Cyprus - a divided island Cyprus - a divided island "Excited voices roared across the walls of the other courtyards ... War! Ecevit had ordered Turkish troops into Cyprus to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriot citizens, who were being oppressed by the Greeks. At least that was the 'truth' as seen by the Turkish journalists." -- Midnight Express, Billy Hayes On the 20th of July 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus. On the 18th of November 1983 the North was unilaterally declared as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus . A state that no other country with the exception of Turkey recognises. Cyprus today is a divided island. A Green Line divides the island. On the Turkish side razor wire, minefields, watch-towers every few hundred metres. A scene reminiscent of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain dividing East and West Germany. Famagusta is a ghost town. Many refugees , both Turkish and Greek Cypriots fled to the South. An estimated 40-50,000 Turkish troops illegally occupy Northern Cyprus.

Possibly as many as 100,000 Turkish settlers, many against their will, have moved into Northern Cyprus. Stories of atrocities filter across the border. Reports filter out of systematic and widespread plunder and destruction of Greek archaeological sites. It takes two to tango. In the early 1970's Turkey was looking for an excuse to invade. A handful of Greek Cypriots gave Turkey that excuse. Spurred on by a fascist military junta in Greece they mounted an abortive coup against the legitimate government of Cyprus. With genuine fears for the Turkish Cypriot minority Turkey initially had the tacit approval of the International Community. In the first invasion (20 July 1974) Turkey secured an area around Kyrenia. In defiance of a UN Security Council resolution to withdraw its forces, Turkey mounted a second invasion on the 14th of August 1974. Within two days, Turkey had captured more than a third of the territory of Cyprus. The fascist junta in Greece has long given way to a democratic regime, the Turkish occupying forces remain in place. Turkey occupies 37% of the island's land.

165,000 people fled from the North of the island, not only Greek Cypriots but also Turkish Cypriots. 45,000 Turkish Cypriots were 'helped' to flee to the North by attacks by out-of-control Greek Cypriot paramilitary units and attacks by Turkish Cypriot terror units. More than 200,000 people became refugees in their own land. A tiny handful of Greek Cypriots remain in the North , determined not to be driven from their homes. Many of those that remain are elderly and in their 60s, 70s and 80s. A steady stream of Turkish Cypriots has continued to leave the North to live abroad. They find that their cosmopolitan world view is increasingly at odds with the repressive regime back home. Denktash has called these migrants 'traitors', conveniently forgetting that it is his repressive regime that is driving these people to leave their own country. A Turkish Cypriot opponent of Denktash described occupied Cyprus as 'a prison in the sun'.

He was one of many Turkish Cypriot critics of Denktash, who is seen by many Turkish Cypriots as nothing more than a puppet of Ankara. Tourists who visit occupied Northern Cyprus describe on their return to freedom a holiday spent in a Police State - soldiers and police everywhere, watching every movement. Turkey is a repressive, brutal, Islamic regime, on a par with Indonesia, Iran or Iraq. Repression against its own people is well documented. Repression of lawyers, writers, intellectuals, students, trade union officials, human rights campaigners, minority groups within Turkey, especially Christian, Armenian, Greek and Kurdish minorities. Human rights groups who monitor the level of abuse and attempt to collect evidence find themselves in turn subjected to harassment and abuse. Human rights offices are closed or threatened with closure. Officials are threatened and intimidated. On Tuesday 12 May 1998, Akin Birdal, head of the Turkish Human Rights Association (IHD) was gunned down at his office in Ankara. Early May 1998 a sit-down protest by the Mothers of the Disappeared was attacked by the police and those present arrested. Even this small, low key demonstration has proved more than the repressive regime can stomach.

The protests are now banned. To a hushed committee room in the House of Lords, two young lawyers gave a chilling account of their attendance as independent, international observers at a political trial in Turkey's State Security Court, April/May 1998. The court was ringed by troops and tanks, within, the accused were faced by armed soldiers. Those on trial were executive members of HADEP, a political party. Their 'crime' to was speak on behalf of the Kurds. To the same meeting, chaired by the eminent Lord Hylton (Moses Room, 2 June 1998), speaker after speaker highlighted the atrocities, wide scale abuses of human rights that were taking place in Turkey, the breaches of international agreements. Calls were made for international sanctions against Turkey. To coincide with the meeting, a damning report, documenting the widespread atrocities in Turkish occupied Kurdistan was launched. During 1996 a group of EU parliamentarians produced a damning report of Human Rights violations in Turkey and Northern Cyprus, and the lack of fundamental democratic rights. The UK Parliamentary Group produced an equally damning report on human rights abuses and the lack of democracy.

In March 1998, the European Commission produced a report stating 'No substantial progress has been achieved as regards human rights and democratic reform', since their last report. These are but samples of many such reports on Turkey produced by Amnesty International , Human Rights Watch and other Human Rights groups. In 1996, and again in 1997 the House of Lords debated human rights abuses in Turkey. Both sessions were highly critical and carried some harrowing accounts of the abuses taking place. The instigator of both debates, Lord Avebury, is a banned person in Turkey on account of his tireless campaigning for the oppressed in both Turkey and occupied Cyprus. During the Gulf War two RAF aircrew were shot down in a bombing raid over Iraq. A few days later they were paraded on Iraqi TV badly beaten up and forced to 'confess' their actions. Whatever the thoughts of Saddam Hussein, his actions were counter-productive as it hardened the resolve of the world to rid itself of Hussein. During the 1996 rout of the Kurds by Saddam Hussein one of these airmen spoke out publicly against the West's policy of protecting the Kurds.

This was not because the airman had no sympathy towards the Kurds, far from it, his attack was on the hypocrisy of the West. One day British aircrews would be risking their lives to protect the Kurds from Iraqi incursions, the next day they would be asked to stand down to allow Turkey to carry out bombing raids against Kurdish villages. Raids using a military machine financed and built by the West. 14 May 1997, Turkey launched an invasion of northern Iraq. 20 May 1998, Turkey launched a second invasion. In the Summer of 1996 a couple of Greek Cypriots were killed during disturbances on the neutral Green Line dividing the illegally occupied North of Cyprus from the rest of Cyprus. In the first case demonstrators against the Turkish occupation strayed into the Turkish side. One of the demonstrators was beaten and bludgeoned to death. Yes, they were foolish to stray across the line but that in no way justifies the brutality of the response.

A few days later, at the funeral of the first victim and with tempers running high, a cousin of the victim ran across the neutral zone, shinned up a flag pole and attempted to tear down the Turkish flag (the flag of the hated oppressor and occupier). He was shot down in cold blood. A few days after the killings Turkish Foreign Secretary and ex-Prime Minister Tansu Ciller arrived on the scene. Demonstrating that she herself was no less a thug she remarked that anyone who touched the Turkish flag would be cut down. US papers and press reports late 1996 linked Tansu Ciller to organised crime and death squads. Members of the Turkish parliament have accused Tansu Ciller of having links and called on the State Prosecutor to investigate. The killings in the Summer were not the only tragedies to take place that year. In the Autumn a Cypriot, ironically a refugee from the occupied North, was out collecting snails. Foolishly he strayed into the neutral zone. He was shot dead . He was shot dead even though he had his hands in the air in an act of surrender. To make doubly sure several shots were fired into his body as he lay on the ground.

Digitally enhanced pictures of the killers have been posted on the Web in attempt to bring the killers to trial. In total four people were killed on the Green Line during 1996. Earlier in the year, a Greek Cypriot National Guardsman was killed on the Green Line. On Sunday 15 December 1996 UK Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind arrived in Cyprus on a two day visit. He was accompanied by special envoy Sir David Hanney. They put to the people of Cyprus a 10 Step Programme . Noticeable by its absence was any call for Turkey to withdraw, though Rifkind did refer to this in his statements. The 10 Steps refers to the setting up of a a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, with give and take on all sides and the need for confidence building between the two sides. Rifkind emphasised that he was acting for anyone other than the UK, conveniently forgetting that the UK was and still is a guarantor of Cyprus's independence. Putting to one side my own reservations on the plan, Rifkind is at the very least to be commended as the first British Foreign Secretary to visit Cyprus since the Turkish invasion with the sole intention of attempting to resolve the Cyprus problem.

Were Cyprus to agree to the 10 Steps it would be all give by Cyprus and all take by Turkey. In effect it would legitimise the occupation and partition of Cyprus. From discussions with the UK Foreign Office it is all too clear their lack of understanding of the situation in Cyprus. Their constant reference to the two communities is illustrative of this. It is questionable whether they have anyone on the ground who understands the situation. We are all hampered by the cultural baggage that we carry around with us. How we perceive a situation very much depends upon where we are coming from. The cultural baggage for anyone in the UK is Northern Ireland - two sharply divided communities, decades of hatred between the two communities, with no sign of that hatred diminishing, inflamed as it is by the bigots on both sides of the religious divide. This is not the situation in Cyprus. The two communities were, until recently, intermixed and lived happily side by side. In fact it is probably a misnomer to speak of two communities.

The danger then is that we fall into the trap of referring to the Greek side of the island and the Turkish side, when what we should refer to are Cypriots (Turkish and Greek) and a free Cyprus and an occupied Cyprus. If we don't get the semantics of the language straight then we are unlikely to move forward as we are failing to understand the situation. Prior to the Turkish invasion and occupation, there was not one part of the island that was predominately Turkish Cypriots and another part that was predominately Greek Cypriots. That is not to belittle the atrocities that have occurred between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, these should remain as part of the historical record if for no other reason than as a warning of what can occur when things go wrong. Nor should we overlook the need to establish constitutional rights for minorities and ensure that every citizen defends and upholds those rights. The situation in Cyprus is not that of two sharply divided communities, it is that of an independent country, part of whose territory is currently occupied by a repressive regime.

The Turkish Cypriots living in the North do not see the Turks as liberators as is so often claimed by Turkey, on the other hand we should not underestimate their fear and trepidation at re-integration with the rest of Cyprus with the knowledge of inter-ethnic atrocities still within living memory. The withdrawal of Turkish troops would require their replacement with Nato Bosnia style peace-keepers as part of the confidence building measures. Cypriots have patiently stood by, sometimes not so patiently when frustrations erupt into mad demonstrations, but on the whole they have been prepared to rely on the world seeing the justice of their case. The world has conveniently looked the other way. There are signs that this patience is wearing very thin and will soon be at an end. The rest of the world walks on by. Attempts to buy arms on the World market (tanks and missile systems) is not the answer. Apart from the downside of a slide from angry confrontation to armed conflict there is the very real possibility of Turkey mounting a pre-emptive strike before the missiles are in place. It should be made very clear to Turkey that a pre-emptive strike would result in very serious consequences for Turkey.

Cyprus has a thriving tourist industry, so once did Lebanon and Yugoslavia. Does Cyprus really want to be reduced to another Lebanon or Yugoslavia? The way forward is a propaganda offensive in the West and Russia against Turkey. Turkey is no friend of the West , neither is Turkey a friend of Russia. Turkey is active with Iran and Iraq in attempting to form an Islamic Common Market. It has been active in attempting to destabilise Russia's southern republics, within Russia it has provided military support to Chechan separatists. It has been meddling in the Balkans, in particular Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania. In the early hours of Wednesday 18 December 1996 BBC World Service reported a statement by the Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan of his intentions to establish a defence pact with Iran. If the will existed Turkey could be kicked out of Cyprus overnight. Cyprus has to be far more pro-active in putting its case to world opinion and in highlighting that in backing Turkey the world is backing the wrong horse. Cyprus has to emphasise that it is a Western democracy with a cosmopolitan world view and contrast that with Turkey and in particular highlight the lack of democracy and human rights abuses that are the norm for Turkey.

Post-Cold War offers an unparall Cyprus – A divided island – Turkish Forum English Cyprus – A divided island ”] 1960 – Britain grants independence to Cyprus under power-sharing constitution between Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Archbishop Makarios becomes first post- independence president. Treaty of Guarantee allows Greece, Turkey and Britain to intervene in disputes. Britain has sovereignty of two bases on the island. 1963 – Makarios worries Turks by proposing constitutional changes which would abolish power-sharing agreements. 1964 – Power sharing crumbles amid fighting between paramilitary factions. United Nations sends peacekeeping force to help British troops patrolling the “Green Line” set up to divide the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sectors of Nicosia, the capital. 1967 – Military government seizes power in Greece, relations between Makarios and the generals in Athens are increasingly strained. 1974 – Military government in Greece backs coup against Makarious, seeking to unify Cyprus with Greece. Makarios flees and five days later Turkish troops land in the north to protect Turkish Cypriot community. The coup quickly ends and Greece’s military government collapses.

Turkish forces occupy one third of the island and it effectively becomes partitioned. 1975 – Turkish Cypriots establish independent administration with Rauf Denktash becoming president. 1980 – UN-sponsored peace talks resume. 1983 – Turkish Cypriots proclaim independence as Turkish republic of Northern Cyprus – but it is only recognised by Turkey. 1985 – No agreement at talks between Denktash and Spyros Kyprianou, the Greek Cypriot president. 1993 – Glafcos Clerides becomes Greek Cypriot president. 1997 – UN-hosted talks between Denktask and Clerides fail. 2002 – Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, presents a comprehensive peace plan involving a federation of two parts, with a rotating presidency. 2003 – Turkish and Greek Cypriots cross “Green Line” for first time in 30 years after Turkish side eases border restrictions. 2004 – In referendums, Turkish Cypriots accept UN power-sharing plan but Greek Cypriots reject it. Cyprus joins the European Union, still partitioned.

2006 – Greek Cypriots endorse ruling coalition in elections, reaffirming opposition to reunification. 2006 – Turkey’s EU entry negotitations break down over Turkey’s continued resistance to opening its ports to traffic from Cyprus. 2007 – Communist party quits Cyprus’ governing coalition. 2008 February – Communist party leader Demetris Christofias wins Cyprus’ presidential election and agrees to immediately reive reunification efforts. March – Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat, the Turkish Cypriot leader, agree to reopen the symbolic Ledra Street crossing in Nicosia. April – Ledra Street is opened for first time since 1964. July – Christofias and Talat agree enter direct peace negotiations on September 3, with a solution to be put to simultaneous referendums. Source: Al Jazeera Wall dividing island of Cyprus torn down but divisions still stand - Wikinews, the free news source Wall dividing island of Cyprus torn down but divisions still stand From Wikinews, the free news source you can write! Friday, March 9, 2007 Map of divided Cyprus . This street is cut by the Green Line in Nicosia .

From the platform, tourists overlook the no man's land and the Turkish part of the island. On Thursday March 8, 2007 the government of the Southern Greek part of Cyprus used heavy machinery to allow its military to tear down the five-meter high concrete wall on the Green Line that divides the island. The wall has stood in the Cyprus capital of Nicosia for more than 40 years. It has been a constant reminder of the political situation of the Mediterranean island (given independence from Britain in 1960) that has suffered divisions since communal violence in 1963 that was only prevented by establishing a United Nations Peacekeeping Force there in 1964. These divisions only deepened when Cyprus was invaded by Turkey’s military in mid-July 1974 after right-wing Greek Cypriots (backed by the military junta ruling Greece at the time) attempted a coup with the intent of joining the island to Greece. The result was a split between the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government in the south and the Turkish Cypriot north (only recognized by Turkey ).

The division at Nicosia has become a curiosity to tourists who look over it to see the buffer zone between the two factions (a no man’s land with abandoned homes and businesses where no civilians are allowed). The destruction of the wall also brought out curious Cypriots. Much international pressure had been brought to bear on both sides, and thawing of the relationship between the opposing Cypriots began in 2003 when the Turkish side eased restrictions on travel. Still in 2004 before joining the E.U. , Greek Cypriots rejected the UN reunification plan that called for a federation of two states. Then in December 2005 when the Turkish Cypriots created a footbridge for Turkey’s soldiers on the other side, the action drew protests from the Greek Cypriots voicing their security concerns. In January 2007 the Turkish Cypriots began dismantling the footbridge as a gesture of good faith. At first both Cypriot governments expressed hope of reunification when asked about the demolition.

Tassos Papadopoulos , the president in the Greek south stated "Tonight we have demolished the checkpoint on our side.” He went on to call for the Turkish Cypriots to act, saying civilians will not be able to cross “if the troops are not withdrawn”. Rasit Pertev, chief adviser to Mehmet Ali Talat , the leader of Turkish Cyprus said: "This is extremely symbolic... The dynamism created by this move will lead to the opening of the crossing." Still when the government of Turkey dismissed the move as merely a result of international pressure that did not signify anything, and refused to dismiss its troops in the area (it maintains 40,000 soldiers on the island), sheets of aluminum were put up as a barricade on the Greek Cypriot side early on the morning of March 9, 2007.

Sources Cyprus divided: 40 years on, a family recalls how the island was torn apart | World news | The Guardian The Observer Cyprus divided: 40 years on, a family recalls how the island was torn apart The award-winning Observer correspondent who covered the 1974 Turkish invasion returns to the rocky battleground with one Greek Cypriot guardsman he met in the conflict Saturday 5 July 2014 19.04 EDT First published on Saturday 5 July 2014 19.04 EDT Share on Messenger Close On the outskirts of a mountain village in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus , Lakis Zavallis, 72 in September, is scrambling about a rocky roadside hillside looking for an imitation-leather grip he had first used when he was a law student in London in the early 60s. Some 40 years ago he was a lieutenant commanding a diminishing platoon of weary Greek Cypriot National Guardsmen when he hid the bag under the overhang of a rock. They had just been ordered to make what he thought might be a temporary withdrawal from a forward position and he wanted to lighten his load.

In it was the English paperback edition of Solzhenitsyn's Cancer Ward and a sweater, for even during the island's scorching summers the Kyrenia range gets chilly at night when you're dodging mortar bombs by living in a hole in the ground. Beneath the book and the sweater is the item that makes Lakis persist in trying to find his bag. This was his second attempt this year and there have been others. In it is the diary he kept when he found himself part of a shambolic home guard doing its best to take on Nato's biggest army in cold war Europe and one that came with the kind of air and naval support intended to take on the Soviet Union. This month sees the 40th anniversary of Operation Attila, Turkey's codename for its invasion of Cyprus. It started on 20 July 1974 and ended almost a month later on 16 August. By then, its forces occupied just over a third of the island in the name of a Turkish Cypriot minority not quite a fifth of its total population.

They still do, though May's visit by US vice-president Joe Biden has raised hopes that the elusive settlement to the Cyprus problem might at last be in the offing, if only to divide the spoils of newly discovered offshore natural gas and oil. On 15 July 1974, a coup against Archbishop Makarios III, president of Cyprus since 1960 when it stopped being a British colony, was orchestrated by the military junta in Athens who wanted what Greek speakers call enosis. This was the same political union with Greece desired by the Eoka guerrillas who in the late 1950s fought the British under Georgios Grivas, a Cypriot-born Greek army officer. The coup gave Ankara all the reasons it ever needed to launch Operation Attila, which came five days later. About 650 officers in the 15,000- strong Greek Cypriot National Guard were professional soldiers from the junta's Greece. Their passion for enosis was rejected by those Makarios supporters who preferred a Cyprus that was a world away from the weird fascists then ruling democracy's birthplace. Dissenting conscripts got into trouble.

In 1972 Doros Zavallis, Lakis's youngest brother who had tasted life under the colonels as a law student in Athens, returned to Cyprus to do his national service. When he was overheard criticising a speech made by an officer, warning them they should be ready to intervene if Makarios took a wrong turn, he was accused of being a communist, given 20 days' detention and sent to a remote coastal outpost monitoring a Turkish enclave. These enclaves were guarded by the Turkish Cypriots' own militia, established during a period of inter-communal reciprocal slaughter between 1963 and 1967. Enosis was anathema to them. Their own extremists responded with another single-word slogan: taksim. It meant partition. Children play in a park next to a fence marking the United Nations buffer zone in a partially restricted area in the Turkish Cypriot-controlled area of central Nicosia, 2014. Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters The coup was the culmination of a decade of fratricidal Greek Cypriot strife.

Athens backed the septuagenarian Grivas, hero of the struggle against the British, who secretly returned to his native island from Greece and set up his Eoka B. Makarios responded by creating a praetorian guard he called the Tactical Police Reserve. When in January 1974 Grivas died of a heart attack, thousands attended his funeral in Limassol and Eoka B, armed by the junta, carried on. But it was some of the National Guard's ancient T-34 tanks, a gift from Russia, that fired the coup's opening shots at the presidential palace. The archbishop had already survived several assassination attempts and his luck held. He escaped to Paphos, his birthplace, from where a British helicopter took him to RAF Akrotiri on the sovereign bases. By the time the Turks had landed, he was already in New York and had just addressed the UN security council. On the morning of the invasion Lakis Zavallis, driving a blue Morris Traveller used by his family's printing business in Nicosia, went to the village of Paleiometocho near the capital's airport where he was to report for duty with 366 Reserve Battalion.

Names were being taken in a school. It took about 30 minutes and on his way he overtook some of the National Guards' Stalingrad-era T-34s. As he overtook them, the commanders in their open turrets smiled and waved. It was about 8am and the sky was full of contrails made by Turkish Skyhawks. Soon they would be falling on the personnel carriers of the Greek Cypriots' only armoured infantry battalion and kill their commanding officer. Like most Nicosians, he had been woken shortly after dawn by gunfire, explosions and low-flying aircraft. He had got to the roof of his apartment block with his Super 8 camera in time to film the Turkish paratroops dropping to reinforce the Turkish Cypriot enclave north of the city. Then he got together what bits of uniform he could find, kissed his wife Anita and their two young sons goodbye and left. In theory, the Greek Cypriots had in mind the kind of mass mobilisation the Israelis did so well. But Makarios had never dared allow an exercise involving the full call-up of reservists, for fear its Greek officer corps would march them to the presidential palace and dethrone him.

Now thousands of Greek Cypriot men were clamouring for the chance to defend their island until the Greeks or the UN or both came to their rescue. They were of both factions, for the coupists had opened the jails and let out all the Makarios supporters they had rounded up, some of them looking rather the worse for wear. "Of course, that was before most of them had come under fire," recalled Lakis. "But there was a lot of enthusiasm. What was lacking was the apparatus to equip and absorb them." His two brothers turned up at a reporting centre a couple of minutes' walk from the Zavallis family home where their widowed mother lived. Doros, despite the treatment he received as a conscript, grabbed the last Lee-Enfield rifle from a truck full of small arms and was soon part of a unit heading north. Sophocles, the middle brother who had attended Leeds College of Technology, missed out on the last weapons' distribution and was never mobilised. This turned into very bad luck indeed. During the first and very loosely observed ceasefire he tried to find his brothers.

Turkish soldiers shot up his car and he ended up in a mainly Turkish Cypriot ward in the British hospital at Dhekelia being treated for four bullet wounds. Meanwhile, Lakis and Doros went separately off to war. Doros became the ammunition carrier for a heavy machine gun team but he did occasionally use his Lee-Enfield. Neither he nor his brother had fired a rifle since basic training, which in Lakis's case was almost 10 years ago. Not that he had one to fire until he acquired it from a wounded man after they came under air attack and naval gunfire. Nor did the second lieutenant star on his epaulette mean he was qualified to command frontline infantry. It was there because as a lawyer he was part of the National Guard's legal department. But his men didn't know that, and when I met him in the foothills of the Kyrenia range, where the dry earth was being blown into big brown clouds by Turkish artillery, they appeared willing to follow him almost anywhere. Some still do.

In May, when the heat was kinder, several of them joined their lieutenant in the search for his bag, though he complained they weren't all as nimble on those rocky terraces as they should be. Military historian Colin Smith was the Observer's chief roving reporter in 1974. He has just edited Andrew Borowiec's Warsaw Boy, a memoir of the Polish resistance (Viking, out now).

In biggest push in over a decade, Nicos Anastasiades, president of Greek southern sector, to meet Mustafa Akinci, new leader of Turkish-occupied north Published: 14 May 2015 Editorial: For the first time for many years, the leaders of both the Turkish and Greek communities in Cyprus are equally committed to peace Published: 27 Apr 2015 Penalty of €90m will compensate relatives of missing Greek Cypriots and may open door to claims from Crimea dispute Published: 12 May 2014 Victory of leftist former mayor in prompts renewed hope for reunification of island that has seen four decades of division Published: 26 Apr 2015 Geography for Kids: Cyprus Population: 1,138,071 Brief History of Cyprus: Cyprus is an island country located in the Mediterranean Sea. The island was in an ideal location between many of the Eastern and Western empires. As a result, the island was part of many great ancient civilizations including Ancient Egypt, Persia, Ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire throughout its history. Starting in 364 AD, Cyprus was ruled for 800 years by the Byzantium Empire.

Beginning in the 12th century, the island changed hands several times until it came under control of the Ottoman Empire in the 1500s. In 1878 Great Britain took over the island and made it an official British colony in 1925. In 1960 Cyprus gained its independence from Great Britain. However different factions in the country could not get along. Starting in 1974, Cyprus has been divided into two sections. One side is controlled by the government and the other by Turkish Cypriots. Greek is spoken in the south and Turkish in the north. There is a buffer zone between the two sides where the United Nations keeps a peacekeeping force. Despite this odd situation, the island of Cyprus became a member of the European Union in 2004.

The Geography of Cyprus Total Size: 9,250 square km Size Comparison: about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut Geographical Coordinates: 35 00 N, 33 00 E World Region or Continent: Middle East General Terrain: central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast Geographical Low Point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m Geographical High Point: Mount Olympus 1,951 m Climate: temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters Major cities: NICOSIA (capital) 240,000 (2009), Limassol The People of Cyprus Type of Government: republic Languages Spoken: Greek, Turkish, English Independence: 16 August 1960 (from UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these proclamations are only recognized by Turkey National Holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots celebrate 15 November (1983) as Independence Day Nationality: Cypriot(s) Relig

ions: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and other 4% National Symbol: Cypriot mouflon (wild sheep); white dove National Anthem or Song: Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian (Hymn to Liberty) Economy of Cyprus Major Industries: tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum production, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone, and clay products Agricultural Products: citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables; poultry, pork, lamb; dairy, cheese Natural Resources: copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment Major Exports: Republic of Cyprus: citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement, clothing and cigarettes; north Cyprus: citrus, potatoes, textiles Major Imports: Republic of Cyprus: consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, intermediate goods, machinery, transport equipment; north Cyprus: vehicles, fuel, cigarettes, food, minerals, chemicals, machinery Currency: Republic of Cyprus: Cypriot pound (CYP); Turkish Cypriot area: Turkish New lira (YTL) National GDP: $23,720

,000,000 ** Source for population (2012 est.) and GDP (2011 est.) is CIA World Factbook.

Back to Geography Home Page Cyprus country profile - BBC News BBC News Read more about sharing. Close share panel By legend the birthplace of the ancient Greek goddess of love Aphrodite, Cyprus's modern history has, in contrast, been dominated by enmity between its Greek and Turkish inhabitants. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Athens government. The island was effectively partitioned with the northern third inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots. United Nations troops patrol the "Green Line" dividing the two parts. Reunification talks have proceeded slowly. Cyprus successfully diversified its largely agrarian economy into one based on services - including a large tourism sector - and light manufacturing. More recently it has also developed into an important financial hub, especially for investors from Russia and Eastern Europe.

Area 9,251 sq km (3,572 sq miles) (combined) Major languages Greek, Turkish Life expectancy 78 years (men), 82 years (women) (UN) Currency euro; Turkish lira in the north UN, World Bank President: Nicos Anastasiades Image copyright Getty Images Conservative Democratic Rally candidate Nicos Anastasiades won the February 2013 run-off election by one of the biggest margins for many years, promising to do whatever was needed to secure a financial rescue package. He pledged to hammer out a quick deal with foreign lenders and bring Cyprus closer to Europe, in a shift from the policies of the outgoing Communist government that first sought aid from Russia before turning to the European Union. He quickly reached agreement with the UN and IMF on a 10bn-euro bank bailout, which was equally quickly amended to safeguard smaller bank accounts after parliament rejected the deal. On the question of reunification with the separatist Turkish Cypriot north, President Anastasiades welcomed the election of pro-unity Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci in 2015 and immediately agreed to the resumption of hitherto stalled talks.

Turkish Cypriot leader: Mustafa Akinci Image copyright Getty Images Mustafa Akinci, a social democrat, swept to victory in the Turkish Cypriot communal presidential election in 2015, promising to push harder for a peace deal in Cyprus. He beat the nationalist incumbent Dervis Eroglu. As long-serving mayor of the Turkish Cypriot municipality of North Nicosia between 1976 and 1990, Mr Akinci had pioneered cooperation with his southern counterpart on practical sanitation and heritage projects. This experience illuminates his later devotion to the cause of Cypriot reunification. He founded the Peace and Democracy Movement in 2003 in support of the UN's Annan Plan for a united Cyprus within the European Union, and also advocates a policy of greater independence from Turkey in policy matters. The Cypriot government welcomed his election. The status of Northern Cyprus as a separate entity is recognised only by Turkey. MEDIA The Cypriot media mirror the island's political division, with the Turkish-controlled zone in the north operating its own press and broadcasters. Some 95% of Cypriots were online by 2015 and 70% on Facebook.

Some key dates in the history of Cyprus: Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Tension between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots degenerated into violence not long after independence 1914 - Cyprus annexed by Britain, after more than 300 years of Ottoman rule. Britain had occupied the island in 1878, although it remained nominally under Ottoman sovereignty. 1955 - Greek Cypriots begin guerrilla war against British rule. The guerrilla movement, the National Organisation of Cypriot Combatants (EOKA), wants enosis (unification) with Greece. 1960 - Britain grants independence to Cyprus under a power-sharing constitution between Turkish and Greek Cypriots, holding intervention rights over the island along with Turkey and Greece. 1963 - President Makarios raises Turkish fears by proposing constitutional changes which would abrogate power-sharing arrangements. Inter-communal violence erupts. Turkish side withdraws from power-sharing. 1974 - Military junta in Greece backs coup against Makarios, who escapes. Within days Turkish troops land in north. Coup collapses. Turkish forces occupy a third of the island.

Greek and Turkish Cypriots flee in opposite directions. 1983 - Rauf Denktash declares the breakaway state of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Turkey. 2003 - Turkish and Greek Cypriots cross island's dividing "green line" for first time in 30 years after Turkish Cypriot authorities ease border restrictions. 2004 - Cyprus joins the EU, but does so as a divided island. 2011 - Cyprus becomes entangled in the eurozone debt crisis. It secures a 10-billion-euro aid package to prevent its collapse and a possible exit from the euro zone. Read full timeline Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The tourist area of Varosha in northern Cyprus was fenced off by after the invading Turkish army and many of its hotels are now abandoned ruins Basic Facts on Cyprus for Travelers Cyprus is sometimes spelled Kipros, Kypros, and similar variations. Where is Cyprus? Cyprus is a large island located in the Eastern Aegean area of the Mediterranean. The coordinates of the capital of Nicosia are 35:09:00N 33:16:59E. Where is Cyprus?

It is located south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon, and northwest of Israel. Its strategic location and relative neutrality in relation to many of the Middle Eastern nations has made it something of a crossroads and it has been helpful in some delicate diplomatic proceedings. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sardinia and Sicily, and ahead of Crete. What kind of government does Cyprus have? Cyprus is a divided island with the northern portion under Turkish control. This is called "The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" but is only recognized as legitimate by Turkey itself. Supporters of the Republic of Cyprus may refer to the northern portion as "Occupied Cyprus". continue reading below our video Best Road Trip Apps The southern portion is an independent republic called the Republic of Cyprus, sometimes referred to as "Greek Cyprus" though this is misleading. It is culturally Greek but is not part of Greece. The entire island and the Republic of Cyprus is part of the European Union, though this does not quite apply to the northern portion of the island under Turkish control. To understand this situation, the official European Union page on Cyprus explains the details. What is the Capital of Cyprus?

Nicosia is the capital; it is divided by "The Green Line" into two parts, similar to the way Berlin was once divided. Access between the two parts of Cyprus has often been restricted but in recent years has been generally problem-free. Many visitors go to Larnaca (Larnaka), the major port located on the southeast coast of the island. Isn't Cyprus part of Greece? Cyprus has extensive cultural ties with Greece, but is not under Greek control. It was a British colony from 1925 until 1960. Prior to that, it was under British administrative control from 1878 and under Ottoman Empire control for most of the preceding several hundred years. While the Greece financial crisis affects the entire region and the rest of Europe, it is not impacting Cyprus much more than any other nation or area. Cypriot banks do have some ties with Greece, and the banks are watching the situation very carefully, but the rest of the economy of Cyprus is separate from that of Greece. If Greece ends up leaving the Euro, that will not affect Cyprus, which will continue to use the Euro. Cyprus has its own financial problems, however, and may need a separate "bail-out" at some point.

What are the Major Cities of Cyprus? Nicosia (Capital) Kyrenia (Northern Cyprus). More information on Northern Cyprus . What Money Do They Use in Cyprus? Since January 1st, 2008, Cyprus has adopted the Euro as its official currency. In practice, many merchants take a wide variety of foreign currency. The Cyprus Pound was gradually phased out over the following few years. Northern Cyprus still uses the New Turkish Lira as its official currency. You can check the conversion rates using one of these currency converters . While Northern Cyprus will continue to officially use the Turkish lira, in practice its merchants and hoteliers have been accepting a wide variety of foreign currency for years, and this will continue. Starting January 1st, 2008, the Euro will be used in all transactions in Cyprus. Have old Cyprus pounds sitting in a drawer? Now is the best time to convert them. The permanent conversion rate for one Cyprus pound into Euros is 0,585274 to one Euro.

Administrative Map of Greece - Nations Online Project Administrative Map of Greece Map Index ___ Administrative Map of Greece Greece is a country in south eastern Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, bordering the Mediterranean Sea in south and the Ionian Sea in west. It is bordered by Albania , the Republic of Macedonia , and Bulgaria in north and in east by Turkey . With an area of 132 000 km² it is slightly bigger than half the size of the United Kingdom , or slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Alabama. The Greek population is about 10.8 million people. Spoken languages are Greek (official) and Turkish (spoken only by a minority of Turks in Western Thrace). Map is showing Greece and the surrounding countries with international borders, administrative boundaries, the national capital Athens (Athina), administrative capitals, major cities, and the location of Mount Athos (Agion Oros) and Mount Olympus (Oros Olympos, highest peak Mytikas, 2 917 m (9 570 ft)). Greece shares maritime borders with Cyprus , Egypt , Italy , and Libya .

You are free to use this map for educational purposes, please refer to the Nations Online Project. all countries of the world Administrative Map of Greece (Hellenic Republic) Administrative Divisions The country is divided into 13 first-level administrative divisions called peripheries (Greek: περιφέρειες), a kind of regions or provinces. The country itself is divided into the mountainous mainland Greece on the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, including the Peloponnese peninsula, and a number of islands scattered in the Aegean Sea, which is more or less a bay of the Mediterranean Sea. Peripheries of Greece 1. Attica (Greek: Αττική) with the Greek capital Athens as the region capital. The region consists of the historic region of Attica on the Attic peninsula and a small part of the Peloponnese and the islands of Salamis, Aegina, Hydra and some smaller islands, and the islands south of Peloponnese peninsula Kythera, and Antikythera. 2. Crete (Greek: Κρήτη), the region consists of the largest Greek island and the small islet of Gavdos.

Capital city of Crete periphery is Heraklion. 3. Southern Aegean (Greek: Νοτίου Αιγαίου), the region consists of the Cyclades and Dodecanese island groups in the southern Aegean Sea, including Rhodes, the largest of the Dodecanese islands. Capital city of the Southern Aegean periphery is Ermoupoli on Syros island in the Cyclades. 4. Northern Aegean (Greek: Βορείου Αιγαίου), the region comprises several islands west of the Turkish coast, the islands are (from north to south): Lemnos, Agios Efstratios, Lesbos, Psara, Chios, Samos, and Ikaria. 5. Epirus (Greek: Ηπείρου), the mountainous region is situated in northwest of Greek mainland, south of Albania , it borders the Ionian Sea, in south west. Its capital is the city of Ioannina. 6.

Central Greece (Greek: Στερεάς Ελλάδας), the periphery lies to the north of Attica region and comprises parts of Boeotia on the Attic peninsula and the island of Euboea (Évia) and the Sporades island of Skyros. Capital city of Central Greece is Lamia. 7. Western Greece (Greek: Δυτικής Ελλάδας), the region is bordering the Ionian Sea in west ,it comprises of a south western portion of mainland Greece and the north western corner of Peloponnese peninsula. Capital of Western Greece is the city of Patras. 8. Ionian Islands (Greek: Ιονίων Νήσων), the region comprises the islands in the Ionian Sea (from north to south): Corfu, Paxi, Lefkada, Cephalonia (Kefalonia), and neighboring Ithaca and Zakynthos.

The region is based at Corfu and is divided into 5 regional units: Corfu (Kerkyra), Ithaca (Ithaki), Cephalonia, Lefkada, and Zakynthos. Capital of Ionian Islands periphery is the city of Corfu on the island with the same name. Macedonia (Greece) is a region in northern Greece, not to be confused with bordering Republic of Macedonia , which is also part of the geographical and historical region of Macedonia on the Balkan peninsula. Greek Macedonia is more or less the northern part of mainland Greece, bordered in north by Albania , the Republic of Macedonia , Bulgaria , and in east by Turkey . 9. Central Macedonia (Greek: Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας), consisting of the central part of the region of Macedonia. Capital of Central Macedonia is Greece's second largest city Thessaloniki. 10. Western Macedonia (Greek: Δυτικής Μακεδονίας), its the western part of Greek Macedonia with the capital Kozani. 11.

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Greek: Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας και Θράκης), the region comprises of the eastern part of Greek Macedonia along with the geographic and historical region of Thrace, and the islands of Thasos and Samothrace. Regional capital and commercial and administrative center is the Thracian city of Komotini. 12. Peloponnese (Greek: Πελοποννήσου), the periphery consists of 'only' two-third of the island of the same name. (austerity?). Peloponnese is mostly described as a peninsula connected with Greek mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth, but actually it is an island since the Corinth Canal, which connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf, separates the former Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greek mainland. 13. Thessaly (Greek: Θεσσαλία), the region comprises most of the ancient region of the same name. Thessaly's capital and largest city is Larissa.

Cities and towns in Greece: The map shows the location of following Greek cities and towns: Largest cities: Athens (pop: 3 million), Thessaloniki (pop: 790 000), Patras (pop: 215 000), Heraklion (pop: 173 000), Larissa (pop: 163 000), Volos (pop: 144 000), Rhodes (pop: 144 000), Ioannina (pop: 112 000), Chania (pop: 112 000), Chalcis (pop: 112 000) Other cities and towns: Agios Nikolaos, Agrinio, Alexandroupoli, Amaliada, Amfissa, Argos, Argostoli, Arta, Chios, Corfu (Kerkira), Corinth, Drama, Edessa, Egio, Ermoupoli, Florina, Gianitsa, Grevena, Igoumenitsa, Kalamata, Karditsa, Karpenisi, Kastoria, K

aterini, Kavala, Kilkis, Komotini, Kozani, Lamia, Lefkada, Livadia, Marathon, Megara, Messolongi, Mytilene, Nafplio, Orestiada, Piraeus, Pirgos, Polygyros, Preveza, Ptolemaida, Rethymno, Salamina, Serres, Sparta, Thebes (Thiva), Tirnavos, Trikala, Tripoli, Vathi, Veria, Xanthi, and Zakinthos.

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Question: What island is divided between Greek and Turkish factions?
Answer: Cyprus