Cyprus

qas: question: What is the official name of Cypus?
answers: text: Republic of Cyprus

question: Where is Cyprus located?
answers: text: Eastern Mediterranean Sea

question: What countries are nearby Cyprus?
answers: text: Syria and Turkey

question: What is Cyprus' affiliation with the European Union?
answers: text: member state

question: Is Cyprus an island country or land-locked country? 
answers: text: island country

question: What does Cyprus rank in terms of size in the Mediterranean? 
answers: text: third largest

question: Which country is north of Cyprus?
answers: text: Turkey
context: Cyprus (i/ˈsaɪprəs/; Greek: Κύπρος IPA: [ˈcipros]; Turkish: Kıbrıs IPA: [ˈkɯbɾɯs]), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti), is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, off the coasts of Syria and Turkey.[e] Cyprus is the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean, and a member state of the European Union. It is located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel and Palestine, north of Egypt and east of Greece.

qas: question: What is the date of the earliest known human activity on Cyprus?
answers: text: 10th millennium BC

question: What is Cyprus home to of?
answers: text: the oldest water wells in the world

question: Who was Cyprus settled by in 2nd millennium BC?
answers: text: Mycenaean Greeks

question: What empires have occupied Cyprus?
answers: text: empires of the Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians

question: When did Ottoman rule occur in Cyprus?
answers: text: between 1571 and 1878
context: The earliest known human activity on the island dates to around the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological remains from this period include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia, and Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world. Cyprus was settled by Mycenaean Greeks in two waves in the 2nd millennium BC. As a strategic location in the Middle East, it was subsequently occupied by several major powers, including the empires of the Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians, from whom the island was seized in 333 BC by Alexander the Great. Subsequent rule by Ptolemaic Egypt, the Classical and Eastern Roman Empire, Arab caliphates for a short period, the French Lusignan dynasty and the Venetians, was followed by over three centuries of Ottoman rule between 1571 and 1878 (de jure until 1914).

qas: question: When was Cyprus placed under British administration?
answers: text: 1878

question: What year was Cyprus annexed by Britain?
answers: text: 1914

question: What year was Cyprus granted independence?
answers: text: 1960

question: What year did the intercommunal violence between Greek and Cypriots occur?
answers: text: 1963

question: How many Turkish Cypriots were displaced due to the 11 year violence in 1963? 
answers: text: 25,000
context: Cyprus was placed under British administration based on Cyprus Convention in 1878 and formally annexed by Britain in 1914. Even though Turkish Cypriots made up only 18% of the population, the partition of Cyprus and creation of a Turkish state in the north became a policy of Turkish Cypriot leaders and Turkey in the 1950s. Turkish leaders for a period advocated the annexation of Cyprus to Turkey as Cyprus was considered an "extension of Anatolia" by them; while since the 19th century, the majority Greek Cypriot population and its Orthodox church had been pursuing union with Greece, which became a Greek national policy in the 1950s. Following nationalist violence in the 1950s, Cyprus was granted independence in 1960. In 1963, the 11-year intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots started, which displaced more than 25,000 Turkish Cypriots and brought the end of Turkish Cypriot representation in the republic. On 15 July 1974, a coup d'état was staged by Greek Cypriot nationalists and elements of the Greek military junta in an attempt at enosis, the incorporation of Cyprus into Greece. This action precipitated the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, which led to the capture of the present-day territory of Northern Cyprus the following month, after a ceasefire collapsed, and the displacement of over 150,000 Greek Cypriots and 50,000 Turkish Cypriots. A separate Turkish Cypriot state in the north was established in 1983. These events and the resulting political situation are matters of a continuing dispute.

qas: question: The Republic of Cyprus does not have de jure sovereignty over what two British territories? 
answers: text: Akrotiri and Dhekelia

question: How many parts is the Republic of Cyprus partitioned into?
answers: text: two main parts

question: How much area of the island does the Republic control?
answers: text: 59%

question: The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is only recognized by what country?
answers: text: Turkey

question: What does the international community consider the northern part of Cyprus?
answers: text: territory of the Republic of Cyprus occupied by Turkish forces
context: The Republic of Cyprus has de jure sovereignty over the island of Cyprus and its surrounding waters, according to international law, except for the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, administered as Sovereign Base Areas. However, the Republic of Cyprus is de facto partitioned into two main parts; the area under the effective control of the Republic, comprising about 59% of the island's area, and the north, administered by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Turkey, covering about 36% of the island's area. The international community considers the northern part of the island as territory of the Republic of Cyprus occupied by Turkish forces. The occupation is viewed as illegal under international law, amounting to illegal occupation of EU territory since Cyprus became a member of the European Union.

qas: question: During what Age did Cyprus experience two waves of Greek settlement?
answers: text: late Bronze Age

question: Who did the first wave of Greek settlement consist of?
answers: text: Mycenaean Greek traders

question: What year did Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus begin visiting Cyprus?
answers: text: 1400 BC

question: Cyprus is the birthplace of what two Greek mythological figures?
answers: text: Aphrodite and Adonis

question: Cyprus is home to which Greek mythological figures?
answers: text: King Cinyras, Teucer and Pygmalion
context: During the late Bronze Age the island experienced two waves of Greek settlement. The first wave consisted of Mycenaean Greek traders who started visiting Cyprus around 1400 BC. A major wave of Greek settlement is believed to have taken place following the Bronze Age collapse of Mycenaean Greece from 1100 to 1050 BC, with the island's predominantly Greek character dating from this period. Cyprus occupies an important role in Greek mythology being the birthplace of Aphrodite and Adonis, and home to King Cinyras, Teucer and Pygmalion. Beginning in the 8th century BC Phoenician colonies were founded on the south coast of Cyprus, near present-day Larnaca and Salamis.

qas: question: In what year did James II die?
answers: text: 1473

question: Who assumed control of the island after the death of James II?
answers: text: Republic of Venice

question: In what year did Venice formally annex the kingdom of Cyprus?
answers: text: 1489

question: Which empire frequently raided Cyprus during Venetian rule?
answers: text: Ottoman Empire

question: In what year did the Ottomans destroy Limassol?
answers: text: 1539
context: Following the death in 1473 of James II, the last Lusignan king, the Republic of Venice assumed control of the island, while the late king's Venetian widow, Queen Catherine Cornaro, reigned as figurehead. Venice formally annexed the Kingdom of Cyprus in 1489, following the abdication of Catherine. The Venetians fortified Nicosia by building the Venetian Walls, and used it as an important commercial hub. Throughout Venetian rule, the Ottoman Empire frequently raided Cyprus. In 1539 the Ottomans destroyed Limassol and so fearing the worst, the Venetians also fortified Famagusta and Kyrenia.

qas: question: In what year did Cyprus face a full-scale Ottoman assault?
answers: text: 1570

question: Ottoman forces massacred which types of people?
answers: text: Greek and Armenian Christian inhabitants

question: Turkish peasants and craftsman were brought to the island from where?
answers: text: Anatolia
context: In 1570, a full-scale Ottoman assault with 60,000 troops brought the island under Ottoman control, despite stiff resistance by the inhabitants of Nicosia and Famagusta. Ottoman forces capturing Cyprus massacred many Greek and Armenian Christian inhabitants. The previous Latin elite were destroyed and the first significant demographic change since antiquity took place with the formation of a Muslim community. Soldiers who fought in the conquest settled on the island and Turkish peasants and craftsmen were brought to the island from Anatolia. This new community also included banished Anatolian tribes, "undesirable" persons and members of various "troublesome" Muslim sects, as well as a number of new converts on the island.

qas: question: What system did the Ottomans abolish in favor of the millet system?
answers: text: feudal system

question: Who was invested as the leader of the Greek Cypriot population?
answers: text: head of the Church of Cyprus

question: Who was the Church of Cyprus hoping to end encroachments of?
answers: text: Roman Catholic Church

question: How many years did Cyprus face of economic decline?
answers: text: 250 years
context: The Ottomans abolished the feudal system previously in place and applied the millet system to Cyprus, under which non-Muslim peoples were governed by their own religious authorities. In a reversal from the days of Latin rule, the head of the Church of Cyprus was invested as leader of the Greek Cypriot population and acted as mediator between Christian Greek Cypriots and the Ottoman authorities. This status ensured that the Church of Cyprus was in a position to end the constant encroachments of the Roman Catholic Church. Ottoman rule of Cyprus was at times indifferent, at times oppressive, depending on the temperaments of the sultans and local officials, and the island began over 250 years of economic decline.

qas: question: How many Muslims made up the island's population in 1777-78?
answers: text: 47,000

question: How many Christians made up the island's population in 1777-78?
answers: text: 37,000

question: What was the population of the island in 1872?
answers: text: 144,000

question: In 1872 the island contained how many Muslims?
answers: text: 44,000

question: In 1872 the island contained how many Christians?
answers: text: 100,000
context: The ratio of Muslims to Christians fluctuated throughout the period of Ottoman domination. In 1777–78, 47,000 Muslims constituted a majority over the island's 37,000 Christians. By 1872, the population of the island had risen to 144,000, comprising 44,000 Muslims and 100,000 Christians. The Muslim population included numerous crypto-Christians, including the Linobambaki, a crypto-Catholic community that arose due to religious persecution of the Catholic community by the Ottoman authorities; this community would assimilate into the Turkish Cypriot community during British rule.

qas: question: What year did the Greek war of independence break out?
answers: text: 1821

question: How many Greek Cypriots were arrested and executed by the Ottoman governor of Cyprus?
answers: text: 486

question: Who was modern Greece's first president?
answers: text: Ioannis Kapodistrias

question: What did Ioannis Kapodistrias call for?
answers: text: union of Cyprus with Greece
context: As soon as the Greek War of Independence broke out in 1821, several Greek Cypriots left for Greece to join the Greek forces. In response, the Ottoman governor of Cyprus arrested and executed 486 prominent Greek Cypriots, including the Archbishop of Cyprus, Kyprianos and four other bishops. In 1828, modern Greece's first president Ioannis Kapodistrias called for union of Cyprus with Greece, and numerous minor uprisings took place. Reaction to Ottoman misrule led to uprisings by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots, although none were successful. After centuries of neglect by the Turks, the unrelenting poverty of most of the people, and the ever-present tax collectors fuelled Greek nationalism, and by the 20th century idea of enosis, or union, with newly independent Greece was firmly rooted among Greek Cypriots.

qas: question: The island of Cyprus serves as a key military base to what western country?
answers: text: Britain

question: What years was the Famagusta harbour completed?
answers: text: 1906

question: Cyprus was a naval outpost which overlooked what canal?
answers: text: Suez Canal

question: Which side did the Ottoman Empire join in World War 1?
answers: text: Central Powers
context: The island would serve Britain as a key military base for 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 which was then Britain's most important overseas possession. Following the outbreak of the First World War and the decision of the Ottoman Empire to join the war on the side of the Central Powers, on 5 November 1914 the British Empire formally annexed Cyprus and declared the Ottoman Khedivate of Egypt and Sudan a Sultanate and British protectorate.

qas: question: Historically, the idea of enosis was part of which other idea?
answers: text: Megali Idea

question: The Megali Idea was actively pursued by whom?
answers: text: Cypriot Orthodox Church

question: What guerrilla organization was founded by religious officials and military officers?
answers: text: Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston or National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA).

question: In what year decade did the pursuit of enosis become a part of national Greek policy?
answers: text: 1950s
context: The Greek Cypriot population, meanwhile, had become hopeful that the British administration would lead to enosis. The idea of enosis was historically part of the Megali Idea, a greater political ambition of a Greek state encompassing the territories with Greek inhabitants in the former Ottoman Empire, including Cyprus and Asia Minor with a capital in Constantinople, and was actively pursued by the Cypriot Orthodox Church, which had its members educated in Greece. These religious officials, together with Greek military officers and professionals, some of whom still pursued the Megali Idea, would later found the guerrilla organisation Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston or National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA). The Greek Cypriots viewed the island as historically Greek and believed that union with Greece was a natural right. In the 1950s, the pursuit of enosis became a part of the Greek national policy,

qas: question: Initially Turkish Cypriots favoured the continued rule of what Western power?
answers: text: British

question: Who viewed themselves as a distinct ethnic group of the island of Cyprus?
answers: text: Turkish Cypriots

question: What percentage of the population did Turkish Cypriots make up?
answers: text: 20%

question: What slogan was frequently used in Turkish Cypriot protests?
answers: text: "Partition or Death"
context: Initially, the Turkish Cypriots favoured the continuation of the British rule. However, they were alarmed by the Greek Cypriot calls for enosis as they saw the union of Crete with Greece, which led to the exodus of Cretan Turks, as a precedent to be avoided, and they took a pro-partition stance in response to the militant activity of EOKA. The Turkish Cypriots also viewed themselves as a distinct ethnic group of the island and believed in their having a separate right to self-determination from Greek Cypriots. Meanwhile, in the 1950s, Turkish leader Menderes considered Cyprus an "extension of Anatolia", rejected the partition of Cyprus along ethnic lines and favoured the annexation of the whole island to Turkey. Nationalistic slogans centred on the idea that "Cyprus is Turkish" and the ruling party declared Cyprus to be a part of the Turkish homeland that was vital to its security. Upon realising the fact that the Turkish Cypriot population was only 20% of the islanders made annexation unfeasible, the national policy was changed to favour partition. The slogan "Partition or Death" was frequently used in Turkish Cypriot and Turkish protests starting in the late 1950s and continuing throughout the 1960s. Although after the Zürich and London conferences Turkey seemed to accept the existence of the Cypriot state and to distance itself from its policy of favouring the partition of the island, the goal of the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders remained that of creating an independent Turkish state in the northern part of the island.

qas: question: In what year did the Church of Cyprus organize a referendum?
answers: text: 1950

question: In 1946, the Greeks made up what percent of Cyprus' population?
answers: text: 80.2%

question: In what year was the EOKA organization founded?
answers: text: 1955

question: What is the name of the policy that the British adopted?
answers: text: "divide and rule"
context: In January 1950, the Church of Cyprus organised a referendum under the supervision of clerics and with no Turkish Cypriot participation, where 96% of the participating Greek Cypriots voted in favour of enosis, The Greeks were 80.2% of the total island' s population at the time (census 1946). Restricted autonomy under a constitution was proposed by the British administration but eventually rejected. In 1955 the EOKA organisation was founded, seeking union with Greece through armed struggle. At the same time the Turkish Resistance Organisation (TMT), calling for Taksim, or partition, was established by the Turkish Cypriots as a counterweight. The British had also adopted at the time a policy of "divide and rule". Woodhouse, a British official in Cyprus, revealed that then British Foreign Secretary Harold Macmillan "urged the Britons in Cyprus to stir up the Turks in order to neutralise Greek agitation". British officials also tolerated the creation of the Turkish underground organisation T.M.T. The Secretary of State for the Colonies in a letter dated 15 July 1958 had advised the Governor of Cyprus not to act against T.M.T despite its illegal actions so as not to harm British relations with the Turkish government.

qas: question: What is the date that Cyrpus attained independence?
answers: text: 16 August 1960

question: Which countries were part of the Zurich and London Agreement?
answers: text: United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey

question: What was Cyprus' total population when it gained independence?
answers: text: 573,566

question: What was the percentage of Greeks in the Cyprus population?
answers: text: (77.1%

question: What was the percentage of Turks in the Cyprus population?
answers: text: 18.2%
context: On 16 August 1960, Cyprus attained independence after the Zürich and London Agreement between the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey. Cyprus had a total population of 573,566; of whom 442,138 (77.1%) were Greeks, 104,320 (18.2%) Turks, and 27,108 (4.7%) others  The UK retained the two Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, while government posts and public offices were allocated by ethnic quotas, giving the minority Turkish Cypriots a permanent veto, 30% in parliament and administration, and granting the three mother-states guarantor rights.

qas: question: National militants had the support of what two countries?
answers: text: Greece and Turkey

question: What was the goal of the Akritas plan?
answers: text: reforming the constitution in favour of Greek Cypriots

question: Which president called for constitutional changes?
answers: text: President Archbishop Makarios

question: Who rejected the constitutional changes proposed by President Archbishop Makarios?
answers: text: Turkey
context: However, the division of power as foreseen by the constitution soon resulted in legal impasses and discontent on both sides, and nationalist militants started training again, with the military support of Greece and Turkey respectively. The Greek Cypriot leadership believed that the rights given to Turkish Cypriots under the 1960 constitution were too extensive and designed the Akritas plan, which was aimed at reforming the constitution in favour of Greek Cypriots, persuading the international community about the correctness of the changes and violently subjugating Turkish Cypriots in a few days should they not accept the plan. Tensions were heightened when Cypriot President Archbishop Makarios III called for constitutional changes, which were rejected by Turkey and opposed by Turkish Cypriots.

qas: question: In December of what year did intercommunal violence erupt?
answers: text: 1963

question: The violence beginning in 1963 resulted in the deaths of many Turks?
answers: text: 364

question: How many Turkish Cypriots were displaced due to the violence?
answers: text: 25,000-30,

question: Turkish Cypriots were prevented from doing what?
answers: text: travelling and entering government buildings
context: Intercommunal violence erupted on December 21, 1963, when two Turkish Cypriots were killed at an incident involving the Greek Cypriot police. The violence resulted in the death of 364 Turkish and 174 Greek Cypriots, destruction of 109 Turkish Cypriot or mixed villages and displacement of 25,000-30,000 Turkish Cypriots. The crisis resulted in the end of the Turkish Cypriot involvement in the administration and their claiming that it had lost its legitimacy; the nature of this event is still controversial. In some areas, Greek Cypriots prevented Turkish Cypriots from travelling and entering government buildings, while some Turkish Cypriots willingly withdrew due to the calls of the Turkish Cypriot administration. Turkish Cypriots started living in enclaves; the republic's structure was changed unilaterally by Makarios and Nicosia was divided by the Green Line, with the deployment of UNFICYP troops.

qas: question: Who tried to invade Cyprus in 1964?
answers: text: Turkey

question: Which US President prevented Turkey from invading Cyprus?
answers: text: Lyndon B. Johnson

question: What policy could not be abandoned in 1964?
answers: text: enosis

question: How many troops did Greece send to Cyprus?
answers: text: 10,000
context: In 1964, Turkey tried to invade Cyprus in response to the continuing Cypriot intercommunal violence. But Turkey was stopped by a strongly worded telegram from the US President Lyndon B. Johnson on 5 June, warning that the US would not stand beside Turkey in case of a consequential Soviet invasion of Turkish territory. Meanwhile, by 1964, enosis was a Greek policy that could not be abandoned; Makarios and the Greek prime minister Georgios Papandreou agreed that enosis should be the ultimate aim and King Constantine wished Cyprus "a speedy union with the mother country". Greece dispatched 10,000 troops to Cyprus to counter a possible Turkish invasion.

qas: question: What date was a coup d'etat carried out in Cyprus?
answers: text: 15 July 1974

question: Who lead the coup d'etat attempt?
answers: text: Dimitrios Ioannides

question: Who replaced president Makarios Ill?
answers: text: Nikos Sampson

question: What did the Turkish army to do respond to the coup d'etat?
answers: text: invaded the island

question: Which organization rejected the justification used by Turkey to invade?
answers: text: United Nations
context: On 15 July 1974, the Greek military junta under Dimitrios Ioannides carried out a coup d'état in Cyprus, to unite the island with Greece. The coup ousted president Makarios III and replaced him with pro-enosis nationalist Nikos Sampson. In response to the coup, five days later, on 20 July 1974, the Turkish army invaded the island, citing a right to intervene to restore the constitutional order from the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee. This justification has been rejected by the United Nations and the international community.

qas: question: What did the Turkish troops capture first on the island?
answers: text: Kyrenia

question: What was the date of the second Turkish invasion?
answers: text: 14 August

question: What locations were seized in the second invasion?
answers: text: Morphou, Karpass, Famagusta and the Mesaoria
context: Three days later, when a ceasefire had been agreed, Turkey had landed 30,000 troops on the island and captured Kyrenia, the corridor linking Kyrenia to Nicosia, and the Turkish Cypriot quarter of Nicosia itself. The junta in Athens, and then the Sampson regime in Cyprus fell from power. In Nicosia, Glafkos Clerides assumed the presidency and constitutional order was restored, removing the pretext for the Turkish invasion. But after the peace negotiations in Geneva, the Turkish government reinforced their Kyrenia bridgehead and started a second invasion on 14 August. The invasion resulted in the seizure of Morphou, Karpass, Famagusta and the Mesaoria.

qas: question: How much of the island was controlled by Turks after international pressure led to a ceasefire?
answers: text: 37%

question: How many Greek Cypriots had been displaced from their homes?
answers: text: 180,000

question: How many Turkish Cypriots moved into areas that were under Turkish control?
answers: text: 50,000

question: In what year did the US impose an arms embargo on Turkey?
answers: text: 1975

question: Why did the US impose an arms embargo on Turkey?
answers: text: using American-supplied equipment during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974
context: International pressure led to a ceasefire, and by then 37% of the island had been taken over by the Turks and 180,000 Greek Cypriots had been evicted from their homes in the north. At the same time, around 50,000 Turkish Cypriots moved to the areas under the control of the Turkish Forces and settled in the properties of the displaced Greek Cypriots. Among a variety of sanctions against Turkey, in mid-1975 the US Congress imposed an arms embargo on Turkey for using American-supplied equipment during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. There are 1,534 Greek Cypriots and 502 Turkish Cypriots missing as a result of the fighting.

qas: question: What happened to ports on Cyprus after capture of its northern territory by Turkish troops?
answers: text: all of its ports of entry in the north were closed

question: How many settlers from Turkey were living in the north?
answers: text: 150,000

question: What terms did the Turkish government violate by sending people?
answers: text: Geneva Convention and various UN resolutions
context: The events of the summer of 1974 dominate the politics on the island, as well as Greco-Turkish relations. Around 150,000 settlers from Turkey are believed to be living in the north—many of whom were forced from Turkey by the Turkish government—in violation of the Geneva Convention and various UN resolutions. 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 were closed, as they were effectively not under its control.[citation needed]

qas: question: In what year did the last major effort to settle the Cyprus dispute take place?
answers: text: 2004

question: How many Turkish Cypriots voted for the Annan Plan in 2004?
answers: text: 65%

question: How many Greek Cypriots voted against the Annan Plan in 2004?
answers: text: 74%

question: In what year did Cyprus join the European Union?
answers: text: 2004

question: In 2006 people fled to Cyprus from what country?
answers: text: Lebanon
context: The Turkish invasion, followed by occupation and the declaration of independence of the TRNC have been condemned by United Nations resolutions, which are reaffirmed by the Security Council every year. The last major effort to settle the Cyprus dispute was the Annan Plan in 2004, drafted by the then Secretary General, Kofi Annan. The plan was put to a referendum in both Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus. 65% of Turkish Cypriots voted in support of the plan and 74% Greek Cypriots voted against the plan, claiming that it disproportionately favoured the Turkish side. In total, 66.7% of the voters rejected the Annan Plan V. On 1 May 2004 Cyprus joined the European Union, together with nine other countries. Cyprus was accepted into the EU as a whole, although the EU legislation is suspended in the territory occupied by Turkey (TRNC), until a final settlement of the Cyprus problem. In July 2006, the island served as a haven for people fleeing Lebanon, due to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah (also called "The July War").

qas: question: What two mountains ranges are located on the island of Cyprus?
answers: text: Troodos Mountains and the smaller Kyrenia Range

question: What plain is located in between the Troodos Mountains and the Kyrenia Range?
answers: text: the Mesaoria

question: Which river drains the Mesaoria plain?
answers: text: Pedieos River

question: What is the highest point on the island of Cyprus?
answers: text: Mount Olympus

question: How tall is Mount Olympus?
answers: text: 1,952 m (6,404 ft)
context: The physical relief of the island is dominated by two mountain ranges, the Troodos Mountains and the smaller Kyrenia Range, and the central plain they encompass, the Mesaoria. The Mesaoria plain is drained by the Pedieos River, the longest on the island. The Troodos Mountains cover most of the southern and western portions of the island and account for roughly half its area. The highest point on Cyprus is Mount Olympus at 1,952 m (6,404 ft), located in the centre of the Troodos range. The narrow Kyrenia Range, extending along the northern coastline, occupies substantially less area, and elevations are lower, reaching a maximum of 1,024 m (3,360 ft). The island lies within the Anatolian Plate.

qas: question: What type of climate does Cyprus have?
answers: text: one of the warmest climates in the Mediterranean

question: In Cyprus, what is the average temperature during the day?
answers: text: 24 °C (75 °F)

question: How long do summers generally last on Cyprus?
answers: text: eight months

question: What month typically marks the end of summer on Cyprus?
answers: text: November
context: Cyprus has one of the warmest climates in the Mediterranean part of the European Union.[citation needed] The average annual temperature on the coast is around 24 °C (75 °F) during the day and 14 °C (57 °F) at night. Generally, summers last about eight months, beginning in April with average temperatures of 21–23 °C (70–73 °F) during the day and 11–13 °C (52–55 °F) at night, and ending in November with average temperatures of 22–23 °C (72–73 °F) during the day and 12–14 °C (54–57 °F) at night, although in the remaining four months temperatures sometimes exceed 20 °C (68 °F).

qas: question: Which cities has one of the warmest winters in the European Union?
answers: text: Limassol

question: What is the average day emperature of Limassol during winter?
answers: text: 17–18 °C (63–64 °F)

question: What is the general temperature of coastal location during the night?
answers: text: 6–8 °C (43–46 °F)
context: Among all cities in the Mediterranean part of the European Union, Limassol has one of the warmest winters, in the period January – February average temperature is 17–18 °C (63–64 °F) during the day and 7–8 °C (45–46 °F) at night, in other coastal locations in Cyprus is generally 16–17 °C (61–63 °F) during the day and 6–8 °C (43–46 °F) at night. During March, Limassol has average temperatures of 19–20 °C (66–68 °F) during the day and 9–11 °C (48–52 °F) at night, in other coastal locations in Cyprus is generally 17–19 °C (63–66 °F) during the day and 8–10 °C (46–50 °F) at night.

qas: question: When does the middle of summer occur on Cyprus?
answers: text: July and August

question: What is the average day temperature on the coast during summer?
answers: text: 33 °C (91 °F)

question: What is the average day temperature on the coast in June and September?
answers: text: 30 °C (86 °F)

question: Where are temperatures more extreme compared to the coast of Cyprus?
answers: text: Inland
context: The middle of summer is hot – in July and August on the coast the average temperature is usually around 33 °C (91 °F) during the day and around 22 °C (72 °F) at night (inland, in the highlands average temperature exceeds 35 °C (95 °F)) while in the June and September on the coast the average temperature is usually around 30 °C (86 °F) during the day and around 20 °C (68 °F) at night in Limassol, while is usually around 28 °C (82 °F) during the day and around 18 °C (64 °F) at night in Paphos. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare. Inland temperatures are more extreme, with colder winters and hotter summers compared with the coast of the island.

qas: question: What resource is scarce on Cyprus?
answers: text: water

question: What do people living in Cyprus rely on for household water?
answers: text: rain

question: When did Cyprus receive enough rainfall to fill up their water reserves?
answers: text: Between 2001 and 2004

question: Why has demand for water increased annually on Cyprus?
answers: text: local population growth, foreigners moving to Cyprus and the number of visiting tourists

question: Why has the water supply shrunk in previous years?
answers: text: more frequent droughts
context: Cyprus suffers from a chronic shortage of water. The country relies heavily on rain to provide household water, but in the past 30 years average yearly precipitation has decreased. Between 2001 and 2004, exceptionally heavy annual rainfall pushed water reserves up, with supply exceeding demand, allowing total storage in the island's reservoirs to rise to an all-time high by the start of 2005. However, since then demand has increased annually – a result of local population growth, foreigners moving to Cyprus and the number of visiting tourists – while supply has fallen as a result of more frequent droughts.

qas: question: What do the people of Cyprus rely on for domestic and agricultural supply of water?
answers: text: Dams

question: What is the total number of completed dams located on Cyprus?
answers: text: 107

question: What is the capacity of water that the dams on Cyprus can hold?
answers: text: 330,000,000 m3 (1.2×1010 cu ft).

question: What has the government invested in to help supply water for Cyprus?
answers: text: desalination plants

question: What percentage of domestic water do desalination plants provide on Cyprus?
answers: text: almost 50 per cent
context: Dams remain the principal source of water both for domestic and agricultural use; Cyprus has a total of 107 dams (plus one currently under construction) and reservoirs, with a total water storage capacity of about 330,000,000 m3 (1.2×1010 cu ft). Water desalination plants are gradually being constructed to deal with recent years of prolonged drought. The Government has invested heavily in the creation of water desalination plants which have supplied almost 50 per cent of domestic water since 2001. Efforts have also been made to raise public awareness of the situation and to encourage domestic water users to take more responsibility for the conservation of this increasingly scarce commodity.

qas: question: What types of branches did the 1960 Constitution provide?
answers: text: legislative and judicial branches

question: What type of person was the vice-president?
answers: text: Turkish Cypriot

question: Where did Legislative power rest?
answers: text: the House of Representatives
context: 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 led 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. Legislative power rested on the House of Representatives who were also elected on the basis of separate voters' rolls.

qas: question: In what years was Cyprus divided?
answers: text: 1974

question: Which part of Cyprus was occupied by the Turkish army?
answers: text: northern third of the island

question: In 1983, Turkish Cypriots declared what?
answers: text: independence

question: What organization recognizes the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus?
answers: text: The United Nations
context: Since 1965, following clashes between the two communities, the Turkish Cypriot seats in the House remain vacant. In 1974 Cyprus was divided de facto when the Turkish army occupied the northern third of the island. The Turkish Cypriots subsequently declared independence in 1983 as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus but were recognised only by Turkey. In 1985 the TRNC adopted a constitution and held its first elections. The United Nations recognises the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the entire island of Cyprus.

qas: question: How many members are currently in the House of Representatives?
answers: text: 59 members

question: How long is the term for an elected member of the House of Representatives?
answers: text: five-year term

question: How many seas are allocated to the Turkish community?
answers: text: 24

question: Who became the country's first Communist head of state in 2008?
answers: text: Dimitris Christofias

question: Who is the current president of Cyprus?
answers: text: Nicos Anastasiades
context: 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 Armenian, Latin and Maronite minorities. 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 Democratic Party, the social-democratic EDEK and the centrist EURO.KO. In 2008, Dimitris Christofias became the country's first Communist head of state. Due to his involvement in the 2012–13 Cypriot financial crisis, Christofias did not run for re-election in 2013. The Presidential election in 2013 resulted in Democratic Rally candidate Nicos Anastasiades winning 57.48% of the vote. As a result, Anastasiades was sworn in on and has been President since 28 February 2013.

qas: question: Why does the United Nations question the Human rights status of Cyprus?
answers: text: ongoing division of Cyprus continues to affect human rights throughout the island

question: What is the rating for Cyprus in the "Freedom in the World 2011" report?
answers: text: free

question: What is one of the reasons for the human rights issues on Cyprus?
answers: text: division of the island
context: In "Freedom in the World 2011", Freedom House rated Cyprus as "free". In January 2011, the Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the question of Human Rights in Cyprus noted that the ongoing division of Cyprus continues to affect human rights throughout the island "... including freedom of movement, human rights pertaining to the question of missing persons, discrimination, the right to life, freedom of religion, and economic, social and cultural rights." The constant focus on the division of the island can sometimes mask other human rights issues.[citation needed]

qas: question: How much was Turkey ordered to pay in compensation to Cyprus?
answers: text: over $100m

question: Who was accused of violating the Geneva Conventions?
answers: text: Turkey

question: What year was Turkey ordered to pay fines to Cyprus?
answers: text: 2014

question: Why was Turkey accused of violating the Geneva Conventions?
answers: text: directly or indirectly transferring its civilian population into occupied territory
context: In 2014, Turkey was ordered by the European Court of Human Rights to pay well over $100m in compensation to Cyprus for the invasion; Ankara announced that it would ignore the judgment. In 2014, a group of Cypriot refugees and a European parliamentarian, later joined by the Cypriot government, filed a complaint to the International Court of Justice, accusing Turkey of violating the Geneva Conventions by directly or indirectly transferring its civilian population into occupied territory. Over the preceding ten years, civilian transfer by Turkey had "reached new heights", in the words of one US ambassador.[f] Other violations of the Geneva and the Hague Conventions—both ratified by Turkey—amount to what archaeologist Sophocles Hadjisavvas called "the organized destruction of Greek and Christian heritage in the north". These violations include looting of cultural treasures, deliberate destruction of churches, neglect of works of art, and altering the names of important historical sites, which was condemned by the International Council on Monuments and Sites. Hadjisavvas has asserted that these actions are motivated by a Turkish policy of erasing the Greek presence in Northern Cyprus within a framework of ethnic cleansing, as well as by greed and profit-seeking on the part of the individuals involved.

qas: question: What incident was the most deadly military accident that occurred on Cyprus?
answers: text: Evangelos Florakis Naval Base explosion

question: What date did the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base explosion occur?
answers: text: 11 July 2011

question: What is one of the senior officer titles of the Cyprus air force?
answers: text: Supreme Commander
context: The air force includes the 449th Helicopter Gunship Squadron (449 ΜΑΕ) – operating Aérospatiale SA-342L and Bell 206 and the 450th Helicopter Gunship Squadron (450 ME/P) – operating Mi-35P helicopters and the Britten-Norman BN-2B and Pilatus PC-9 fixed-wing aircraft. Current senior officers include Supreme Commander, Cypriot National Guard, Lt. General Stylianos Nasis, and Chief of Staff, Cypriot National Guard: Maj. General Michalis Flerianos.[citation needed] The Evangelos Florakis Naval Base explosion, which occurred on 11 July 2011, was the most deadly military accident ever recorded in Cyprus.

qas: question: What affected the Cypriot economy in 2012?
answers: text: Eurozone financial and banking crisis

question: How much many did the Cypriot government initially announce it needed?
answers: text: €1.8 billion

question: What was the amount of additional money requested by Cyprus?
answers: text: €4 billion

question: What are the names of Cyprus' three largest banks?
answers: text: Bank of Cyprus, Cyprus Popular Bank and Hellenic Bank
context: In the early 21st century the Cypriot economy has diversified and become prosperous. However, in 2012 it became affected by the Eurozone financial and banking crisis. In June 2012, the Cypriot government announced it would need €1.8 billion in foreign aid to support the Cyprus Popular Bank, and this was followed by Fitch downgrading Cyprus's credit rating to junk status. Fitch said Cyprus would need an additional €4 billion to support its banks and the downgrade was mainly due to the exposure of Bank of Cyprus, Cyprus Popular Bank and Hellenic Bank, Cyprus's three largest banks, to the Greek financial crisis.

qas: question: What did the March 2013 agreement decide?
answers: text: split the country's second largest bank

question: Who would eventually absorb the "good" bank of Cyprus Popular Bank?
answers: text: Bank of Cyprus

question: What was the amount of bailout money given to Cyprus?
answers: text: €10 billion

question: Who was using Cyprus as a tax haven?
answers: text: wealthy Russians
context: The 2012–2013 Cypriot financial crisis led to an agreement with the Eurogroup in March 2013 to split the country's second largest bank, the Cyprus Popular Bank (also known as Laiki Bank), into a "bad" bank which would be wound down over time and a "good" bank which would be absorbed by the Bank of Cyprus. In return for a €10 billion bailout from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, often referred to as the "troika", the Cypriot government was required to impose a significant haircut on uninsured deposits, a large proportion of which were held by wealthy Russians who used Cyprus as a tax haven. Insured deposits of €100,000 or less were not affected.

qas: question: What is the per capita GDP of Cyprus given by the IMF?
answers: text: $30,769

question: Why has Cyprus been sought out by offshore businesses?
answers: text: low tax rates

question: What are three of the largest contributors to the Cyprus economy?
answers: text: Tourism, financial services and shipping

question: When was the Euro declared as the national currency of Cyprus?
answers: text: 1 January 2008
context: According to the latest International Monetary Fund estimates, its per capita GDP (adjusted for purchasing power) at $30,769 is just above the average of the European Union.[citation needed] Cyprus has been sought as a base for several offshore businesses for its low tax rates. Tourism, financial services and shipping are significant parts of the economy. Economic policy of the Cyprus government has focused on meeting the criteria for admission to the European Union. The Cypriot government adopted the euro as the national currency on 1 January 2008.

qas: question: What resource has been discovered offshore in recent years?
answers: text: natural gas

question: With what two countries did Cyprus first demarcate its maritime border?
answers: text: Egypt in 2003, and with Lebanon in 2007

question: Which country did Cyprus demarcate its maritime border in 2010?
answers: text: Israel

question: What is the name of the US-based firm in a production-sharing agreement with Cyprus?
answers: text: Noble Energy
context: In recent years significant quantities of offshore natural gas have been discovered in the area known as Aphrodite in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), about 175 kilometres (109 miles) south of Limassol at 33°5′40″N and 32°59′0″E. However, Turkey's offshore drilling companies have accessed both natural gas and oil resources since 2013. Cyprus demarcated its maritime border with Egypt in 2003, and with Lebanon in 2007. Cyprus and Israel demarcated their maritime border in 2010, and in August 2011, the US-based firm Noble Energy entered into a production-sharing agreement with the Cypriot government regarding the block's commercial development.

qas: question: What are the three modes of transport available on Cyprus?
answers: text: road, sea and air

question: How many miles of roads are paved on Cyprus?
answers: text: 6,249 km (3,883 mi)

question: How many miles of roads are unpaved on Cyprus?
answers: text: 4,414 km (2,743 mi)

question: Which side of the road do vehicles on Cyprus drive on?
answers: text: left-hand
context: Available modes of transport are by road, sea and air. Of the 10,663 km (6,626 mi) of roads in the Republic of Cyprus in 1998, 6,249 km (3,883 mi) were paved, and 4,414 km (2,743 mi) were unpaved. In 1996 the Turkish-occupied 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.[citation needed] Cyprus is one of only four EU nations in which vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road, a remnant of British colonisation (the others being Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom). A series of motorways runs along the coast from Paphos east to Ayia Napa, with two motorways running inland to Nicosia, one from Limassol and one from Larnaca.

qas: question: What was the number of Greek Cypriots on Cyprus in 1973?
answers: text: 482,000

question: What did the Cypriot government find was the Greek population on Cyprus?
answers: text: 506,000 (78.9%)

question: What did the Cypriot government find was the Turkish population on Cyprus?
answers: text: 118,000 (18.4%)

question: In what years did the Greeks conduct extra censuses?
answers: text: 1976, 1982, 1992 and 2001

question: Who was excluded from the censuses conducted by the Greeks?
answers: text: the Turkish population
context: Due to the inter-communal ethnic tensions between 1963 and 1974, an island-wide census was regarded as impossible. Nevertheless, the Greek Cypriots conducted one in 1973, without the Turkish Cypriot populace. According to this census, the Greek Cypriot population was 482,000. One year later, in 1974, the Cypriot government's Department of Statistics and Research estimated the total population of Cyprus at 641,000; of whom 506,000 (78.9%) were Greeks, and 118,000 (18.4%) Turkish. After the partition of the island in 1974, Greeks conducted four more censuses: in 1976, 1982, 1992 and 2001; these excluded the Turkish population which was resident in the northern part of the island.

qas: question: How many people were living in Northern Cyprus according to the 2006 census?
answers: text: 256,644

question: How many citizens born in Cyprus also have parents who were born in Cyprus?
answers: text: 120,031

question: How many of the citizens in Northern Cyprus was born in Cyprus?
answers: text: 147,405
context: According to the 2006 census carried out by Northern Cyprus, there were 256,644 (de jure) people living in Northern Cyprus. 178,031 were citizens of Northern Cyprus, of whom 147,405 were born in Cyprus (112,534 from the north; 32,538 from the south; 371 did not indicate what part of Cyprus they were from); 27,333 born in Turkey; 2,482 born in the UK and 913 born in Bulgaria. Of the 147,405 citizens born in Cyprus, 120,031 say both parents were born in Cyprus; 16,824 say both parents born in Turkey; 10,361 have one parent born in Turkey and one parent born in Cyprus.

qas: question: What religion do most Greek Cypriots identify with?
answers: text: Greek Orthodox

question: What religion do most Turkish Cypriots identify with?
answers: text: Sunni Islam

question: What country is the second most religious in the European Union?
answers: text: Cyprus

question: Who is the current head of the Greek Orthodox church in Cyprus?
answers: text: Archbishop Chrysostomos II
context: The majority of Greek Cypriots identify as Greek Orthodox, whereas most Turkish Cypriots are adherents of Sunni Islam. According to Eurobarometer 2005, Cyprus was the second most religious state in the European Union at that time, after Malta (although in 2005 Romania wasn't in the European Union, currently Romania is the most religious state in the European Union) (see Religion in the European Union). The first President of Cyprus, Makarios III, was an archbishop. The current leader of the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus is Archbishop Chrysostomos II.

qas: question: How many official languages does Cyprus have?
answers: text: two

question: What are the two official languages of Cyprus?
answers: text: Greek and Turkish

question: What are the minority languages are spoken in Cyprus?
answers: text: Armenian and Cypriot Maronite Arabic

question: Are there any Western languages spoken in Cyprus?
answers: text: English

question: Are there any Eastern languages spoken in Cyprus?
answers: text: Russian
context: Cyprus has two official languages, Greek and Turkish. Armenian and Cypriot Maronite Arabic are recognised as minority languages. Although without official status, English is widely spoken and it features widely on road signs, public notices, and in advertisements, etc. English was the sole official language during British colonial rule and the lingua franca until 1960, and continued to be used (de facto) in courts of law until 1989 and in legislation until 1996. 80.4% of Cypriots are proficient in the English language as a second language. Russian is widely spoken among the country's minorities, residents and citizens of post-Soviet countries, and Pontic Greeks. Russian, after English and Greek, is the third language used on many signs of shops and restaurants, particularly in Limassol and Paphos. In addition to these languages, 12% speak French and 5% speak German.

qas: question: What do Cypriot universities ignore when looking at admission?
answers: text: high school grades

question: What is required for university attendance?
answers: text: high-school diploma

question: What plays a large factor in determining admission at a university?
answers: text: university entrance examinations

question: What percentage do grades obtained account for in a students final grade?
answers: text: 25%
context: 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. Cypriot universities (like universities in Greece) ignore high school grades almost entirely for admissions purposes. 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.

qas: question: Where do most Cypriots receiver higher education?
answers: text: Greek, British, Turkish, other European and North American universities

question: What nation has the highest level percentage of working citizens with higher-level education?
answers: text: Cyprus

question: What percentage of the 25-34 Cyprus population has tertiary education?
answers: text: 47%

question: How many Cypriots students attend school outside of the country
answers: text: 78.7%
context: The majority of Cypriots receive their higher education at Greek, British, Turkish, other European and North American universities. It is noteworthy that Cyprus currently has the highest percentage of citizens of working age who have higher-level education in the EU at 30% which is ahead of Finland's 29.5%. In addition, 47% of its population aged 25–34 have tertiary education, which is the highest in the EU. The body of Cypriot students is highly mobile, with 78.7% studying in a university outside Cyprus.

qas: question: Which foods do Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have in common?
answers: text: souvla and halloumi

question: Which art forms are integral parts of everyday life?
answers: text: music, dance and art

question: What is something that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots do not have in common?
answers: text: religions and religious

question: What religion do Greek Cypriots usually practice?
answers: text: Sunni Muslims
context: Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots share a lot in common in their culture but also have differences. Several traditional food (such as souvla and halloumi) and beverages are similar, as well as expressions and ways of life. Hospitality and buying or offering food and drinks for guests or others are common among both. In both communities, music, dance and art are integral parts of social life and many artistic, verbal and nonverbal expressions, traditional dances such as tsifteteli, similarities in dance costumes and importance placed on social activities are shared between the communities. However, the two communities have distinct religions and religious cultures, with the Greek Cypriots traditionally being Greek Orthodox and Turkish Cypriots traditionally being Sunni Muslims, which has partly hindered cultural exchange. Greek Cypriots have influences from Greece and Christianity, while Turkish Cypriots have influences from Turkey and Islam.

qas: question: Who was the first important Cyprus painter of modern times?
answers: text: Vassilis Vryonides

question: Where did Vassilis Vryonides study?
answers: text: Academy of Fine Arts in Venice

question: Name one of the individuals considered the founding fathers of modern Cypriot art.
answers: text: Adamantios Diamantis

question: Name the other individual considered the founding fathers of modern Cypriot art.
answers: text: Christopheros Savva

question: Where do many Cypriot artists train?
answers: text: England
context: In modern times Cypriot art history begins with the painter Vassilis Vryonides (1883–1958) who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. Arguably the two founding fathers of modern Cypriot art were Adamantios Diamantis (1900–1994) who studied at London's Royal College of Art and Christopheros Savva (1924–1968) who also studied in London, at Saint Martin's School of Art. In many ways these two artists set the template for subsequent Cypriot art and both their artistic styles and the patterns of their education remain influential to this day. In particular the majority of Cypriot artists still train in England while others train at art schools in Greece and local art institutions such as the Cyprus College of Art, University of Nicosia and the Frederick Institute of Technology.

qas: question: What type of art is being promoted by art institutions in Cyprus?
answers: text: conceptual art

question: What types of places can Cypriots visit to experience art?
answers: text: Municipal art galleries

question: What year was Cyprus supposed to host the international art festival Manifesta?
answers: text: 2006
context: One of the features of Cypriot art is a tendency towards figurative painting although conceptual art is being rigorously promoted by a number of art "institutions" and most notably the Nicosia Municipal Art Centre. Municipal art galleries exist in all the main towns and there is a large and lively commercial art scene. Cyprus was due to host the international art festival Manifesta in 2006 but this was cancelled at the last minute following a dispute between the Dutch organizers of Manifesta and the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture over the location of some of the Manifesta events in the Turkish sector of the capital Nicosia.

qas: question: Traditional Cyprus music has what other types of genres in common?
answers: text: Greek, Turkish, and Arabic

question: What are the names of the Greco-Turkish dances?
answers: text: sousta, syrtos, zeibekikos, tatsia, and karsilamas

question: What are the names of the Middle-Eastern inspired dances?
answers: text: tsifteteli and arapies

question: What is chattista?
answers: text: form of musical poetry

question: Where is chattista performed?
answers: text: traditional feasts and celebrations
context: The traditional folk music of Cyprus has several common elements with Greek, Turkish, and Arabic music including Greco-Turkish dances such as the sousta, syrtos, zeibekikos, tatsia, and karsilamas as well as the Middle Eastern-inspired tsifteteli and arapies. There is also a form of musical poetry known as chattista which is often performed at traditional feasts and celebrations. The instruments commonly associated with Cyprus folk music are the bouzouki, oud ("outi"), violin ("fkiolin"), lute ("laouto"), accordion, Cyprus flute ("pithkiavlin") and percussion (including the "toumperleki"). Composers associated with traditional Cypriot music include Evagoras Karageorgis, Marios Tokas, Solon Michaelides and Savvas Salides. Among musicians is also the acclaimed pianist Cyprien Katsaris and composer and artistic director of the European Capital of Culture initiative Marios Joannou Elia.

qas: question: What influences popular music in Cyprus?
answers: text: Greek Laïka scene

question: What are some famous Cypriot artists?
answers: text: Anna Vissi, Evridiki, and Sarbel

question: What other genres of music are enjoyed in Cyprus?
answers: text: Hip Hop, R&B and reggae

question: Which artists are associated with Cypriot rock music?
answers: text: Michalis Hatzigiannis and Alkinoos Ioannidis

question: What are some famous metal Cypriot bands?
answers: text: Armageddon (rev.16:16), Blynd, Winter's Verge and Quadraphonic
context: Popular music in Cyprus is generally influenced by the Greek Laïka scene; artists who play in this genre include international platinum star Anna Vissi, Evridiki, and Sarbel. Hip Hop, R&B and reggae have been supported by the emergence of Cypriot rap and the urban music scene at Ayia Napa. Cypriot rock music and Éntekhno rock is often associated with artists such as Michalis Hatzigiannis and Alkinoos Ioannidis. Metal also has a small following in Cyprus represented by bands such as Armageddon (rev.16:16), Blynd, Winter's Verge and Quadraphonic.

qas: question: What type of artistic form flourished at the time of the Middle Ages?
answers: text: Epic poetry

question: What was the time period of Frankish rule?
answers: text: 4th century–1489

question: Who is one of the scholars that fled Cyprus during troubled times?
answers: text: Ioannis Kigalas

question: Where did scholar Ioannis Kigalas flee to in the 17th century?
answers: text: Italy
context: Epic poetry, notably the "acritic songs", flourished during Middle Ages. Two chronicles, one written by Leontios Machairas and the other by Georgios Voustronios, cover the entire Middle Ages until the end of Frankish rule (4th century–1489). Poèmes d'amour written in medieval Greek Cypriot date back from the 16th century. Some of them are actual translations of poems written by Petrarch, Bembo, Ariosto and G. Sannazzaro. Many Cypriot scholars fled Cyprus at troubled times such as Ioannis Kigalas (c. 1622–1687) who migrated from Cyprus to Italy in the 17th century, several of his works have survived in books of other scholars.

qas: question: Who are some famous Cypriot folk poets?
answers: text: Dimitris Lipertis, Vasilis Michaelides and Pavlos Liasides

question: Which Turkish Cypriot writer has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature twice?
answers: text: Osman Türkay

question: Who is a modern Greek Cypriot writer and poet?
answers: text: Kostas Montis
context: Modern Greek Cypriot literary figures include the poet and writer Kostas Montis, poet Kyriakos Charalambides, poet Michalis Pasiardis, writer Nicos Nicolaides, Stylianos Atteshlis, Altheides, Loukis Akritas and Demetris Th. Gotsis. Dimitris Lipertis, Vasilis Michaelides and Pavlos Liasides are folk poets who wrote poems mainly in the Cypriot-Greek dialect. Among leading Turkish Cypriot writers are Osman Türkay, twice nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature, Özker Yaşın, Neriman Cahit, Urkiye Mine Balman, Mehmet Yaşın and Neşe Yaşın.

qas: question: Where was William Shakespeare's Othello set?
answers: text: Cyprus

question: Where did British writer Lawrence Durrell reside from 1952-1956?
answers: text: Cyprus

question: What book did Lawrence Durrell write while living on Cyprus?
answers: text: Bitter Lemons

question: Which 2014 novel uses Cyprus as its main location?
answers: text: The Sunrise
context: Examples of Cyprus in foreign literature, include the works of Shakespeare, with the majority of the play Othello by William Shakespeare set on the island of Cyprus. British writer Lawrence Durrell lived in Cyprus from 1952 until 1956, during his time working for the British colonial government on the island, and wrote the book Bitter Lemons concerning his time in Cyprus which won the second Duff Cooper Prize in 1957. More recently British writer Victoria Hislop used Cyprus as the setting for her 2014 novel The Sunrise.

qas: question: What is the name of a local television company in Cyprus?
answers: text: Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation

question: Which television broadcasters produce art and cultural programming?
answers: text: Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation and BRT

question: What is BRT?
answers: text: the Turkish Cypriot equivalent to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation
context: Local television companies in Cyprus include the state owned Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation which runs two television channels. In addition on the Greek side of the island there are the private channels ANT1 Cyprus, Plus TV, Mega Channel, Sigma TV, Nimonia TV (NTV) and New Extra. In Northern Cyprus, the local channels are BRT, the Turkish Cypriot equivalent to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation, and a number of private channels. The majority of local arts and cultural programming is produced by the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation and BRT, with local arts documentaries, review programmes and filmed drama series.

qas: question: What is the amount in Euros of money set aside for the Cinema Advisory Committee?
answers: text: 850,000 Euros

question: Who finances European film co-productions?
answers: text: Council of Europe's Eurimages Fund

question: What was the first feature film to receive funding  from Eurimages?
answers: text: I Sphagi tou Kokora

question: Which film was awarded the Best Screenwriting and Best Photography at the London Greek Film Festival?
answers: text: Cyprus Guilt
context: In 1994, cinematographic production received a boost with the establishment of the Cinema Advisory Committee. As of the year 2000, the annual amount set aside in the national budget stands at Cy Pounds 500,000 (about 850,000 Euros). In addition to government grants, Cypriot co-productions are eligible for funding from the Council of Europe's Eurimages Fund, which finances European film co-productions. To date, four feature-length films in which a Cypriot was executive producer have received funding from Eurimages. The first was I Sphagi tou Kokora (1992), completed in 1996, Hellados (And the Trains Fly to the Sky, 1995), which is currently in post-production, and Costas Demetriou's O Dromos gia tin Ithaki (The Road to Ithaka, 1997) which premiered in March 2000. The theme song to The Road to Ithaka was composed by Costas Cacoyannis and sung by Alexia Vassiliou. In September 1999, To Tama (The Promise) by Andreas Pantzis also received funding from the Eurimages Fund. In 2009 the Greek director, writer and producer Vassilis Mazomenos filmed in Cyprus Guilt. The film was awarded in 2012 with the Best Screenwriting and Best Photography award in London Greek Film Festival (UK) and was official selection in Montreal World Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, India International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Fantasporto and opening film in the Panorama of European Cinema in Athens. In 2010 the film was Nominated for the best film from the Hellenic Film Academy.

qas: question: What are some famous seafood and fish dishes?
answers: text: squid, octopus, red mullet, and sea bass

question: What fruits are commonly used in foods?
answers: text: Cucumber and tomato

question: What is lountza?
answers: text: smoked pork loin

question: What is souvlaki?
answers: text: pork and chicken cooked over charcoal

question: What is sheftalia?
answers: text: minced meat wrapped in mesentery
context: Seafood and fish dishes include squid, octopus, red mullet, and sea bass. Cucumber and tomato are used widely in salads. Common vegetable preparations include potatoes in olive oil and parsley, pickled cauliflower and beets, asparagus and taro. Other traditional delicacies of are meat marinated in dried coriander seeds and wine, and eventually dried and smoked, such as lountza (smoked pork loin), charcoal-grilled lamb, souvlaki (pork and chicken cooked over charcoal), and sheftalia (minced meat wrapped in mesentery). Pourgouri (bulgur, cracked wheat) is the traditional source of carbohydrate other than bread, and is used to make the delicacy koubes.

qas: question: Can you name some common vegetables used in Cyprus?
answers: text: courgettes, green peppers, okra, green beans

question: Can you name some common fruits used in Cyprus?
answers: text: pears, apples, grapes, oranges, mandarines

question: Can you name some common pulses used in Cyprus?
answers: text: beans, broad beans, peas, black-eyed beans
context: Fresh vegetables and fruits are common ingredients. Frequently used vegetables include courgettes, green peppers, okra, green beans, artichokes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and grape leaves, and pulses such as beans, broad beans, peas, black-eyed beans, chick-peas and lentils. The most common fruits and nuts are pears, apples, grapes, oranges, mandarines, nectarines, medlar, blackberries, cherry, strawberries, figs, watermelon, melon, avocado, lemon, pistachio, almond, chestnut, walnut, and hazelnut.

qas: question: Which Cypriot tennis player ranked 8th in the world?
answers: text: Marcos Baghdatis

question: How high did Kyriakos Ioannou jump in Osaka in 2007?
answers: text: 2.35 m

question: What organization does Costas Philippou participate in?
answers: text: Ultimate Fighting Championship

question: Where does Tio Ellinas race?
answers: text: GP3 Series for Marussia Manor Motorsport
context: Tennis player Marcos Baghdatis was ranked 8th in the world, was a finalist at the Australian Open, and reached the Wimbledon semi-final, all in 2006. High jumper Kyriakos Ioannou achieved a jump of 2.35 m at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan, in 2007, winning the bronze medal. He has been ranked third in the world. In motorsports, Tio Ellinas is a successful race car driver, currently racing in the GP3 Series for Marussia Manor Motorsport. There is also mixed martial artist Costas Philippou, who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion's middleweight division. Costas holds a 6-3 record in UFC bouts, and recently defeated "The Monsoon" Lorenz Larkin with a Knockout in the 1st round.