CIA - The World Factbook

A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to seize control of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. The election of a new Cypriot president in 2008 served as the impetus for the UN to encourage both the Turkish and Cypriot Governments to reopen unification negotiations. In September 2008, the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities started negotiations under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under direct government control, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.

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

about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

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

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

moderate earthquake activity; droughts

water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's largest aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution from sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization

the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia)

796,740 (July 2009 est.)

12.57 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

7.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

1.77 children born/woman (2009 est.)

fewer than 1,000 (2007 est.)

Greek 77%, Turkish 18%, other 5% (2001)

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

Greek, Turkish, English

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

16 August 1960 (from the UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these proclamations are only recognized by Turkey

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

based on English common law, with civil law modifications; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

18 years of age; universal

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

Supreme Court (judges are appointed jointly by the president and vice president)

Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or PEO (Communist controlled)

Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (associate member), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities

The area of the Republic of Cyprus under government control has a market economy dominated by the service sector, which accounts for 78% of GDP. Tourism, financial services, and real estate are the most important sectors. Erratic growth rates over the past decade reflect the economy's reliance on tourism, which often fluctuates with political instability in the region and economic conditions in Western Europe. Nevertheless, the economy in the area under government control has grown at a rate well above the EU average since 2000. Cyprus joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM2) in May 2005 and adopted the euro as its national currency on 1 January 2008. An aggressive austerity program in the preceding years, aimed at paving the way for the euro, helped turn a soaring fiscal deficit (6.3% in 2003) into a surplus of 1.2% in 2008, and reduced inflation to 5.1%. This prosperity will come under pressure in 2009, as construction and tourism slow in the face of reduced foreign demand triggered by the ongoing global financial crisis. Growth is expected to slow to less than 2%, which would be its lowest level since 2003. As in the area administered by Turkish Cypriots, water shortages are a perennial problem; a few desalination plants have been added to existing plants over the last year and are now on line. After 10 years of drought, the country received substantial rainfall from 2001-04. Since then, rainfall has been well below average, making water rationing a necessity.

$22.69 billion (2008 est.)

$21.9 billion (2007)

$20.98 billion (2006)

$25.59 billion (2008 est.)

21.4% of GDP (2008 est.)

49% of GDP (2008 est.)

NA% (31 December 2008)

5% (31 December 2007)

NA% (31 December 2008)

6.74% (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$4.094 billion (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$43.93 billion (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$52.09 billion (31 December 2007)

$29.48 billion (31 December 2007)

citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables; poultry, pork, lamb; dairy, cheese

tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum production, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone, and clay products

4.52 billion kWh (2007 est.)

4.151 billion kWh (2006 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

57,830 bbl/day (2006 est.)

55,970 bbl/day (2005)

0 cu m (1 January 2006)

$-2.609 billion (2008 est.)

$1.53 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement, and clothing

Greece 21.1%, UK 14.3%, Germany 6.6% (2007)

$8.689 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, intermediate goods, machinery, transport equipment

Greece 17.7%, Italy 10.2%, UK 9.6%, Germany 9.4%, Israel 6.5%, France 5.4%, China 5.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2007)

$1.476 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$28.84 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$15.04 billion (2008 est.)

$6.403 billion (2008 est.)

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), Cypriot pounds (CYP) per US dollar - 0.4286 (2007), 0.4586 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004)

area under government control: 376,000 (2007); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 86,228 (2002)

area under government control: 962,200 (2007); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: 147,522 (2002)

area under government control: Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos;; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Famagusta, Kyrenia

Republic of Cyprus: Greek Cypriot National Guard (Ethniki Forea, EF; includes naval and air elements); northern Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot Security Force (GKK) (2009)

Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of age for voluntary service; women may volunteer for a 3-year term; length of normal service is 25 months (2009)

3.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus); the 1,000-strong UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since 1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and south; on 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered the European Union still divided, with the EU's body of legislation and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the north; Turkey protests Cypriot Government creating hydrocarbon blocks and maritime boundary with Lebanon in March 2007

minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey; some cocaine transits as well; despite a strengthening of anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector remains weak (2008)