Cyprus

Cyprus, republic, and third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, located west of Syria and south of Turkey. The island has a maximum length of about 225 km (about 140 mi) from Cape Andreas in the northeast to the western extremity of the island. Its maximum width, from Cape Gata in the south to Cape Kormakiti in the north, is about 97 km (about 60 mi). The total area of the country is 9251 sq km (3572 sq mi). Nicosia is the capital and largest city. Since 1974 the northern third of Cyprus has been occupied by Turkish troops and has formed a separate—though officially unrecognized—state called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Climate

Cyprus has a typical Mediterranean climate, with hot and dry summers and a cool, rainy season that extends from October to March. The mean annual temperature is 20.6° C (69° F). The annual rainfall averages less than 500 mm (less than 20 in).

Natural Resources

The chief natural resource of Cyprus is its arable land. The mountain soils tend to be peaty on higher flatlands but are shallow and stony on the slopes. Farming provides income for much of the population. Copper and other minerals were formerly a major source of export earnings, but mining has declined considerably in importance.

Population

Greek-speaking Cypriots make up about 80 percent of the population. About 18 percent of the population is of Turkish extraction, and the remainder is made up of Armenians and other ethnic groups. Both the Greek and Turkish communities retain the customs, and, to a great extent, the national identity of their coreligionists on the mainland. Since the Turkish invasion in 1974 mass migrations of Greeks and Turks have taken place, so that now the two groups are geographically separated. The Greek Cypriots occupy the southern two-thirds of the island and the Turkish Cypriots occupy the northern third. The people are predominantly farmers who work the land surrounding their villages.

Population Characteristics and Principal Cities

The combined population of the Greek and Turkish sectors (1991 estimate) is about 708,000. The overall population density is about 77 persons per sq km (about 198 per sq mi). The principal city is Nicosia, the capital, with an estimated 1991 population of 166,500 for the Greek Cypriot zone and an estimated 1989 population of 39,496 in the Turkish zone. Limassol (population, 1991 estimate, 129,700), Larnaca (59,600), and Famagusta (20,516) are the chief ports.

Religion

Members of the Greek community adhere to the Church of Cyprus, which is in doctrinal agreement with the Eastern Orthodox church, but is independent and has no allegiance to any patriarch. The archbishop primate, who is bishop of Nicosia, and the three other bishops of the Cypriot church are elected by the church membership.

The Turkish minority is mostly Muslim. Other small religious groups include Maronites (Christian Arabs), Roman Catholics, and Jews.

Language

Greek and Turkish are the official languages and are taught in schools and used in broadcasting. English is widely spoken in the main towns. Cypriot Greek, although related to the language of the Greek mainland, is a dialect believed by language scholars to resemble more closely the speech of ancient Greece than any modern Greek dialect.

Cultural Institutions

Examples of Cypriot folk art, which is an outgrowth of traditional Greek art, are in the Folk Art Museum (1950) in Nicosia. The Cyprus Museum (1883) at Nicosia houses many archaeological artifacts found on the island. Museums in Paphos, Larnaca, and Limassol display other important collections.

Economy

The economy of Cyprus is predominantly agricultural. Manufacturing and services are also important. After the fighting of 1974 divided the island, the economy suffered, but the Greek sector showed a rapid recovery. In the late 1980s, annual budget figures showed about $782 million in revenue and $901 million in expenditure in the Greek sector and $120 million in revenue and expenditure in the Turkish sector.

Agriculture

About 17 percent of the land area is under cultivation. Most of the holdings are small and are worked using unsophisticated methods.

The principal crops are potatoes, grapes, citrus fruit, barley, wheat, carobs, and olives. The output of cereals and olives is insufficient to meet domestic demands. Livestock breeding, mainly of sheep and goats, is important. Pigs, cattle (including draft oxen), donkeys, mules, and horses also are raised. Dairy products are mainly cheese and yogurt made from sheep and goat milk.

Currency and Foreign Trade

The basic unit of currency is the Cyprus pound, which is composed of 100 cents (0.52 pounds equal U.S.$1; 1994). Great Britain is the leading purchaser of Cypriot exports.

Transportation and Communications

Cyprus has about 10,780 km (about 6700 mi) of roads, of which about half are paved. The country has no railroads. There are three international airports—at Larnaca and Paphos, in the Greek Cypriot zone, and at Tymbou, in Turkish Cypriot territory..

History

According to archaeological investigation and conjecture, the aboriginal inhabitants of Cyprus were Indo-European people who had a written language. Extensive excavation has shown that during the Neolithic and Bronze ages the Cypriots had an advanced civilization.

Source: edited from Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia