Cyprus

Republic of Cyprus
Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία (Greek)
*Kypriakí Dhimokratía*
*Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti* (Turkish)
Republic of Cyprus Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία (Greek); Kypriakí Dhimokratía; Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti (Turkish)
	Flag Coat of arms of Cyprus Coat of arms
	Motto: none
	Anthem: Ύμνος εις την Ελευθερίαν; Transliteration: Imnos is tin Eleftherian; (English: Hymn to Freedom)1
Capital and largest city	Nicosia
Official languages	Greek, Turkish
Government	Republic
• President	Tassos Papadopoulos
Independence From United Kingdom
• Date	16 August 1960
• Water (%)	negligible
Population
• 2005 estimate	835,0002 (157th)
• 2001 census	689,565
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
• Total	$ 17.49 billion (115th)
• Per capita	$ 21,232 (32nd)
HDI (2004)	0.903; very high (29th)
Currency	Cyprus Pound (CYP)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Calling code	357
ISO 3166 code	CY
Internet TLD	.cy3
	1 "Ymnos pros tin Eleutherian" is also used as the national anthem of Greece.; 2 UN population estimate for entire island including Turkish-controlled areas.; 3 The .eu domain is also used, shared with other European Union member states.

Cyprus ([Κύπρος, Kýpros] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); Turkish: Kıbrıs), officially the Republic of Cyprus ([Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, Kypriakí Dhimokratía] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti), is a Eurasian island nation in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea south of the Anatolian peninsula (Asia Minor) or modern-day Turkey. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The Republic of Cyprus is divided into six districts ^[1]: Lefkosia (the capital) (also known as Nicosia), Ammochostos, Keryneia, Larnaka, Lemesos, and Pafos. A former British colony, the Republic of Cyprus gained independence in 1960 while the United Kingdom retained two Sovereign Base Areas. Following 11 years of alternating intercommunal violence and peaceful attempts at reconciliation, Turkey launched a two stage invasion of the island in 1974 claiming it to be a response to the Athens-engineered coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece. The invasion led to the internal displacement of thousands of Greek and Turkish Cypriots and the subsequent establishment of a separatist regime to govern the invaded area, currently styling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, separated from the south by the United Nations-controlled Green Line and is recognised only by Turkey. The Republic of Cyprus has been a member state of the European Union since 1 May 2004.^[2]

Etymology

The name Cyprus has a somewhat uncertain etymology. One suggestion is that it comes from the Greek word for the cypress tree (Cupressus sempervirens), κυπάρισσος (kypárissos) or even from the Greek name of the henna plant (Lawsonia alba), κύπρος (kýpros). Another school suggests that it stems from the Eteocypriot word for copper. Dossin, for example, suggests that it has roots to the Sumerian word for copper (zubar) or even the word for bronze (kubar), due to the large deposits of copper ore found on the island. Through overseas trade, the island has already given its name to the Classical Latin word for the metal, which appears in the phrase aes Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum. Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). were displaced from their home land, while Turkish forces killed several thousand Greek Cypriots captured in the occupied areas^{[citation needed]}. While this was happening, the entire inhabitants of several Turkish Cypriot villages were massacred in reprisal for the landings by Greek Cypriot paramilitaries.^[3] As of today, there are still thousands of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots unaccounted for. The events of the summer of 1974 have dominated Cypriot politics ever since and have been a major point of contention between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, as well as Greece and Turkey.

Since 1974, there have been continual efforts to negotiate a settlement, which met with varying levels of disagreement from either side. Since 18% of the population was left in control of 37% of the territory, including fertile and productive land, the Turkish government arranged an influx of settlers from Turkey whose exact numbers are disputed, but believed to be in the range of over 100,000. Turkey counters that the Turkish Cypriots - before 1963 - owned and farmed 33% of Cypriot land before being forced into enclaves, thus the take-over of one-third of Cyprus was seen as compensating the Turkish Cypriots for their lost land. This figures are rejected by the Cyprus Republic Authorities as fictional. According to the records held by the Cyprus Land Registry, only 12.3% of all Cypriot land, or 16.7% of privately owned land was owned by Turkish Cypriots. Of the 3,241,930,428 square meters of the occupied area, 60.27% is owned by Greek Cypriots, 16.39% is owned by Turkish Cypriots and 23.09% is state owned land.

Turkish Cypriots proclaimed a separate state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), under Rauf Denktaş on November 15 1983. The UN Security Council, in its Resolution 541 of November 18 1983, declared the action illegal and called for withdrawal. Turkey is the only country to date that recognises the administration on the northern third of Cyprus. Turkey does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus's authority over the whole island, and refers to it as the Greek Cypriot administration.

Cyprus joined the European Union as a full member in May 2004. Although it was the island as a whole which joined (theoretically including the northern areas), the Acquis communautaire applies only to those (Greek) areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus.

In 2004, the UN backed Annan plan sought to reunify the island before EU accession. Turkish Cypriots accepted the plan whilst Greek Cypriots rejected it, leading to the entry of a divided island, though the Acquis communautaire is considered suspended from the north, it is still theoretically part of the European Union.

Since the invasion, the economy of Cyprus has grown greatly and enjoys a high standard of living. The north maintains a lower standard of living due to international embargoes, relying on Turkey for aid, though increased revenues through tourism and a recent construction boom have led to rapid economic development in recent years. The Turkish Cypriot administration has allowed the illegal sale of real estate, consisting almost entirely of property and land still owned by Greek Cypriots since before the 1974 Turkish invasion, to private buyers from overseas. In 2005, the UK's Guardian Newspaper reported that up to 10,000 Europeans had invested in property in the north of Cyprus, a trend that still causes concern in the south. This concern was highlighted by the UK's Telegraph Newspaper in 2006 when the wife of Britain's prime minister, Cherie Blair, touched a diplomatic nerve; Mrs Blair, in her capacity as an advocate at law, represented a UK couple, the Orams, who had been taken to court by Greek Cypriots who claimed ownership of the land on which the Orams had built a house. President Tassos Papadopoulos referred to Blair's decision to represent the Orams as "a provocative action".

On 5 December 2006, the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommended a further six-month extension in the mandate of the UN mission that has been deployed on the island for over four decades. Mr. Annan said that while the situation remained “calm and stable with no major violations of the ceasefire lines,” he regretted the continued stalemate in the political process and the “missed opportunities” over the past 10 years.

Geography

File:Modis cyprus lrg.jpg

MODIS satellite image of Cyprus.

The third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia), Cyprus is geographically situated in the eastern Mediterranean and just south of the Anatolian peninsula (or Asia Minor) of the Asian mainland; thus, it is commonly included in the Middle East (see also Western Asia and Near East). Turkey is 75 kilometres (47 miles) north; other neighbouring countries include Syria and Lebanon to the east, Israel to the southeast, Egypt to the south, and Greece to the west-north-west.

Politically and culturally, however, it is closely aligned with Europe – particularly Greece and Turkey. Historically, Cyprus has been at the crossroads between Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, with lengthy periods of mainly Greek and intermittent Anatolian, Levantine, and British influences. Thus, it is generally considered a transcontinental island.

The central plain (Mesaoria) with the Kyrenia and Pentadactylos mountains to the north and the Troodos mountain range to the south and west. There are also scattered, but significant, plains along the southern coast.

The climate is temperate and Mediterranean with dry summers and variably rainy winters. Summer temperatures range from warm at higher elevations in the Troodos mountains to hot in the lowlands. Winter temperatures are mild at lower elevations, where snow rarely occurs, but are significantly colder in the Troodos mountains, where there is sufficient snow for a seasonal ski facility.

The capital city, Nicosia, is located to the north-east of the centre of the island and is the only divided capital in the world. All the other major cities are situated on the coast: Paphos to the south-west, Limassol to the south, Larnaca to the south-east, Famagusta to the east, and Kyrenia to the north.

Administrative divisions

Cyprus is divided into six districts:

	Greek	Turkish
Famagusta	Αμμόχωστος (Ammochostos)	Gazimağusa
Kyrenia	Κερύvεια (Keryneia)	Girne
Larnaca	Λάρνακα (Larnaka)	Larnaka
Limassol	Λεμεσός (Lemesos)	Limasol/Leymosun
Nicosia	Λευκωσία (Lefkosia)	Lefkoşa
Paphos	Πάφος (Pafos)	Baf

Politics

Template:Morepolitics After independence Cyprus became a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement despite all three guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey and the UK) being North Atlantic Treaty Organization members. Cyprus left the Non-Aligned Movement in 2004 to join the European Union, though it retains special observer status.

The 1960 Cypriot 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, for example, was headed by a Greek Cypriot president, Archbishop Makarios III, and a Turkish Cypriot vice president, Dr Fazıl Küçük, elected by their respective communities for 5-year terms and each possessing a right of veto over certain types of legislation and executive decisions. This system was destined to fail as the power of veto meant that whether democratically desired certain legislation could not be passed. This of course also meant that a Turkish Cypriot could never be president and the government would, therefore, be Greek Cypriot dominant meaning that all laws passed would be in favor of the Greek Cypriots. To prevent Dr Fazıl Küçük from becoming provisional president Archbishop Makarios III never left the island.

The House of Representatives was elected on the basis of separate voters' rolls. Since 1964, following clashes between the two communities, the Turkish Cypriot seats in the House remained vacant, while the Greek Cypriot Communal Chamber was abolished. The responsibilities of the chamber were transferred to the newfounded Ministry of Education.

By 1967, when a military junta had seized power in Greece, the political impetus for enosis had faded, partly as a result of the non-aligned foreign policy of Cypriot President Makarios. Enosis remained an ideological goal, despite being pushed significantly further down the political agenda. Dissatisfaction in Greece with Makarios's perceived failure to deliver on earlier promises of enosis convinced the Greek colonels to sponsor the 1974 coup in Nicosia.

Turkey responded by launching a military operation on Cyprus in a move not approved by the other two international guarantor powers, Greece and the United Kingdom using as a pretext the protection of the Turkish minority from Greek militias. The invasion is called "Cyprus Peace Operation" by the Turkish side. Turkish forces captured the northern part of the island. Many thousands of others, from both sides, left the island entirely. In addition to many of the Greek Cypriot refugees (a third of the population), many Turkish Cypriots (on whose pretext Turkey invaded) also moved to the UK and other countries where for the past 30 years they have lived as neighbours with the Greek Cypriots. In the meantime Turkey illegally imported Turkish colonists to populate the occupied territories, thereby altering the ethnic make up of the occupied north. Under the Geneva Conventions of 1949, it is a war crime to transfer, directly or indirectly, the civilian population of a country power onto land under that country's military occupation.

Subsequently, the Turkish Cypriots established their own separatist institutions with a popularly elected de facto President and a Prime Minister responsible to the National Assembly exercising joint executive powers. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriots declared an independent state called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), an action opposed by the United Nations Security Council. In 1985, the TRNC adopted a constitution and held its first elections.

Political division

Cyprus gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, with the UK, Greece and Turkey retaining limited rights to intervene in internal affairs.

In July 1974, after an attempted coup against the Makarios government by extreme right-wing factions aided by the Greek junta, Turkey invaded Cyprus, despite the fact that the coup had been quashed before the arrival of Turkish paratroopers. The area occupied by the Turkish military was further extended to 37 percent of the island beyond the demarcation line given in the UN brokered ceasefire. Turkey has ever since occupied the northern part by a massive military force, estimated at 35 to 60 thousand troops. Cyprus has been divided, de facto, into the Greek-Cypriot controlled rump of the Republic, somewhat less than two-thirds of the island and the Turkish-occupied 37 percent area in the north. Further, British sovereign bases under the term of the establishment of the Republic in 1960, occupy 99 square miles (256 square kilometers). The Republic of Cyprus is the legitimate internationally-recognised government of Cyprus. Turkey aside, all foreign governments and the United Nations recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole island of Cyprus.

The Turkish Cypriot administration of the northern part of the island, together with Turkey, rejects the Republic's rule over the whole island and refers to it as the "Greek Authority of Southern Cyprus". Its territory, a result of the Turkish invasion of 1974 and whose status remains disputed, extends over the northern 34 percent of the island.

The north proclaimed its independence in 1975, and the self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was established in 1983. This state is recognised only by Turkey. The Organization of the Islamic Conference granted it observer member status under the name of "Turkish Cypriot State".

The other power with territory on Cyprus is the United Kingdom. Under the independence agreement, the UK retained entitlement to lease two extensive areas on the southern coast of the island, around Akrotiri and Dhekelia, known collectively as the UK sovereign base areas. They are used as military bases.

Exclaves and enclaves

Cyprus has four exclaves, all in territory that belongs to the British Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia. The first two are the villages of Ormidhia and Xylotymvou. Additionally there is the Dhekelia Power Station, which is divided by a British road into two parts. The northern part is an enclave, like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea and therefore not an enclave —although it has no territorial waters of its own [1].

The UN buffer zone separating the territory controlled by the Turkish Cypriot administration from the rest of Cyprus runs up against Dhekelia and picks up again from its east side, off Ayios Nikolaos (connected to the rest of Dhekelia by a thin land corridor). In that sense, the buffer zone turns the south-east corner of the island, the Paralimni area, into a de facto, though not de jure, exclave.

Reunification, the Annan Plan and EU entry

The results of early negotiations between Greek and Turkish politicians lead to a broad agreement in principle for reunification as a bi-cameral, bi-zonal federation with territory allocated to the Greek and Turkish communities within a united island. However, agreement was never reached on the finer details, and negotiations where often deadlocked over the following points, among others:

The Greek side:

took a strong line on the right of return for refugees to properties vacated in the 1974 displacement of Cypriots on both sides, which was based on both UN Resolutions and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights;
took a dim view of any proposals which did not allow for the repatriation of Turkish settlers from the mainland who had emigrated to Cyprus since 1974; and
supported a stronger central government.

The Turkish side:

favoured a weak central government presiding over two sovereign states in voluntary association, a legacy of earlier fears of domination by the majority Greek Cypriots; and
opposed plans for demilitarisation, citing security concerns.

The continued difficulties in finding a settlement presented a potential obstacle to Cypriot entry to the European Union, for which the government had applied in 1997. UN-sponsored talks between the Greek and Turkish leaders, Glafkos Klerides and Rauf Denktash, continued intensively in 2002, but without resolution. In December 2002, the EU formally invited Cyprus to join in 2004, insisting that EU membership would apply to the whole island and hoping that it would provide a significant enticement for reunification resulting from the outcome of ongoing talks. However, weeks before the UN deadline, Klerides was defeated in presidential elections by centre candidate Tassos Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos had a reputation as a hard-liner on reunification and based his stance on international law and human rights. By mid-March, the UN declared that the talks had failed.

A United Nations plan sponsored by Secretary-General Kofi Annan was announced on 31 March 2004, based on what progress had been made during the talks in Switzerland and fleshed out by the UN, was put for the first time to civilians on both sides in separate referenda on 24 April 2004. The Greek side overwhelmingly rejected the Annan Plan, and the Turkish side voted in favour. In considering the outcome it is interesting to note that whilst the Turkish settlers (who make up the majority in the occupied north) were allowed to vote, the refugees who had fled Cyprus had no right to vote in a referendum which would ultimately determine their future (their right to return and right to their property).

In May 2004, Cyprus entered the EU, although in practice membership only applies to the southern part of the island which is in the control of the Republic of Cyprus, but this reality does not concern the personal rights of native Turkish Cypriots as EU citizens, as they are considered as citizens of the Member State Republic of Cyprus. [2]

Economy

Economic affairs in Cyprus are dominated by the division of the country.

The Cypriot economy is prosperous and has diversified in recent years. Cyprus has been sought as a basis for several offshore businesses, due to its highly developed infrastructure. Economic policy of the Cyprus government has focused on meeting the criteria for admission to the European Union.

Recently, oil has been discovered in the sea South of Cyprus (between Cyprus and Egypt) and talks are under way with Egypt to reach an agreement as to the exploitation of these resources. The level of the oil field in terms of production (barrels per day) that the two countries will be able to produce is still a matter of speculation.

The economy of the Turkish Cypriot North is dominated by the services sector including the public sector, trade, tourism and education, with smaller agriculture and light manufacturing sectors. The economy operates on a free-market basis, although it continues to be handicapped by the political isolation of Turkish Cypriots, the lack of private and governmental investment, high freight costs, and shortages of skilled labor. Despite these constraints, the Turkish Cypriot economy turned in an impressive performance in 2003 and 2004, with growth rates of 9.6% and 11.4%. Over the same period, per capita income almost doubled. This growth has been buoyed by the relative stability of the Turkish Lira and by a boom in the education and construction sectors.

Eventual adoption of the euro currency is required of all new countries joining the European Union, and the Cyprus government currently intends to adopt the currency on 1 January 2008.

The largest bank on the island is the Bank of Cyprus.

Demographics

Greek and Turkish Cypriots share many customs but maintain separate ethnic identities based on religion, language, and close ties with their respective motherlands. Greeks comprise 77% of the island's population, Turks 18%, while the remaining 5% are of other ethnicity.

After the Turkish invasion of 1974, about 150.000 Turks from Anatolia were transferred or decided to settle in the north. This number also includes many Kurds. This has changed the actual demographic structure of the island. In the years since the census data was gathered in 2000, Cyprus has also seen a large influx of guest workers from countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as major increases in the numbers of permanent British residents. Since the country joined the European Union, a significant Polish population has also grown up, joining sizeable communities from Russia and Ukraine (mostly Pontic Greeks, immigrating after the fall of the Eastern Bloc), Bulgaria, Romania and Eastern European states.

The major part of Greek Cypriots, and thus the majority of entire Cyprus, belong to the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Cyprus (Cypriot Orthodox Church), whereas most Turkish Cypriots are Sunni Muslims. Church attendance is relatively high and Cyprus is known, along with Malta and Greece, as one of the most religious countries in the European Union. In addition, there are also small Roman Catholic, Maronite and Armenian Apostolic communities in Cyprus.

Greek is the predominant language in the south, Turkish is spoken in the north and by some Greek Cypriots, too. This delineation is only reflective of the post-1974 division of the island, which involved an expulsion of Greek Cypriots from the north and the analoguous move of Turkish Cypriots from the south. Historically, the Greek language was largely spoken by all Greek Cypriots and by many Turkish Cypriots too, given the fact that the Greek Cypriots formed the majority of the population. Turkish Cypriots uses Turkish as VO language and rather as a strong dialect of Turkish.

English is widely understood, and is taught in schools from the primary age. Many official documents are published in English as well as the official languages of Greek and Turkish.

Education

Cyprus has a well-developed system of primary and secondary education offering both public and private education. State schools are generally seen as equivalent in quality of education to private sector institutions. Although they don't offer A-level examinations, their end of year reports are partly recognized by the British universities. Graduates of public schools are required to take an entrance examination in order to enroll at the University of Cyprus or other Universities in Greece. Private school students usually study in Britain and the USA although some of them go to the University of Cyprus or Greek universities. The main problem faced in public education is the need of extended extra lessons, while students in private schools need virtually no extra lessons. Neither for their entrance to the university nor for the school syllabus. The government is trying to eliminate this problem but this seems impossible at its current state.

The majority of Cypriots receive their higher education at Greek, British, Turkish, other European and North American universities, while there are also sizeable emigrant communities in the United Kingdom and Australia. Private colleges and state-supported universities have been developed by both the Turkish and Greek communities.

According to the 1960 constitution, education is under the control of the two communities (the communal chambers). State education was based on nationalisation of existing community supported schools from the colonial period. Thus following 1974 the Cypriot system follows the Greek system in the south, in other words providing their students with an apolytirion, and the Turkish system in the north. A large number of students after sitting for A-levels and/or SATs study abroad, mainly in English speaking countries such as the United Kingdom or the United States, but also in other European destinations such as France and Germany. Traditionally the communist party AKEL provided scholarships for its members to study in Eastern Europe. Eastern European countries, especially Bulgaria and Hungary, are still popular destinations for students.

In the north there are several universities, which are mostly attended by Turkish Cypriot and Turkish students. The largest of these universities is the Eastern Mediterranean University [3].

Educational institutions

Cyprus International Institute for the Environment and Public Health in association with Harvard School of Public Health (taught in English)
University of Cyprus
Open University of Cyprus
Cyprus College (taught in English) situated in Nicosia
Intercollege (taught in English) situated in Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca
Higher Technological Institute (taught in English and Greek) situated in Nicosia
Frederick Intitute of Technology (taught in English and Greek) situated in Nicosia and Limassol
The Cyprus Institute of Marketing

Private secondary schools include:

The Falcon School (Nicosia)
The American Academy (Nicosia and Larnaca)
The American International School (Nicosia)
The English School Nicosia (Nicosia)
GC School of Careers (Nicosia)
The Grammar School (Nicosia)
PASCAL English School (Nicosia, Larnaka, and Limassol)
PASCAL Greek School (Ελληνική Σχολή ΠΑΣΚΑΛ)
Foleys Grammar School (Limassol)

Current events

A consequence of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict was the evacuation of many thousands of refugees to southern Cyprus. Governments including the U.K., U.S, France and Germany launched independent operations to evacuate their citizens from the area. Canada leased seven ships from Cyprus in order to facilitate the evacuation of Canadians living or vacationing in Lebanon. Almost one hundred thousand foreign nationals - including both tourists and Lebanese with dual-citizenship - passed through Cyprus, a number of whom remained on the island until the hostilities ended in August. While most foreign nationals eventually left the island, over twenty people that had been visiting Lebanon but refused re-entry into the United States set up a small camp outside the island's US Embassy. They have since been removed. During the crisis, Cypriot officials were concerned by possible illegal migrants as well as the toll the displaced would have on the island's limited resources.

Internal membership

The island nation Cyprus is member of: Australia Group, CE, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ITUC, IDA, IFAD, IFC , IHO,ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG,OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO. [4]

Notables

Peter Andre (born 1973), singer.
Marcos Baghdatis (born 1985), tennis player.
Michael Cacoyiannis (born 1922), film director known for the movies Stella (1955) and Zorba the Greek (1964).
Antony Costa, former member of the boy band Blue whose father is/was a Greek Cypriot.
Evridiki (born 1968), singer.
Mustafa Halilsoy (born 1949), physicist
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou (born 1967), owner of easyGroup and self-styled "serial entrepreneur".
Costas Harris (born 1983), Chess Player, came 29th in World Junior Chess Championships for Cyprus in 1999
Yusuf Islam (previously Cat Stevens, born 1948), singer whose father was a Greek Cypriot.
Mick Karn (born 1958), bassist for the new-wave band Japan.
Michalis Konstantinou (born 1978), football player for Olympiakos CFP and the Cyprus national football team's all-time leading goalscorer.
Giannos Kranidiotis (1947-1999), former deputy Minister of State.
Dr. Fazil Küçük (1906-1984), the first and only Turkish Cypriot Vice President of the 1960 Republic of Cyprus.
Archbishop Makarios (1913-1977), first President of the Republic of Cyprus.
George Michael (born 1963), singer.
Giannis Okkas (born 1977), football player for Olympiakos CFP and the Cyprus national football team.
Stel Pavlou (born 1970), author and screenwriter.
Peter Polycarpou, actor.
Anna Vissi (born 1957), singer.
Zeno of Citium (333 BC - 264 BC), Hellenistic philosopher, founder of Stoicism; possibly Phoenician.

External links

Government

General information

CIA World Factbook - Cyprus
US State Department - Cyprus includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
"The Cyprus Conflict" An extensive educational web site dedicated to the Cyprus Conflict
Open Directory Project - Cyprus directory category
news and information about both parts of Cyprus

Miscellaneous

Lucadea.com 68 nice pictures of Cyprus
Cyprus Guide Everything about Cyprus

Official publications

The British government's Foreign Affairs Committee report on Cyprus.
Letter by the President of the Republic, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, to the U.N. Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, dated June 7, which circulated as an official document of the U.N. Security Council
Legal Issues arising from certain population transfers and displacements on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus in the period since 20 July 1974
Address to Cypriots by President Papadopoulos (FULL TEXT)
The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office, Aspects of the Cyprus Problem
1st Report of the European Commission of Human Rights; Turkey's intervention in Cyprus and aftermath (20 July 1974 - 18 May 1976)
2nd Report of the European Commission of Human Rights; Turkey's intervention in Cyprus and aftermath (19 May 1976 to 10 February 1983)
European Court of Human Rights Case of Cyprus v. Turkey (Application no. 25781/94)

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