Guide to Cyprus Introduction Background: A former British colony, Cyprus received independence 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-sponsored attempt to seize the government 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," but it is recognized only by Turkey. The latest two-year round of UN-brokered direct talks - between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reach an agreement to reunite the divided island - ended when the Greek Cypriots rejected the UN settlement plan in an April 2004 referendum. Although only the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot-controlled Republic of Cyprus joined the EU on 1 May 2004, every Cypriot carrying a Cyprus passport will have the status of a European citizen. EU laws, however, will not apply to north Cyprus. Nicosia continues to oppose EU efforts to establish direct trade and economic links to north Cyprus as a way of encouraging the Turkish Cypriot community to continue to support reunification.
Geography Location: Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 33 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total
Area - comparative: about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 648 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
Climate: temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Terrain: central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 382 sq km (2001 est.)
Natural hazards: moderate earthquake activity; droughts
Environment - current issues: 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
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia)
People Population: 780,133 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 0.54% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 12.57 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 7.64 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 1,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: Greek 77%, Turkish 18%, other 5% (2001)
Religions: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and other 4%
Languages: Greek, Turkish, English
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Government type: republic note
Capital: Nicosia
Administrative divisions: 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 Lefkosia (Nicosia) and Larnaca
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
Constitution: 16 August 1960; from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no longer participated in the government; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and for better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently since the mid-1960s; in 1975, following the 1974 Turkish intervention, Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated State of Cyprus," which became the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" when the Turkish Cypriots declared their independence in 1983; a new constitution for the "TRNC" passed by referendum on 5 May 1985
Legal system: based on common law, with civil law modifications
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: unicameral - Republic of Cyprus
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed jointly by the president and vice president) note
Political parties and leaders: Republic of Cyprus
Political pressure groups and leaders: 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)
International organization participation: Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: 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 note
Economy Economy - overview: The Greek Cypriot economy is prosperous but highly susceptible to external shocks. The service sector, mainly tourism and financial services, dominates the economy; 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. Economic policy is focused on meeting the criteria to join the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM2) within the next two years although sluggish tourism and poor fiscal management have resulted in growing budget deficits since 2001. As in the Turkish sector, water shortages are a perennial problem; a few desalination plants are now on-line. After 10 years of drought, the country received substantial rainfall from 2001-03, alleviating immediate concerns. The Turkish Cypriot economy has roughly one-third of the per capita GDP of the south, and economic growth tends to be volatile, given north Cyprus's relative isolation, bloated public sector, reliance on the Turkish lira, and small market size. The Turkish Cypriot economy grew 2.6% in 2004, fueled by growth in the construction and education sectors as well as increased employment of Turkish Cypriots in the Republic of Cyprus. The Turkish Cypriots are heavily dependent on transfers from the Turkish government. Ankara provides around $300 million a year directly into the "TRNC" budget and regularly provides additional financing for large infrastructure projects. Agriculture and government service, together employ almost half of the work force, and the potential for tourism is promising, especially with the easing of border restrictions with the Greek Cypriots in April 2003.
GDP (purchasing power parity): Republic of Cyprus
GDP - real growth rate: Republic of Cyprus
GDP - per capita: Republic of Cyprus
GDP - composition by sector: Republic of Cyprus
Labor force: Republic of Cyprus
Labor force - by occupation: Republic of Cyprus
Unemployment rate: Republic of Cyprus
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Republic of Cyprus
Investment (gross fixed): Republic of Cyprus
Budget: revenues
Public debt: Republic of Cyprus
Agriculture - products: citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables, poultry, pork, lamb, kids, dairy, cheese
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
Industrial production growth rate: Republic of Cyprus
Electricity - production: 4 billion kWh; north Cyprus
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: Republic of Cyprus
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 300 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: Republic of Cyprus
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Current account balance: $-619.9 million (2004 est.)
Exports: Republic of Cyprus
Exports - commodities: Republic of Cyprus
Exports - partners: UK 27.2%, Greece 11.9%, Germany 5%, UAE 4.8% (2004)
Imports: Republic of Cyprus
Imports - commodities: Republic of Cyprus
Imports - partners: Greece 15.2%, Italy 10.5%, Germany 8.9%, UK 8.6%, France 6.3%, Japan 4.7%, Israel 4.4%, China 4% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Republic of Cyprus
Debt - external: Republic of Cyprus
Economic aid - recipient: Republic of Cyprus - $17 million (1998); north Cyprus - $700 million from Turkey in grants and loans, which are usually forgiven (2003)
Currency (code): Greek Cypriot area
Currency code: CYP; TRL
Exchange rates: Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003), 0.6107 (2002), 0.6431 (2001), 0.6224 (2000), Turkish lira per US dollar 1.426 million (2004), 1.501 million (2003), 1.507 million (2002), 1.226 million (2001), 625,200 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: Republic of Cyprus
Telephones - mobile cellular: Republic of Cyprus
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: Republic of Cyprus
Radios: Greek Cypriot area
Television broadcast stations: Republic of Cyprus
Televisions: Greek Cypriot area
Internet country code: .cy
Internet hosts: 5,901 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000)
Internet users: 210,000 (2002)
Transportation Highways: total
Ports and harbors: Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 17 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Heliports: 10 (2004 est.)
Military Military branches: Republic of Cyprus
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $384 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.8% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: 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; March 2003 reunification talks failed, but Turkish-Cypriots later opened their borders to temporary visits by Greek Cypriots; on 24 April 2004, the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities voted in simultaneous and parallel referenda on whether to approve the UN-brokered Annan Plan that would have ended the thirty-year division of the island by establishing a new "United Cyprus Republic," a majority of Greek Cypriots voted "no"; 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
Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
Illicit drugs: 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 highly vulnerable to money laundering; identification of benefiting owners and reporting of suspicious transactions by nonresident-controlled companies in offshore sector remains weak
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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