical Background

Further reading

• Hitchens, Christopher (1997). Hostage to History: Cyprus from the Ottomans to Kissinger. Verso. ISBN 1-85984-189-9.  
• Brewin, Christopher (2000). European Union and Cyprus. Eothen Press. ISBN 0-906719-24-0.  
• Dods, Clement (ed. ) (1999). Cyprus: The Need for New Perspectives. The Eothen Press. ISBN 0-906719-23-2.  
• Durrell, Lawrence (1957). Bitter Lemons. Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571201-55-5.  
• Gibbons, Harry Scott (1997). The Genocide Files. Charles Bravos Publishers. ISBN 0-9514464-2-8.  
• Hannay, David (2005). Cyprus: The Search for a Solution. I.B. Tauris. I B Tauris (usually typeset as IBTauris) is the name of an independent publishing house with offices in London and New York. ISBN 1-85043-665-7.  
• Ker-Lindsay, James (2005). EU Accession and UN Peacemaking in Cyprus. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-4039-9690-3.  
• Mirbagheri, Farid (1989). Cyprus and International Peacemaking. Hurst. ISBN 1-85065-354-2.  
• Nicolet, Claude (2001). United States Policy Towards Cyprus, 1954-1974. Bibliopolis. ISBN 3-933925-20-7.  
• Oberling, Pierre (1982). The Road to Bellapais. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-88033-000-7.  
• O'Malley, Brendan and Ian Craig (1999). The Cyprus Conspiracy. I.B. Tauris. I B Tauris (usually typeset as IBTauris) is the name of an independent publishing house with offices in London and New York. ISBN 1-86064-737-5.  
• Palley, Claire (2005). An International Relations Debacle: The UN Secretary-General's Mission of Good Offices in Cyprus, 1999-2004. Hart Publishing. ISBN 1-84113-578-X.  
• Papadakis, Yiannis (2005). Echoes from the Dead Zone: Across the Cyprus Divide. I.B. Tauris. I B Tauris (usually typeset as IBTauris) is the name of an independent publishing house with offices in London and New York. ISBN 1-85043-428-X.  
• Plumer, Aytug (2003 isbn= 975-6912-18-9). Cyprus, 1963-64: The Fateful Years. Cyrep (Lefkosa).  
• Richmond, Oliver (1998). Mediating in Cyprus. Frank Cass. ISBN 0-7146-4431-5.  
• Richmond, Oliver and James Ker-Lindsay (eds. ) (2001). The Work of the UN in Cyprus: Promoting Peace and Development. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-91271-3.  
• Tocci, Nathalie (2004). EU Accession Dynamics and Conflict Resolution: Catalysing Peace or Consolidating Partition in Cyprus?. Ashgate. ISBN 0-7546-4310-7.  
• Anastasiou, Harry (2006). Broken Olive Branch: Nationalism Ethnic Conflict and the Quest for Peace in Cyprus. Author House. ISBN 1-4259-4360-8.  

External links

• Wikimedia Atlas of Cyprus
• Cyprus travel guide from Wikitravel

Government

• Cyprus Trade Centres Worldwide
• Cyprus High Commission Trade Centre - London
• Cypriot Diaspora Project
• Republic of Cyprus - English Language
• Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus
• Press and Information Office

General information

• CIA World Factbook - Cyprus
• US State Department - Cyprus includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
• "The Cyprus Conflict" An extensive educational web site dedicated to the Cyprus Conflict
• Open Directory Project - Cyprus directory category
• The UN in Cyprus

Official publications

• The British government's Foreign Affairs Committee report on Cyprus. Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.
• Letter by the President of the Republic, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, to the U.N. Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, dated June 7, which circulated as an official document of the U. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins N. Security Council
• Legal Issues arising from certain population transfers and displacements on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus in the period since 20 July 1974
• Address to Cypriots by President Papadopoulos (FULL TEXT)
• The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office, Aspects of the Cyprus Problem
• Noitiki Antistasis, [9] Non-affiliated news website focusing mainly on the effect of globalization and foreign interests on the Cyprus problem
• 1st Report of the European Commission of Human Rights; Turkey's intervention in Cyprus and aftermath (20 July 1974 - 18 May 1976)
• 2nd Report of the European Commission of Human Rights; Turkey's intervention in Cyprus and aftermath (19 May 1976 to 10 February 1983)
• European Court of Human Rights Case of Cyprus v. Turkey (Application no. 25781/94)

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Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar)

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