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Country information - Cyprus

Cyprus is the legendary birthplace of the goddess of beauty, love, sex and passion, the beautiful Aphrodite. According to Hesiod's Theogony, the goddess, who was also known as Kypris or the Cyprian, emerged fully grown from the sea where the severed genitals of the god Uranus were cast by his son, Kronos, causing the sea to foam (Greek: Aphros).

Cyprus, a former British colony, received independence in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek-sponsored attempt to seize the government was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island.

In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," but it is recognized only by Turkey. The latest two-year round of UN-brokered direct talks - between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reach an agreement to reunite the divided island - ended when the Greek Cypriots rejected the UN settlement plan in an April 2004 referendum.

Cyprus has joined the European Union as a full member since January 2005. Since the invasion, the southern part of Cyprus has greatly grown economically, and the country enjoys a high standard of living. The north maintains a lower standing of living due to the economic embargoes placed since its unilateral declaration of independence.

	Geography	Cyprus

Location

Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey

Area	total: 9,250 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)

Land	9,240 sq km

Water

10 sq km

Land boundaries

total: NA; note - boundary with Dhekelia is being resurveyed

Border countries

Akrotiri 47.4 km, Dhekelia NA

Coastline

648 km

Climate

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Terrain

central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

highest point

Mount Olympus 1,951 m

Natural resources

copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment

Natural hazards

moderate earthquake activity; droughts

	People	Cyprus

Population

780,133

Nationality

noun: Cypriot(s)

Adjective

Cypriot

Ethnic groups

Greek 77%, Turkish 18%, other 5%

Religions

Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and other 4%

Languages

Greek, Turkish, English

	Government	Cyprus

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus

Conventional short form

Cyprus

Government type

republic

Capital

Nicosia

Administrative divisions

6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos; note - Turkish Cypriot area's administrative divisions include Kyrenia, all but a small part of Famagusta, and small parts of Lefkosia (Nicosia) and Larnaca

Independence

16 August 1960 (from UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots celebrate 15 November (1983) as Independence Day

Constitution

16 August 1960; from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no longer participated in the government; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and for better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently since the mid-1960s; in 1975, following the 1974 Turkish intervention, Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated State of Cyprus," which became the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" when the Turkish Cypriots declared their independence in 1983; a new constitution for the "TRNC" passed by referendum on 5 May 1985

Legal system

based on common law, with civil law modifications

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Tassos Papadopoulos (since 1 March 2003); The president is both the chief of state and head of government.

Head of government

President Tassos Papadopoulos (since 1 March 2003); post of vice president is currently vacant; under the 1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed jointly by the president and vice president

Elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 16 February 2003 (next to be held February 2008)

Legislative branch

unicameral - Republic of Cyprus: House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to the Greek Cypriots, 24 to Turkish Cypriots; note - only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); north Cyprus: Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections

Republic of Cyprus: last held 27 May 2001 (next to be held May 2006); north Cyprus: last held 14 December 2003 (next to be held NA 2008)

Flag description

white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities. The "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" flag has a horizontal red stripe at the top and bottom between which is a red crescent and red star on a white field

	Economy	Cyprus

Economic affairs in Cyprus are dominated by the division of the country due to the Turkish occupation of the north part of the island. The Cypriot economy is prosperous and has diversified in recent years. Cyprus has been sought as a basis for several offshore businesses, due to its highly developed infrastructure. Economic policy of the Cyprus government has focused on meeting the criteria for admission to the European Union. The Republic of Cyprus has a capitalist economy dominated by the service sector, which accounts for 76% of GDP. Tourism and financial services are the most important sectors; erratic growth rates over the past decade reflect the economy's reliance on tourism, which often fluctuates with political instability in the region and economic conditions in Western Europe. Cyprus joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM2) in May 2005. Although sluggish tourism and poor fiscal management have resulted in high budget deficits since 2001, the government is pursuing reforms to trim the deficit. The Turkish Cypriots are heavily dependent on transfers from the Turkish government.

Labor force

Republic of Cyprus: 370,000, north Cyprus: 95,025

Labor force - by occupation

Republic of Cyprus: 7.4%, agriculture 7.4%, industry 38.2%, services 54.4%

north Cyprus

agriculture 14.5%, industry 29%, services 56.5%

Unemployment rate

Republic of Cyprus: 3.5% north Cyprus: 5.6%

Population below poverty line

Household income by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA%, highest 10%: NA%