Cyprus

Cyprus (officially the Republic of Cyprus) is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus is in Asia, along with being apart of the Middle East and the Levant. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a de facto state only recognized by Turkey is situated in the north of the island. It is also closer to Africa than to Europe. The capital is Nicosia. The country of Cyprus does not include the whole island. There are two small British territories on the island named Akrotiri and Dhekelia. However, most countries do not accept Northern Cyprus as a legitimate country. The official languages are Greek and Turkish. In 2019, 4 million tourists visited the country. It is estimated that Cyprus earned 2.7 billion euros in that year. Tourism is very important to the country, as tourism made up 23% of its economy in 2020. History Cyprus has had people for some 13,000 years. During the Bronze Age its copper mines became important. Cyprus was conquered in turn by various mainland empires, and became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1570. Greece had already been conquered. The British Empire took control of Cyprus from 1878 until 1960. In the north of the island there is a state called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), but it's only recognized by Turkey. Cyprus became independent from the British Empire in 1960 following the London and Zürich Agreements of 19 February 1959. Makarios III became its first president. In 1960-1974 there were tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and in 1974, Turkey sent troops to occupy northern Cyprus. Greek Cypriots moved south to get away from them, and Turkish Cypriots moved north to get away from the Greeks. Negotiations for a unified island have been held several times without success. In 2004, Cyprus joined the European Union. On 1 January 2008 Cyprus adopted the Euro, the single European currency. Although the official currency of Northern Cyprus is the Turkish Lira, many shops accept Euros and British pounds. Geography Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia. There are two mountain ranges, the Troodos Mountains and the smaller Kyrenia Range. The Pedieos River is the longest on the island. The highest point on Cyprus is Mount Olympus at 1,952 metres (6,404 feet). The Republic of Cyprus is only on the southern two-thirds of the island (59.74%). The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is the northern third (34.85%) and rest are Akrotiri and Dhekelia owned by the British. Headlands of Cyprus include Cape Greco in the southeast (picture), Cape Apostolos Andreas in the northeast Cape Gata in the south Cape Kormakitis in the north Cape Zevgari in the south Politics The Republic of Cyprus is a constitutional presidential republic. Each president is elected for a five-year term. The president has a lot of power. Cyprus is the only member of the European Union that is governed by a presidential system of government. It is one of few countries (along with San Marino) to have had a democratically elected communist government, in office from 2008 until 2013. Since 2013 governing party has been the Democratic Rally. The European Union issued a warning in February 2019 that Cyprus, an EU member, was selling EU passports to Russian oligarchs. This would allow organised crime syndicates to get into the EU. In 2020 leaked documents revealed a range of former and current officials from Afghanistan, China, Dubai, Lebanon, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Vietnam who bought a Cypriot citizenship before a change of the law in July 2019. Cyprus and Turkey have been engaged in a dispute over the extent of their exclusive economic zones. It was apparently caused by the potential for oil and gas exploration in the area. Districts The Republic of Cyprus is divided into six districts: Nicosia, Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos. These are not the same as those of Northern Cyprus. Cities Related pages Cyprus at the Olympics Cyprus national football team List of rivers of Cyprus References Other websites Cyprus Videos Archived 2009-06-16 at the Wayback Machine Cyprus Pictures Archived 2018-08-01 at the Wayback Machine Cyprus Map Archived 2004-12-21 at the Wayback Machine CyprusLinks.com Cyprus Tourist Guide