BASIC
INFORMATION
Full
Name: CYPRUS
Capital
Nicosia
Largest city Nicosia
Official language
Greek, Turkish
Government
Republic
Area 9,251 km²
Population
835,0002
Currency Cyprus
Pound (CYP)
Time
zone (UTC +2)
Internet
TLD .cy
Calling
code +357
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GEOGRAPHY
& BACKGROUND
Cyprus
(Greek: Greek: ??p???, Kýpros; Turkish:
Turkish: Kibris), officially the Republic
of Cyprus (Greek: ??p??a?? ??µ???at?a,
Kypriakí Dimokratía; Turkish:
Kibris Cumhuriyeti), is a Eurasian island
nation in the eastern part of the Mediterranean
Sea south of the Anatolian peninsula (Asia
Minor) or modern-day Turkey. The third largest
island in the Mediterranean, it is currently
divided into four main portions: the southern
Republic of Cyprus (the island nation-state),
the unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (occupied by Turkey since 1974),
the United Nations-controlled Green Line
separating the two, and two British Base
Areas. Cyprus has been a member state of
the European Union since 1 May 2004.
The
third largest island in the Mediterranean
Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia), Cyprus
is geographically situated in the eastern
Mediterranean and just south of the Anatolian
peninsula (or Asia Minor) of the Asian mainland;
thus, it is commonly included in the Middle
East (see also Western Asia and Near East).
Turkey is 75 kilometres (47 miles) north;
other neighbouring countries include Syria
and Lebanon to the east, Israel to the southeast,
Egypt to the south, and Greece to the west-north-west.
Politically
and culturally, however, it is closely aligned
with Europe – particularly Greece
and Turkey. 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.
Thus, it is generally considered a transcontinental
island.
The
central plain (Mesaoria) with the Kyrenia
and Pentadactylos mountains to the north
and the Troodos mountain range to the south
and west. There are also scattered, but
significant, plains along the southern coast.
The
climate is temperate and Mediterranean with
hot, dry summers and cool, variably rainy
winters. There is sufficient snow for a
seasonal ski facility in the Troodos mountains.
The
capital city, Nicosia, is located to the
north-east of the centre of the island and
is the only divided capital in the world.
All the other major cities are situated
on the coast: Paphos to the south-west,
Limassol to the south, Larnaca to the south-east,
Famagusta to the east, and Kyrenia to the
north.
Greek
and Turkish Cypriots share many customs
but maintain separate ethnic identities
based on religion, language, and close ties
with their respective motherlands. Greeks
comprise 78% of the island's population,
Turks 18%, while the remaining 4% are of
other ethnicity.
The
major part of Greek Cypriots, and thus the
majority of entire Cyprus, belong to the
Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Cyprus
(Cypriot Orthodox Church), whereas most
Turkish Cypriots are very open minded Sunni
Muslims. Church attendance is relatively
high and Cyprus is known, along with Malta
and Greece, as one of the most religious
countries in the European Union. In addition,
there are also small Roman Catholic, Maronite
and Armenian Apostolic communities in Cyprus.
Greek
is the predominant language in the south,
Turkish is spoken in the north and by some
Greek Cypriots, too. This delineation is
only reflective of the post-1974 division
of the island, which involved an expulsion
of Greek Cypriots from the north and the
analoguous move of Turkish Cypriots from
the south. Historically, the Greek language
was largely spoken by all Greek Cypriots
and by many Turkish Cypriots too, given
the fact that the Greek Cypriots formed
the majority of the population. Turkish
Cypriots uses Turkish as VO language and
rather as a strong dialect of Turkish.
English
is widely understood, and is taught in schools
from the primary age.
