"text":"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 communities 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. An 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. The most recent round of negotiations to reunify the island were suspended in July 2017 after failure to achieve a breakthrough. 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 \"TRNC.\" 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."
"text":"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"
},
"Geographic coordinates":{
"text":"35 00 N, 33 00 E"
},
"Map references":{
"text":"Middle East"
},
"Area":{
"total":{
"text":"9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)"
"text":"population concentrated in central Nicosia and in the major cities of the south: Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca"
},
"Natural hazards":{
"text":"moderate earthquake activity; droughts"
},
"Geography - note":{
"text":"the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia); several small Cypriot enclaves exist within the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area"
"text":"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%; note - data represent only the Republic of Cyprus (2011 est.)"
"text":"<br>Το Παγκόσμιο Βιβλίο Δεδομένων, η απαραίτητη πηγή βασικών πληροφοριών. (Greek)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information."
"text":"Eastern Orthodox Christian 89.1%, Roman Catholic 2.9%, Protestant/Anglican 2%, Muslim 1.8%, Buddhist 1%, other (includes Maronite Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Hindu) 1.4%, unknown 1.1%, none/atheist 0.6% (2011 est.)",
"text":"demographic data for Cyprus represent the population of the government-controlled area and the area administered by Turkish Cypriots, unless otherwise indicated"
"text":"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, industrial wastes, and pesticides; coastal degradation; erosion; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization"
},
"Environment - international agreements":{
"party to":{
"text":"Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling"
},
"signed, but not ratified":{
"text":"none of the selected agreements"
}
},
"Climate":{
"text":"temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters"
"text":"the derivation of the name \"Cyprus\" is unknown, but the extensive mining of copper metal on the island in antiquity gave rise to the Latin word \"cuprum\" for copper"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> the Turkish Cypriot community, which administers the northern part of the island, refers to itself as the \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus\" or \"TRNC\" (\"Kuzey Kibris Turk Cumhuriyeti\" or \"KKTC\")"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> a separation of the two main ethnic communities inhabiting the island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified when a Greek military-junta-supported coup attempt prompted the Turkish military intervention in July 1974 that gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government on the island; on 15 November 1983, then Turkish Cypriot \"President\" Rauf DENKTAS declared independence and the formation of the \"TRNC,” which is recognized only by Turkey"
"text":"a mispronunciation of the city's Greek name Lefkosia and its Turkish name Lefkosa, both of which mean \"White City\"; the Greek name may derive from the Greek phrase \"leuke ousia\" (\"white estate\")"
"text":"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 \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus\" are Gazimagusa (Famagusta), Girne (Kyrenia), Guzelyurt (Morphou), Iskele (Trikomo), Lefkosa (Nicosia)"
"text":"16 August 1960 (from the UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these proclamations are recognized only by Turkey"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots celebrate 15 November (1983) as \"Republic Day\""
},
"Constitution":{
"history":{
"text":"ratified 16 August 1960; note - in 1963, the constitution was partly suspended as Turkish Cypriots withdrew from the government; Turkish-held territory in 1983 was declared the \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus\" (\"TRNC\"); in 1985, the \"TRNC\" approved its own constitution"
"text":"constitution of the Republic of Cyprus - proposed by the House of Representatives; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership of the \"Greek Community\" and the \"Turkish Community\"; however, all seats of Turkish Cypriot members have remained vacant since 1964; amended many times, last in 2020;<br>constitution of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” - proposed by at least 10 members of the \"Assembly of the Republic\"; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total Assembly membership and approval by referendum; amended 2014"
"text":"President Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS (since 28 February 2023); the president is both chief of state and head of government; note - vice presidency reserved for a Turkish Cypriot, but vacant since 1974 because Turkish Cypriots do not participate in the Republic of Cyprus Government"
"text":"Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - under the 1960 constitution, 3 of the ministerial posts reserved for Turkish Cypriots, appointed by the vice president; positions currently filled by Greek Cypriots"
"text":"president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms); election last held on held 5 February 2023 with a runoff on 12 February 2023 (next to be held in 2028)"
"text":"<em>2023: </em>Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Nikos CHRISTODOULIDIS (independent) 32%, Andreas MAVROGIIANNIS (independent) 29.6%, Averof NEOFYTOU (DISY) 26.1%, Christos CHRISTOU (ELAM) 6%, other 6.3%; percent of vote in second round - Nikos CHRISTODOULIDS 52%, Andreas MAVROGIANNIS 48%<em><br><br>2018: </em>Nikos ANASTASIADIS reelected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Nikos ANASTASIADIS (DISY) 35.5%, Stavros MALAS (AKEL) 30.2%, Nicolas PAPADOPOULOS (DIKO) 25.7%, other 8.6%; percent of vote in second round - Nikos ANASTASIADIS 56%, Stavros MALAS 44%<br><br><em>2013:</em> Nikos ANASTASIADIS elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Nikos ANASTASIADIS 45.5% (DISY), Stavros MALAS 26.9% (AKEL), Georgos LILLIKAS 24.9% (SP), other 2.7%; percent of vote in second round - Nikos ANASTASIADIS 57.5%, Savros MALAS 42.5%"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> the first round of the TRNC presidential election, originally scheduled for 26 April 2020, was postponed to 11 October 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the second round was held on 18 October 2020; percent of vote in the first round - Ersin TATAR (UBP) 32.4%, Mustafa AKINCI (independent) 29.8%, Tufan ERHURMAN (RTP) 21.7%, Kudret OZERSAY (independent) 5.7%, Erhan ARIKLI (YDP) 5.4%, Serdar DENKTAS (independent) 4.2%, other 0.8%; percent of vote in the second round - Ersin TATAR 51.7%, Mustafa AKINCI 48.3%"
"text":"area under government control: unicameral House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to Greek Cypriots, 24 to Turkish Cypriots, but only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled; members directly elected by both proportional representation and preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms; note - 3 seats each are reserved for the Latin, Maronite, and Armenian religious groups;<br>area administered by Turkish Cypriots: unicameral \"Assembly of the Republic\" or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote using a hybrid d'Hondt method with voter preference for individual candidates"
"text":"area under government control; last held on 30 May 2021 (next to be held in 2026); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: last held on 23 January 2022 (next to be held in 2027)"
"text":"<br>area under government control: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - DISY 27.8%, AKEL 22.3%, DIKO 11.3%, ELAM 6.8%, EDEK-SP 6.7%, DIPA 6.1%, Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation 4.4%, other 14.6%; seats by party/coalition - DISY 17, AKEL 15, DIKO 9, ELAM 4, EDEK-SP 4, DIPA 4, Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation 3; composition - men 48, women 8, percent of women 14.3%; area administered by Turkish Cypriots - \"Assembly of the Republic\" - percent of vote by party - UBP 39.5%, CTP 32%, DP 7.4%, HP 6.7%, YDP 6.4%, other 8%; seats by party - UBP 24, CTP 18, DP 3, HP 3, YDP 2; composition NA"
"text":"Supreme Court of Cyprus (consists of 13 judges, including the court president); note - the highest court in the \"TRNC\" is the \"Supreme Court\" (consists of 8 \"judges,\" including the \"court president\")"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"Republic of Cyprus Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the Supreme Court judges; judges can serve until age 68; \"TRNC Supreme Court\" judges appointed by the \"Supreme Council of Judicature,\" a 12-member body of judges, the attorney general, appointees by the president of the \"TRNC,\" and by the \"Legislative Assembly,\" and members elected by the bar association; judge tenure NA"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"Republic of Cyprus district courts; Assize Courts; Administrative Court; specialized courts for issues relating to family, industrial disputes, the military, and rent control; \"TRNC Assize Courts\"; \"district and family courts\""
"text":"<strong>area under government control:</strong> <br>Citizens' Alliance or SP [Giorgos LILLIKAS] (dissolved 2 December 2021)<br>Democratic Front or DIPA [Marios GAROYIAN]<br>Democratic Party or DIKO [Nikolas PAPADOPOULOS]<br>Democratic Rally or DISY [Annita DIMITRIOU]<br>Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Alliance [Charalambos THEOPEMPTOU]<br>Movement of Social Democrats EDEK [Marinos SIZOPOULOS]<br>National Popular Front or ELAM [Christos CHRISTOU]<br>Progressive Party of the Working People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Stefanos STEFANOU]<br>Solidarity Movement [Eleni THEOCHAROUS]<br><br><strong>area administered by Turkish Cypriots:</strong> <br>Communal Democracy Party or TDP [Mine ATLI]<br>Communal Liberation Party - New Forces or TKP-YG [Mehmet CAKICI]<br>Cyprus Socialist Party or KSP [Mehmet BIRINCI]<br>Democratic Party or DP [Fikri ATAOGLU]<br>National Democratic Party or NDP [Buray BUSKUVUTCU]<br>National Unity Party or UBP [Faiz SUCUOGLU]<br>New Cyprus Party or YKP [Murat KANATLI]<br>People's Party or HP [Kudret OZERSAY]<br>Rebirth Party or YDP [Erhan ARIKLI]<br>Republican Turkish Party or CTP [Tufan ERHURMAN]<br>United Cyprus Party or BKP [Izzet IZCAN]"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the US is Mustafa LAKADAMYALI; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1] (202) 887-6198"
"text":"centered on a white field is a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the island has long been famous for its copper deposits) above two olive-green-colored, crossed olive branches; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities",
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> one of only two national flags that uses a map as a design element; the flag of Kosovo is the other<br><br><strong>note:</strong> the \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus\" flag retains the white field of the Cyprus national flag but displays narrow horizontal red stripes positioned a small distance from the top and bottom edges between which are centered a red crescent and a red five-pointed star; the banner is modeled after the Turkish national flag but with the colors reversed"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> adopted 1960; Cyprus adopted the Greek national anthem as its own; the Turkish Cypriot community in Cyprus uses the anthem of Turkey"
"text":"services-based, high-income EU island economy; heavy tourism; sustained growth between recovery of national banking system and COVID-19 trade restrictions; high living standards; a known financial hub, its stock exchange functions as an investment bridge between EU-and EEU-member countries"
"text":"tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone and clay products"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment"
"text":"<p><strong>Economy - overview:</strong> Even though the whole of the island is part of the EU, implementation of the EU \"acquis communautaire\" has been suspended in the area administered by Turkish Cypriots, known locally as the \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus\" (\"TRNC\"), until political conditions permit the reunification of the island. The market-based economy of the \"TRNC\" is roughly one-fifth the size of its southern neighbor and is likewise dominated by the service sector with a large portion of the population employed by the government. In 2012 - the latest year for which data are available - the services sector, which includes the public sector, trade, tourism, and education, contributed 58.7% to economic output. In the same year, light manufacturing and agriculture contributed 2.7% and 6.2%, respectively. Manufacturing is limited mainly to food and beverages, furniture and fixtures, construction materials, metal and non-metal products, textiles and clothing. The \"TRNC\" maintains few economic ties with the Republic of Cyprus outside of trade in construction materials. Since its creation, the \"TRNC\" has heavily relied on financial assistance from Turkey, which supports the \"TRNC\" defense, telecommunications, water and postal services. The Turkish Lira is the preferred currency, though foreign currencies are widely accepted in business transactions. The \"TRNC\" remains vulnerable to the Turkish market and monetary policy because of its use of the Turkish Lira. The \"TRNC\" weathered the European financial crisis relatively unscathed - compared to the Republic of Cyprus - because of the lack of financial sector development, the health of the Turkish economy, and its separation from the rest of the island. The \"TRNC\"economyexperiencedgrowthestimatedat2.8%in2013and2.3%in2014andisprojectedtogrow3.8%in2015.;</p><p><strong>GDP(purchasingpowerparity):</strong>$1.829billion(2007est.);</p><p><strong>GDP-realgrowthrate:</strong>2.3%(2014est.);</p><p>2.8%(2013est.);</p><p><strong>GDP-percapita:</strong>$11,700(2007est.);</p><p><strong>GDP-compositionbysector:</strong>agriculture:6.2%,;industry:35.1%,;services:58.7%(2012est.);</p><p><strong>Laborforce:</strong>95,030(2007est.);</p><p><strong>Laborforce-byoccupation:</strong>agriculture:14.5%,;industry:29%,;services:56.5%(2004);</p><p><strong>Unemploymentrate:</strong>9.4%(2005est.);</p><p><strong>Populationbelowpovertyline:</strong>%NA;</p><p><strong>Inflationrate:</strong>11.4%(2006);</p><p><strong>Budget:</strong>revenues:$2.5billion,;expenditures:$2.5billion(2006);</p><p><strong>Agriculture-products:</strong>citrusfruit,dairy,potatoes,grapes,olives,poultry,lamb;</p><p><strong>Industries:</strong>foodstuffs,textiles,clothing,shiprepair,clay,gypsum,copper,furniture;</p><p><strong>Industrialproductiongrowthrate:</strong>-0.3%(2007est.);</p><p><strong>Electricityproduction:</strong>998.9millionkWh(2005);</p><p><strong>Electricityconsumption:</strong>797.9millionkWh(2005);</p><p><strong>Exports:</strong>$68.1million,f.o.b.(2007est.);</p><p><strong>Export-commodities:</strong>citrus,dairy,potatoes,textiles;</p><p><strong>Export-partners:</strong>Turkey40%;directtradebetweentheareaadministeredbyTurkishCypriotsandtheareaundergovernmentcontrolremainslimited;</p><p><strong>Imports:</strong>$1.2billion,f.o.b.(2007est.);</p><p><strong>Import-commodities:</strong>vehicles,fuel,cigarettes,food,minerals,chemicals,machinery;</p><p><strong>Import-partners:</strong>Turkey60%;directtradebetweentheareaadministeredbyTurkishCypriotsandtheareaundergovernmentcontrolremainslimited;</p><p><strong>Reservesofforeignexchangeandgold:</strong>NA;</p><p><strong>Debt-external:</strong>NA;</p><p><strong>Currency(code):</strong>Turkishnewlira(YTL);</p><p><strong>Exchangerates:</strong>TurkishnewliraperUSdollar:;1.9(2013);1.8(2012);1.668
"text":"Cyprus suffered from the effects of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, when the tourism sector was essentially closed; during 2022, there were adverse effects caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in a dramatic drop in the number of Russian tourists entering the country; the mobile market is served by four mobile network operators; the number of mobile subscribers fell in 2020, largely the result of subscribers scaling back on multiple SIM cards as an economic measure; the broadband market continues to develop steadily, providing the country with one of the highest broadband penetration rates in the region; DSL remains the dominant access platform, accounting for about two-thirds of fixed broadband connections; although fiber infrastructure in Cyprus is minimal (supported by the government and regulator) to extend an FttP service to about 200,000 premises; as a result, the number of DSL subscribers is set to fall steadily in coming years as customers are migrated to the fiber platform (2023)"
"text":"country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); a number of submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE-3, CADMOS, MedNautilus Submarine System, POSEIDON, TE North/TGN-Eurasia/SEACOM/Alexandros/Medes, UGARIT, Aphrodite2, Hawk, Lev Submarine System, and Tamares combine to provide connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Southeast Asia; Turcyos-1 and Turcyos-2 submarine cable in Turkish North Cyprus link to Turkey; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 8 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat) (2019)"
"text":"mixture of state and privately run TV and radio services; the public broadcaster operates 2 TV channels and 4 radio stations; 6 private TV broadcasters, satellite and cable TV services including telecasts from Greece and Turkey, and a number of private radio stations are available; in areas administered by Turkish Cypriots, there are 2 public TV stations, 4 public radio stations, and 7 privately owned TV and 21 radio broadcast stations plus 6 radio and 4 TV channels of local universities, plus 1 radio station of military, security forces and 1 radio station of civil defense cooperation, as well as relay stations from Turkey (2019)"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control"
"text":"the military's inventory is a mix of mostly Soviet-era weapons and equipment along with some more modern systems from several countries, including France, Israel, Russia, and Serbia (2023)"
"text":"Cypriot National Guard (CNG): 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of age for voluntary service; 14-month service obligation (2023)",
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> the CNG accepts all foreign nationals of at least partial Cypriot descent under age 32 as volunteers; dual citizenship Cypriot origin citizens, who were born in Cyprus or abroad, have the obligation to serve in the CNG on repatriation, regardless of whether or not they possess a foreign citizenship; a person is considered as having Cypriot origin where a grandparent or parent was/is a Cypriot citizen"
"text":"the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was set up in 1964 to prevent further fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island and bring about a return to normal conditions; the UN force patrols a buffer zone, also called the “Green Line,” that separates the two sides; the UNFICYP mission has about 800 personnel assigned (2023)"
"text":"Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)",
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T"
"text":"<p>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 EU 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</p>"
"text":"<p>the ROC financial system is vulnerable to money laundering by domestic and foreign criminals; proceeds generated by illicit activity abroad pose a greater threat; primary sources of illicit proceeds are investment fraud, corruption, advance fee fraud, tax evasion, illegal drugs, and tobacco smuggling. Additionally, cybercrime, especially phishing, e-mail hacking, and ransomware use, continues to increase. Criminals have reportedly used ROC banks to launder proceeds, particularly from Russian and Ukrainian illicit activity.</p> <p></p>"