ale conquest under Piyale Pasha with 60,000 troops brought the island under Ottoman control, despite stiff resistance by the inhabitants of Nicosia and Famagusta. 20,000 Nicosians were put to death, and every church, public building, and palace was looted.[21] The Ottomans applied the millet system and allowed religious authorities to govern their own non-Muslim minorities, but at the same time invested the Eastern Orthodox Church as a mediator between Christian Cypriots and the authorities granting it not only religious but political and economic powers. Heavy taxation led to rebellions, resulting in approximately twenty-eight bloody uprisings taking place between 1572 and 1668, forcing the Sultans to intervene. The first large scale census of the Ottoman Empire in 1831, counting only men, showed 14,983 Muslims and 29,190 Christians.[22] By 1872, the population of the island had risen to 144,000 comprising 44,000 Muslims and 100,000 Christians.[23] Historic map of Cyprus by Ottoman Empire's Kaptan Pasha, Piri Reis Administration, but not sovereignty, of the island was ceded to the British Empire in 1878 with the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). The island would serve Britain as a key military base in its colonial routes. By 1906, when the Famagusta harbour was completed, Cyprus was a strategic naval outpost overlooking the Suez Canal, the crucial main route to India which was then Britain's most important colony. Following World War I and the Ottoman alliance with the Central powers, the United Kingdom annexed the island. In 1923, under the Treaty of Lausanne, the nascent Turkish republic relinquished any claim to Cyprus and in 1925 it was declared a British Crown Colony. Many Greek Cypriots fought in the British Army during both world wars, in the hope that Cyprus would eventually be united with Greece.[citation needed] In January 1950 the Eastern Orthodox Church organised a referendum, which was boycotted by the Turkish Cypriot community, where over 90% voted in favour of "enosis", meaning union with Greece. Restricted autonomy under a constitution was proposed by the British administration but eventually rejected. In 1955 the EOKA organisation was founded, seeking independence and union with Greece through armed struggle. At the same time the TMT, calling for Taksim, or partition, was established by the Turkish Cypriots as a counterweight.[24] Turmoil on the island was met with force by the British. Independence In August 16,1960, Cyprus attained independence after an agreement in Zürich and London between the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey. Britain retained two Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekelia while government posts and public offices were allocated by ethnic quotas giving the minority Turks a permanent veto, 30% in parliament and administration, and granting the 3 mother-states guarantor rights. In 1963 inter-communal violence broke out, partially sponsored by both "motherlands"[25][dead link] with Turkish Cypriots in some areas withdrawing into enclaves and Greek Cypriot leader Archbishop Makarios III calling for constitutional changes as a means to ease tensions. The United Nations was involved, and the United Nations forces in Cyprus (UNICYP) deployed at flash points. Division The Greek military government in power in Greece in the early 1970s became dissatisfied with the policy of Makarios in Cyprus and the lack of progress towards Enosis.[clarification needed] Partly for this reason, and partly as a distraction from domestic opposition, the junta organised a coup in Cyprus on 13 July 1974. Nikos Sampson was forcefully installed by the Greek Junta as president of Cyprus. Although a nationalist, he did not declare union with Greece and proclaimed that Cyprus would remain independent and non-aligned. [26] Yet the Turkish government was uneasy about the de facto situation, so they protested and sought British intervention, which never materialised. Seven days later Turkey invaded Cyprus claiming a right, under the Zurich and London agreements, to intervene in order to restore constitutional order. The Greeks announced the formation of a new EOKA paramilitary group to resist the invaders but this proved counter-productive, hastening the expulsions of Greeks from Turkish-held areas. Heavily outnumbered, the Greek forces were unable to resist the Turkish advance. The Ayia Napa area was only saved from occupation because it lay behind the British Sovereign Base area, which the Turks were cautious not to invade. International pressure led to a ceasefire and at that point 37% of the land fell within the Turkish occupation zone, 170,000 Greek Cypriots were evicted from their homes in the north with 50,000 Turkish Cypriots following the opposite path. In 1983 Turkish Cypriots unilaterally proclaimed independence, which was only recognised by Turkey. As of today, there are 1,534 Greek Cypriots[27] and 502 Turkish Cypriots[28] missing as a result of the fighting. The events of the summer of 1974 dominate the politics on the island, as well as Greco-Turkish relations. Around 100,000 settlers from Turkey are believed to be living in the north in violation of the Geneva Convention and various UN resolutions. Following the invasion and the capture of its northern territory by Turkish troops, the Republic of Cyprus announced that all of its ports of entry in the north are closed, as they are effectively not under its control. Recent history Modern Nicosia. Since de facto, though not de jure, partition of the Republic, the north and south have followed separate paths. The Republic of Cyprus is a constitutional democracy that has reached great levels of prosperity, with a booming economy and good infrastructure. It is part of the UN, the European Union and several other organisations by whom it is recognised as the sole legitimate government of the whole island. The area of the island not under effective control of the Republic of Cyprus, Northern Cyprus, is dependent on help from Turkey. The last major effort to settle the Cyprus dispute was the Annan Plan. It gained the support of the Turkish Cypriots but was rejected by the Greek Cypriots. In July 2006, the island served as a safe haven for people fleeing Lebanon due to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.[29] In March 2008, a wall that for decades had stood at the boundary between the Greek Cypriot controlled side and the UN buffer zone was demolished.[30] The wall had cut across Ledra Street in the heart of Nicosia and was seen as a strong symbol of the island's 32-year division. On 3 April 2008, Ledra Street was reopened in the presence of Greek and Turkish Cypriot officials.[31] Government Main articles: Politics of Cyprus and Foreign relations of Cyprus The Presidential Palace (Residence) in Nicosia. Cyprus This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Cyprus Constitution Cyprus dispute Annan Plan referendum President Dimitris Christofias House of Representatives Political parties Elections in Cyprus Legislative: 2001 · 2006 Presidential: 2008 Districts Foreign relations of Cyprus Politics of the European Union See also Politics of Northern Cyprus Other countries · Atlas  Politics portal view • talk • edit Cyprus is a Presidential republic. The head of state and of the government is the President, who is elected by a process of Universal suffrage for a five-year term. Executive power is exercised by the government with legislative power vested in the House of Representatives whilst the Judiciary is independent of both the executive and the legislature. The 1960 Constitution provided for a presidential system of government with independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as a complex system of checks and balances, including a weighted power-sharing ratio designed to protect the interests of the Turkish Cypriots. The executive, was headed by a Greek Cypriot president and a Turkish Cypriot vice president elected by their respective communities for five-year terms and each possessing a right of veto over certain types of legislation and executive decisions. Legislative power rested on the House of Representatives, also elected on the basis of separate voters' rolls. Since 1964, following clashes between the two communities, the Turkish Cypriot seats in the House remain vacant. Turkish Cypriots refuse to establish the state of affairs before the invasion of Cyprus in their attempt to de jure partition the Republic of Cyprus. This is evident in the Secretary-General of the United Nations report at the time. The Turkish Cypriot leaders have adhered to a rigid stand against any measures which might involve having members of the two communities live and work together, or which might place Turkish Cypriots in situations where they would have to acknowledge the authority of Government agents. Indeed, since the Turkish Cypriot leadership is committed to physical and geographical separation of the communities as a political goal, it is not likely to encourage activities by Turkish Cypriots which may be interpreted as demonstrating the merits of an alternative policy. The result has been a seemingly deliberate policy of self-segregation by the Turkish Cypriots[32] In 1974 Cyprus was divided de facto into the Greek Cypriot controlled southern two-thirds of the island and the Turkish controlled northern third. The Turkish Cypriots subsequently declared independence in 1983 as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus but have not been recognised by any country in the world, except Turkey. In 1985, the TRNC adopted a constitution and held its first elections. All foreign governments (except Turkey), as well as the United Nations, recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole island of Cyprus. Turkey intends to annex the TRNC in case of a failure in its EU membership talks. The House of Representatives currently has 59 members elected for a five year term, 56 members by proportional representation and 3 observer members representing the Maronite, Latin and Armenian minorities. 24 seats are allocated to the Turkish community but remain vacant since 1964. The political environment is dominated by the communist AKEL, the liberal conservative Democratic Rally, the centrist[33] Democratic Party, the social-democratic EDEK and the centrist EURO.KO. On 17 February 2008 Dimitris Christofias of the AKEL was elected President of Cyprus and the first electoral victory without being part of a wider coalition. This made Cyprus one of only three countries in the world to currently have a democratically elected communist government, the others being Moldova and Nepal, and the only European Union member state currently under communist leadership. Christofias took over government from Tassos Papadopoulos of the Democratic Party who had been in office since February 2003. Districts Main articles: Districts of Cyprus and List of cities, towns and villages in Cyprus The Republic of Cyprus is divided into six districts:[34] Nicosia, Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos. Map of Cyprus Districts Greek name Turkish name Famagusta    ?µµ???st?? (Ammochostos)    Gazimagusa    Kyrenia ?e??ve?a (Keryneia) Girne Larnaca ????a?a (Larnaka) Larnaka/Iskele Limassol ?eµes?? (Lemesos) Limasol/Leymosun Nicosia ?e???s?a (Lefkosia) Lefkosa Paphos ??f?? (Pafos) Baf/Gazibaf Exclaves and enclaves Pyrgos, a Greek Cypriot exclave on Morphou Bay Cyprus has four exclaves, all in territory that belongs to the British Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia. The first two are the villages of Ormidhia and Xylotymvou. The third is the Dhekelia Power Station, which is divided by a British road into two parts. The northern part is an exclave, like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea and therefore not an exclave, although it has no territorial waters of its own.[35] The UN buffer zone runs up against Dhekelia and picks up again from its east side off Ayios Nikolaos, connected to the rest of Dhekelia by a thin land corridor, and in that sense the buffer zone turns the southeast corner of the island, the Paralimni area, into a de facto, though not de jure, exclave. Pyrgos is a de facto exclave of the government-controlled part of the island. It is the only Greek Cypriot town located on the TRNC-controlled Morphou Bay. Human rights The constant focus on the division of the island can sometimes mask other human rights issues. Prostitution is rife in both the Greek-controlled and the Turkish-controlled regions, and the island as a whole has been criticised[36] for its role in the sex trade as one of the main routes of human trafficking from Eastern Europe.[37] The regime in the North has been the focus of occasional freedom of speech criticisms[38] regarding heavy-handed treatment of newspaper editors. Domestic violence legislation in the Republic remains largely unimplemented,[39] and it has not yet been passed into law in the North. Reports on the mistreatment of domestic staff, mostly immigrant workers from developing countries, are sometimes reported in the Greek Cypriot press,[40] and are the subject of several campaigns by the anti-racist charity KISA. Military Main article: Military of Cyprus The Cypriot National Guard is the main military institution of the Republic of Cyprus. It is a combined arms force, with land, air and naval elements. The land forces of the Cypriot National Guard comprise the following units: First Infantry Division (?? ?e?a???a ??) Second Infantry Division (??a ?e?a???a ??) Fourth Infantry Brigade (?V? ?a??a???a ??) Twentieth Armored Brigade (??? ?T ?a??a???a) Third Support Brigade (???? ?a??a???a ??) Eighth Support Brigade (VIII? ?a??a???a ??) The air force includes the 449th Helicopter Gunship Squadron (449 ???) - operating SA-342L and Bell 206 and the 450th Helicopter Gunship Squadron (450 ME/P) - operating Mi-35P, BN-2B and PC-9. Current Senior officers include Supreme Commander, Cypriot National Guard: Lt. Gen. Konstantinos Bisbikas, Deputy Commander, Cypriot National Guard: Lt. Gen. Savvas Argyrou and Chief of Staff, Cypriot National Guard: Maj. Gen. Gregory Stamoulis. Economy Main article: Economy of Cyprus The Cypriot economy is prosperous and has diversified in recent years.[41] According to the latest IMF estimates, its per capita GDP (adjusted for purchasing power) is, at $28,381, just above the average of the European Union.[42] Cyprus has been sought as a base for several offshore businesses for its highly developed infrastructure. Economic policy of the Cyprus government has focused on meeting the criteria for admission to the European Union. Adoption of the euro as a national currency is required of all new countries joining the European Union, and the Cypriot government adopted the currency on 1 January 2008.[41] Oil has recently been discovered in the seabed between Cyprus and Egypt, and talks are underway between Lebanon and Egypt to reach an agreement regarding the exploration of these resources.[43] The seabed separating Lebanon and Cyprus is believed to hold significant quantities of crude oil and natural gas.[43] However, the Turkish Navy doesn't allow the exploration of oil in the region.[43][44] The economy of the Turkish-occupied area (effectively a district of the Mersin Province) is dominated by the services sector, including the public sector, trade, tourism and education, with smaller agriculture and light manufacturing sectors. The economy operates on a free-market basis, although it continues to be handicapped by the political isolation of Turkish Cypriots, the lack of private and governmental investment, high freight costs, and shortages of skilled labor. Despite these constraints, the economy turned in an impressive performance in 2003 and 2004, with growth rates of 9.6% and 11.4%. The average income in the area was $15,984 in 2008.[45] Growth has been buoyed by the relative stability of the Turkish new lira and by a boom in the education and construction sectors. The island has witnessed a massive growth in tourism over the years and as such the property rental market in Cyprus has grown along side. Added to this is the capital growth in property that has been created from the demand of incoming investors and property buyers to the island. [46] Demographics Main article: Demographics of Cyprus Population growth (numbers for the entire island, excluding in recent years some 150,000 Turkish immigrants residing in Northern Cyprus). Population structure. According to the first population census after the declaration of independence, carried out in December 1960 and covering the entire island, Cyprus had a total population of 573,566, with Greek Cypriots comprising 77% of the island's population and Turkish Cypriots 18% (other nationals accounted for the remaining 5%).[47] According to the last census covering the entire island (April 1973), the population of Cyprus was 631,778 with the Turkish Cypriots estimated at 19% of the total (about 120,000).[48] The subsequent censuses conducted in 1976-2001 after the de facto division of the island covered only the population in the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus government, and the number of Turkish Cypriots residing in Northern Cyprus was estimated by the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service based on population growth rates and migration data. In the last census of 2001 carried out by the Republic of Cyprus, the population in the area controlled by the government was 703,529. The number of Turkish Cypriots residing in Northern Cyprus was estimated by the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service at 87,600, or 11% of the reported total.[48] The latest available estimates by the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service put the island’s population at the end of 2006 at 867,600, with 89.8% (778,700) in the government controlled area and 10.2% (88,900) Turkish Cypriots in Northern Cyprus.[48] However, the Republic of Cyprus estimate of Turkish Cypriots does not represent the total population of Northern Cyprus. In addition, the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service also estimated that 150,000-160,000 Turkish immigrants (described as “illegal settlers” in the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Abstract 2007,[48] footnote on p. 72) were living in Northern Cyprus, bringing the de facto population of Northern Cyprus to about 250,000. This estimate produced by the Republic of Cyprus matches the results of the 2006 population census carried out by the 'government' of Northern Cyprus, which gives 265,100 as the total population of TRNC.[49] The total population of Cyprus is thus slightly over 1 million, comprising 778,700 in the territory controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus and 265,100 in the territory controlled by the government of TRNC. Cyprus has seen a large influx of guest workers from countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, as well as major increases in the numbers of permanent Russian, British or other EU residents. Sizeable communities from Russia and Ukraine (mostly Pontic Greeks, immigrating after the fall of the Eastern Bloc), Bulgaria, Romania, and Eastern European states. By the end of 2007, about 124,000 immigrants settled in Cyprus, the three largest groups being 37,000 Greeks, 27,000 Britons, and 10,000 Russians. The island is also home to a Maronite minority of 6,000, an Armenian minority of around 2,000, and refugees mainly from Serbia, Palestine, and Lebanon. There is also a Kurdish minority present in Cyprus. Outside Cyprus there is a significant and thriving Cypriot diaspora in other countries, within the United States, the United Kingdom, Greece and Australia hosting the majority of migrants who left the island after the de facto division in 1974. Specifically in the