World Atlas: Cyprus. On this page you can see the map, country flag and many detailed information about the people, history and economy of Cyprus.
Here you can find online selected information about the geography, inhabitants, government, economy and history of Cyprus. Included are selected statistics, an overview map and the detailed map of Cyprus. But let's start with the flag of Cyprus here:
Cyprus - Overview:
What you should know about Cyprus? Let's start with this: 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 overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot administered area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. A UN-mediated agreement, the Annan Plan, failed to win approval by both communities in 2004. In February 2014, after a hiatus of nearly two years, the leaders of the two communities resumed formal discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. Talks were suspended in October 2014, but resumed in earnest in May 2015 following the election of a new Turkish Cypriot "president." 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 the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the area 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 EU states.
Geography of Cyprus
Where on the globe is Cyprus? The location of this country is Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey; note - Cyprus views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both. Total area of Cyprus is 9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus), of which 9,241 sq km is land. So this is quite a small country. How could we describe the terrain of the country? This way: central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast. The lowest point of Cyprus is Mediterranean Sea 0 m, the highest point Mount Olympus 1,951 m. And the climate is temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters.
Inhabitants of Cyprus
Let's take a look how many people live in Cyprus. The number is: 1,221,549 (July 2017 est.). So not so many people live here. Who lives here? Greek 98.8%, other 1% (includes Maronite, Armenian, Turkish-Cypriot), unspecified 0.2%. What are the languages in Cyprus? Greek (official) 80.9%, Turkish (official) 0.2%, English 4.1%, Romanian 2.9%, Russian 2.5%, Bulgarian 2.2%, Arabic 1.2%, Filipino 1.1%, other 4.3%, unspecified 0.6%. And the religions: Orthodox Christian 89.1%, Roman Catholic 2.9%, Protestant/Anglican 2%, Muslim 1.8%, Buddhist 1%, other (includes Maronite, Armenian Church, Hindu) 1.4%, unknown 1.1%, none/atheist 0.6%. How old are the people in average? 36.8 years. We have to add that this number is the median - so one half of the people is older than this, one half is younger. And what is their life expectancy (at birth)? This: 78.8 years. Where the people live in Cyprus? Here: population concentrated in central Nicosia and in the major cities of the south: Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca. The major urban areas of Cyprus are: Nicosia (capital) 251,000 (2014).
Government and Economy of Cyprus
The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa) and the government type Republic of Cyprus - presidential democracy; Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (self-declared) - semi-presidential democracy. Let's take a look at the administrative divisions - 6 districts; Ammochostos (Famagusta); (all but a small part located in the Turkish Cypriot community), Keryneia (Kyrenia; the only district located entirely in the Turkish Cypriot community), Larnaka (Larnaca; with a small part located in the Turkish Cypriot community), Lefkosia (Nicosia; a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Lemesos (Limassol), Pafos (Paphos); note - the 5 "districts" of the "TRNC" are Gazimagusa (Famagusta), Girne (Kyrenia), Guzelyurt (Morphou), Iskele (Trikomo), Lefkosa (Nicosia). Regarding the economy of Cyprus, important industrial products are tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone and clay products. Important agricultural products are citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables; poultry, pork, lamb; dairy, cheese. The most important export commodities are citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement, clothing and the most important export partners are UK 12%, Greece 10.2%, Sweden 6.9%, Liberia 5.8%, Libya 4.9% (2016). The most important import commodities are consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, machinery, transport equipment and the most important import partners are Greece 18%, Germany 16.9%, China 7.7%, Italy 5.7%, UK 5.5%, South Korea 4.4%, France 4% (2016). How rich is Cyprus and how rich are people in this country? The most important number here is GDP per capita (PPP): $36,600 (2017 est.). This means the living standards are good here. Let's add that this means Gross Domestic Product per person, which is recalculated with respect to the relative cost of local goods and services. And one more important number - population below poverty line: NA%.