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Cyprus


Aphrodite's Rock, Mediterranean Sea coast, Cyprus
Aphrodite's Rock (Petra tou Romiou) on the coast in Paphos, western Cyprus.
Image: Anna Anichkova

 
Location map of Cyprus. Where in the world is Cyprus?
Location map of Cyprus
 
Flag of Cyprus
Flag of Cyprus



Cyprus in brief


Destination Cyprus, a Nations Online country profile of the Mediterranean island between the Middle East and Europe.

The island, geographically already part of Asia (Middle East), is located about 80 km (50 mi) south of the coast of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel, north of Egypt and east of Greece.

The third-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea has a land area of 9,251 km². The island is shared by the Republic of Cyprus, Northern Cyprus (a country only recognized by Turkey), and the British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.


The Republic of Cyprus has a population of 888,000 (2020), about 1.2 million people live on the island (including Northern Cyprus). The capital and largest city of the Republic of Cyprus is Nicosia; spoken languages are Greek and Turkish.


 

What is Cyprus famous for?

It's an island. Cyprus is known as a popular stopover for cruise ships.
Aphrodite's Rock
; legend has it that the Greek goddess of love and beauty was born at this place.

The northern third is illegally occupied by Turkey. It was a dominion of the British Empire, administered as a British protectorate from 1878 to 1914 and as a crown colony from 1925 to 1960.

The Golden Visa, the fastest way to become a European citizen.

The solid rock necropolis of the Tombs of the Kings and the Roman ruins with mosaics at the Paphos Archaeological Park official website

Cyprus is famous for the Limassol carnival, Wreck diving (Zenobia wreck), Haloumi cheese and Commandaria, the sweet dessert wine from Cyprus.

 
Republic of Cyprus | Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία



Background:
Cypriot culture is among the oldest in the Mediterranean. The island fell successively under Assyrian, Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Roman domination. For 800 years, beginning in 364 AD, Cyprus was ruled by Byzantium. In 1571, the island was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and was ceded to Great Britain in 1878. Annexed formally by the United Kingdom in 1914, it became a crown colony in 1925. British rule lasted until August 1960 when, after a four-year liberation struggle, the island became independent and was proclaimed a Republic.

In 1974, a coup was staged in Cyprus by the Greek-military junta to seize the government of the President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, answered by a military intervention from Turkey in which the Turkish troops soon controlled about 37% of the island. 40% of the total Greek Cypriot population, were forced to leave their homes in the occupied area.

Since 1974, Cyprus has been divided de facto into the Republic of Cyprus controlled two-thirds of the island in the south, and the Turkish Cypriot one-third in the north, with a buffer zone, maintained by UN peacekeeping forces, between them.

The Republic of Cyprus became an independent state on 16 August 1960, and a member of the United Nations one month later, it is a member state of the European Union since 2004.

Under the influence of the United Nations and the European Union, efforts to reunite the island under a federal structure are ongoing.

Related countries: Greece, Turkey, United Kingdom
 
 

 

Country Profile



Official Name:
Kypriake Demokratia (Greek), Kibris Cumhuriyeti (Turk.)
short form: Kypros (Greek), Kibris (Turk.)
int'l long form: Republic of Cyprus
int'l short form: Cyprus
(the Turkish Cypriot area refers to itself as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC), only recognized by Turkey)

ISO Country Code: cy, CYP

Actual Time: Sun-Mar-17  22:12
Local Time = UTC +2h
Summer Time (DST) UTC +3

Country Calling Code: +357

Capital City: Nicosia (Lefkosia) (pop. 197,800)

...show more




Official Sites of Cyprus

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

The Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus
The Presidential Palace in Nicosia is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Republic of Cyprus.
Image: Republicofkazai


Government

Cyprus is a presidential republic with independent executive, legislative and judicial branches. Head of State of the Republic of Cyprus is the President. He must be a Greek Cypriot and is elected for five years. The House of Representatives is the country's parliament. Its members are elected by proportional representation every five years.



Republic of Cyprus

Republic of Cyprus
Official web site and entry point for all government departments and services.

House of Representatives
The Cyprus Parliament.

Press and Information Office
The mission of PIO is to inform world opinion on the Cyprus problem and to promote Cyprus.


Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Responsible for the promotion of the political, economic, cultural, and other interests of the Republic of Cyprus abroad.

Diplomatic Missions
Permanent Mission of Cyprus to the United Nations
Representation of Cyprus to the UN.
Embassy of Cyprus
Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in the U.S., Washington, D.C.
Cyprus Diplomatic Missions Abroad
List of Cyprus Diplomatic Missions.
Foreign Diplomatic Missions in Cyprus
List of Foreign Diplomatic Missions in Cyprus.


Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Website of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


Statistics
Statistical Service of Cyprus
The Statistical Service of Cyprus provides statistical data of Cyprus.

 

 


Maps of Cyprus



Cyprus Map
Map of Cyprus (click map to enlarge)
Image: © nationsonline.org


Maps


profile Map of Cyprus
Political Map of Cyprus.

Google Earth Google Earth Cyprus
Searchable map and satellite view of Cyprus.
Google Earth Google Earth Map of Nicosia
Searchable map and satellite view of the capital city of Cyprus.

Map of the Mediterranean Region
Map of the Mediterranean Sea with bordering countries.
profile Map of Countries of Western Asia
Political map of countries of Western Asia and the Middle East.
Map of Europe
Political Map of Europe.
profile Map of Western Asia
Map of Western Asia and the Middle East region.
 

 


News of Cyprus



Cyprus News

Online News from Cyprus


Cyprus Mail
International daily news from Cyprus.

The Cypress Observer
A Turkish-Cypriot owned English-language weekly newspaper.

Cyprus News Agency CNA
A major news agency in Cyprus.

InCyprus - The Cyprus Weekly
Comprehensive news portal.

Press and Information Office
Official Cyprus news.

International News sources
The Guardian - Cyprus
Cyprus related news by The Guardian.
 

 


Arts & Culture of Cyprus


Building of the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia
The building of the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Image: A.Savin


Arts & Culture

Cyprus Events & Festivals
What's on in Cyprus, a guide to Cyprus cultural and subcultural events.

Cypriot People and Culture
A website about people and culture of Cyprus.

Cyprus Wine Museum
The Cyprus Wine Museum is located in the village of Erimi.

Cyprus Museum of Natural History
Museum for the flora, fauna, and geology of Cyprus.

Leventis Gallery
The Leventis Gallery in Nicosia houses a collection of over 800 paintings from Cypriot, Greek, and European artists.

Music
Paradise Jazz Festival Cyprus
Official website of the festival.
 
 

 


 


Business & Economy of Cyprus


The futuristic Limassol New Port Passenger Terminal, Cyprus
The futuristic passenger terminal of the New Port of Limassol. The New Port of Limassol is today the most important seaport of the island.
Image: Kassianos



Economy of Cyprus
The Republic of Cyprus is a high-income country with a liberal market economy. Financial services and the tourism industry are the most important economic sectors. Cyprus' primary industries are tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone and clay products.


Central Bank of Cyprus
The Central Bank of Cyprus is located in Nicosia. Founded in 1963.

Cyprus Stock Exchange CSE
A European stock exchange located in Nicosia.

Bank of Cyprus Group
The BOC is a Cypriot financial services company with 108 branches/business offices in Cyprus. The largest bank in Cyprus was established in 1899.

Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry CCCI
Private corporate body funded by its members’ subscription fees and through income generated from a number of services.

CyprusProfile
The site provides information and analysis on the country’s business environment.

Transportation

Airline
Cyprus Airways
Cyprus' flag-carrier ceased operations in January 2015.

Charlie Airlines
The Cypriot airline Charlie Airlines operates as Cyprus Airways and is based at Larnaca International Airport.

Airports
Larnaka International Airport
One of two international airports and the largest in the country.
Paphos International Airport
Cyprus' other international airport

Ports
Cyprus Ports Authority
The government authority is responsible for the supervision and control of the country's ports and port facilities.
 

 


 


Tourism in Cyprus



Hala Sultan Tekke near Larnaca Salt Lake, Cyprus
Hala Sultan Tekke mosque at Larnaca Salt Lake.
Image: Alexander Savin


Destination Cyprus - Travel and Tour Guides



Advertisement

Cyprus keywords:

Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol (Limassol Castle); Paphos (Tombs of the Kings); Kolossi Castle (a Crusader stronghold); Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodite's Rock); Fig Tree Bay (sandy beach); Hala Sultan Tekke (Mosque of Umm Haram); Cyprus Museum (an archaeological museum); Leventis Gallery (art gallery); Khirokitia (or Choirokoitia, Neolithic archaeological site).

Find accommodation, hotels, attractions, festivals, and much more.

Cyprus
The Official Website of the Cyprus Tourism Organization with broad information about the island.


Other Tourism Websites

Cyprus-Net
The World of Cyprus.

A Window on Cyprus
A comprehensive Cypriot portal.

Wikivoyage Logo Wikivoyage: Cyprus
A Wikivoyage guide to Cyprus.


City Guides

Nicosia
Nicosia Municipality.
Larnaca
Larnaca Port and city guide.
Limassol (Lemesos)
Limassol Municipality.
Paphos
Paphos Municipality.

North Cyprus (the Turkish part of Cyprus)

North Cyprus
A guide to the Turkish Cypriot-administered area.


Mount Olympus (Chionistra), highest point in Cyprus
Mount Olympus (Chionistra) is with 1,952 m (6,404 ft) the highest point in Cyprus. Not to be confused with Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece.
Image: Dickelbers
 

 

 


 


UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cyprus

Paphos Archaeological Park Cyprus
The UNESCO World Heritage Site Paphos Archaeological Park. It is the area of the ancient city of Paphos in the present-day town of Paphos on the south-western coast of Cyprus. It covers about-one third of the ancient city (see below).
Image: Sergey Galyonkin
 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cyprus
There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cyprus and eleven sites on the Tentative List, an inventory of those properties which a state party intends to consider for nomination. (see UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in Cyprus)


World Heritage Site Paphos
Paphos was a center of the cult of Aphrodite and pre-Hellenic fertility deities. Aphrodite's legendary birthplace was on this island, where the Myceneans erected her temple in the 12th century B.C.

World Heritage Site Painted Churches in the Troodos Region
A complex of 10 monuments included on the World Heritage List. The churches are all richly decorated with murals, and they provide an overview of Byzantine and post-Byzantine painting in Cyprus.

World Heritage Site Choirokoitia
The Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia was occupied from the 7th to the 4th millennium B.C.; it is regarded as one of the most important prehistoric sites in the eastern Mediterranean.
 

 


Education in Cyprus



Inner courtyard of the old part of the University of Cyprus in Nicosia
Inner courtyard of the old part of the University of Cyprus in Nicosia.
Image: UniversityofCypruspics


Cyprus Higher Education
Official information website of the Higher Education System in Cyprus.

Cyprus College
The Cyprus College is the oldest University College in Cyprus; it was founded in 1961.

University of Cyprus
The University of Cyprus is a university in Nicosia and the most prestigious university in the Republic of Cyprus; it was established in 1989.

Open University of Cyprus
The Open University of Cyprus (OUC) was established in 2002 as the second State Institution of Higher Education in Cyprus.

University of Nicosia
The University of Nicosia is a private, co-educational tertiary education institution.

Cyprus International University
The Turkish Cypriot University was established in 1996.

 

 


Environment & Nature



Aerial view of Nissi beach Ayia Napa, Cyprus
Aerial view of Nissi beach Ayia Napa, Cyprus.
Image: dronepicr


Cyprus' environmental issues
Cyprus has a water resource problem. There are no natural reservoir catchments, a seasonal disparity in rainfall, and seawater intrusion to the island's largest aquifer.
Other problems are water pollution from sewage, industrial wastes, and pesticides. There is coastal degradation by erosion and a loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization.



Environmental organizations Cyprus
The Environmental Study Center - ESC
ESC is the first and probably the only center for practical environmental education in Cyprus.

Terra Cypria
The Cyprus Conservation Foundation, an NGO, and a sibling to the Laona Foundation for the Conservation and Regeneration of the Cypriot Countryside.


Nature
Birdlife Cyprus
Birds & Birding, Cyprus.

 

 


Cyprus History



Francesco Berlinghieri map of Cyprus
Francesco Berlinghieri map of Cyprus. Berlinghieri printed the first edition of Ptolemy's Geographia in vernacular Italian.
Map: Francesco Berlinghieri (1440–1501)


The history of Cyprus already begins at the end of the Paleolithic Age. The strategic location of the island was a significant reason for its eventful history. It was under the influence of the cultures of the Aegean, Anatolia, the Levant, and Egypt.

A History of Cyprus
Illustrated page about the History of Cyprus.

Aspects of Cyprus
Under History, the page covers Cyprus' history from the earliest days until today.

Encyclopædia Britannica History of Cyprus
Encyclopedia Britannica article about Cyprus' history.

Wikipedia W History of Cyprus
Wikipedia article about the history of Cyprus.
 

 


Additional Information


Selected country profiles of Cyprus published by international organizations.


Advertisement

Amnesty International: Cyprus
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights.

BBC Country Profile: Cyprus
Country profiles by the British public service broadcaster.

The Commonwealth: Cyprus
The Commonwealth Member countries: Cyprus

EU Member Countries: Cyprus
EU member countries in brief, Cyprus.

GlobalEDGE: Cyprus
About Cyprus from Global Business Knowledge Portal.

The Heritage Foundation: Cyprus
Index of Economic Freedom by The Heritage Foundation, an American conservative think tank.

Human Rights Watch: Cyprus
HRW conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

OEC: Cyprus
The Observatory of Economic Complexity provides the latest trade data.

Reporters Without Borders: Cyprus
RSF (Reporters sans frontières) is an international NGO that defends and promotes media freedom.

Wikipedia: Cyprus
Wikipedia's Cyprus page in many languages.

The CIA World Factbook -- Cyprus
The CIA World Factbook intelligence on Cyprus.

 

 



 
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