,000 Muslims and 100,000 Christians.[11] Kykkos Monastery in Troodos Mountains, District of Nicosia. Administration (but not sovereignty) of the island was ceded to the British Empire in 1878, in the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). The island would serve Britain as a key military base to support it's control over its colonial routes and to counter expansion of the exiting and emerging powers of the Mediterranean sea. By 1906, when the Famagusta harbour was completed, Cyprus was a strategic naval outpost overlooking the Suez Canal, the crucial main route to India, then Britain's most important colony. Following World War 1 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. After this, Greek Cypriots gradually became more assertive, ultimately demanding union with Greece. Many Cypriots, fought in the British Army during both world wars, under the promise that finally Cyprus would be united with Greece. In January 1950 the Church organized a referendum boycotted by the Turkish Cypriot community with over 90% voting in favour of union with Greece. Restricted autonomy under a constitution was proposed by the British administration but eventually rejected. In 1955 the EOKA was founded which sought an armed struggle for independence and union. At the same time the TMT was established by the Turks as a counterweight calling for Taksim[12]. Turmoil on the island was met with force by the British who started openly favouring Turks in police and administration as part of a divide and conquer policy. Nevertheless, Cyprus attained independence in 1960 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 18% Turks a permanent veto, 30% in parliament and administration and granting the 3 mother-states guarantor rights. Part of Limassol. Shortly afterward, inter-communal violence broke out, partially sponsored by both "motherlands"[13] - with Turkish Cypriots shortly afterwards withdrawn in enclaves and Greek Cypriot leader Archbishop Makarios III calling for constitutional changes as a means to ease tensions. On 4 March 1964, [14] a UN peacekeeping force was deployed in Cyprus and Dr. Gala Plaza was appointed as a Mediator. He soon criticised the 1960 legal framework and proposed, to no avail, certain amendments. In 1974 the US-backed Greek junta - in power since 1967 - partly in a move to draw attention away from internal turmoil and partly unsatisfied with Makarios' policy in Cyprus, on 13 July attempted a coup to replace him with Nikos Sampson and declare union with Greece. Seven days later, Turkey launched an invasion of Cyprus allegedly to reinstate the constitution. This resulted in bloody conflict, partition of the island and mass ethnic cleansing. The overwhelming Turkish land, naval and air superiority against the island's weak defences led to 37% of the land being brought under Turkish control. 170,000 Greek Cypriots were evicted from their homes in the north with 50,000 Turks following the opposite path. In 1983 Turkish Cypriots proclaimed independence unilaterally with only Turkey recognizing them. As of today, there are 1,534 Greek Cypriots [15] and 502 Turkish Cypriots [16] missing as a result of the invasion. 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. The north is currently under an embargo as a measure against the illegal partition of the island. Part of Nicosia. Since partition, the north and south have followed separate paths. The south is a constitutional democracy that has reached great levels of prosperity, with a booming economy and good infrastructure. It is part of the United nations, European Union and several other organisations by whom it is recognized as the sole legitimate government of the whole island. The north is over-dependent on help from Turkey. It has a stagnated economy and is under a international embargo that does not allow it to be accepted into any major international organisations. In 2004, there was a referendum on the adoption of the Annan Plan for Cyprus[17], but whilst it was accepted by the north, it was rejected by the Greek-Cypriots as they felt that it meant endorsing a confederal state with a weak central government and considerable local autonomy. In July 2006 the island served as a safe haven for people fleeing Lebanon due to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.[18] In March 2008, the Greek Cypriot authorities demolished a wall that for decades had stood at the boundary between the Greek Cypriot controlled side and the UN buffer zone.[19] 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 April 3, 2008, Ledra Street was reopened in the presence of Greek and Turkish Cypriot officials.[20] [edit] Geography Main articles: Geography of Cyprus and List of cities, towns and villages in Cyprus Kyrenia Mountain Range. Topography of Cyprus. The third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia), Cyprus is situated in the eastern Mediterranean, just south of the Anatolian peninsula (or Asia Minor) of the Asian mainland; thus, it is often included in the Middle East (see also Western Asia and Near East). Turkey is 75 kilometres (47 mi) north; other neighbouring countries include Syria and Lebanon to the east, Israel to the southeast, Egypt to the south, and Greece to the westnorthwest. However, historically, politically and culturally Cyprus is closely aligned with Europe – the Greek Cypriots with Greece and the Turkish Cypriots with Turkey. Historically, Cyprus has been at the crossroads between Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, with lengthy periods of mainly Greek and intermittent Anatolian, Levantine, and British influences. Though these influences may cause some to consider Cyprus as a transcontinental island, such a term is properly applied only to nations whose boundaries straddle more than one continent e.g. Turkey, Russia and Egypt. The central plain, the Mesaoria, is bordered by the Kyrenia and Pentadactylos mountains to the north and the Troödos mountain range to the south and west. There are also scattered, but significant, plains along the southern coast. The island's highest point is at the summit of Mount Olympus 1,952 metres (6,404 ft), in the heart of the Troödos range. The major cities in Cyprus are the capital Nicosia (Lefkosia in Greek, Lefkosa in Turkish), Limassol (Lemesos in Greek), Larnaca, Paphos, Famagusta (Gazimagusa or Magusa in Turkish, Ammochostos in Greek), and Kyrenia (Girne in Turkish, Kerynia in Greek). [edit] Climate The climate is temperate and Mediterranean with dry summers and variably rainy winters. Summer temperatures range from warm at higher elevations in the Troödos mountains to hot in the lowlands. Winter temperatures are mild at lower elevations, where snow rarely occurs, but are significantly colder in the mountains with sufficient snow for seasonal ski facilities. Dust storms are frequent throughout the year. [edit] Government Main articles: Politics of Cyprus and Foreign relations of Cyprus The Presidential Palace (Residence) in Nicosia. Cyprus is a Presidential republic. The head of state and the government is the President, who is elected by the universal suffrage for a five-year term. Executive power is exercised by the government. Federal legislative power is vested in both the government and the House of Representatives. The Judiciary is independent of 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. Legislate 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. After an invasion of the island by Turkey in 1974, Cyprus was divided, de facto, into the Greek Cypriot controlled southern two-thirds of the island and the Turkish-occupied northern third. The Turkish Cypriots subsequently declared independence in 1983 as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus but have not been recognized 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. 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[21] 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, thus marking his party's first electoral victory without being part of a wider coalition, making Cyprus one of only two countries in the world to have a democratically elected communist government (the other being Moldova), and is the only European Union member state currently under communist leadership. Christofias took over government from Tassos Papadopoulos of Democratic Party, who had been in office since February 2003. [edit] Districts Main articles: Districts of Cyprus and List of cities, towns and villages in Cyprus The Republic of Cyprus is divided into six districts:[22] Nicosia (the capital), Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos. Map of Cyprus Districts Greek name Turkish name Famagusta    ?µµ???st?? (Ammochostos)    Gazimagusa/Magusa    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 [edit] Exclaves and enclaves Pyrgos (Cyprus) 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. Additionally there is the Dhekelia Power Station, which is divided by a British road into two parts. The northern part is an enclave, like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea and therefore not an enclave, although it has no territorial waters of its own.[23] The UN buffer zone separating the territory controlled by the Turkish Cypriot administration from the rest of Cyprus 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). 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. [edit] Human rights The constant focus on the division of the island can sometimes mask other human rights issues. Prostitution is rife in both the government-controlled and the Turkish-occupied regions, and the island as a whole has been criticised[24] for its role in the sex trade as one of the main routes of human trafficking from Eastern Europe.[25] The regime in the North has been the focus of occasional freedom of speech criticisms[26] regarding heavy-handed treatment of newspaper editors. Domestic violence legislation in the Republic remains largely unimplemented,[27] 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.[28] [edit] 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. [edit] Economy Main article: Economy of Cyprus The Yiorkeion building, Ministry of Health, Nicosia The Cypriot economy is prosperous and has diversified in recent years.[29] Its per-capita GDP (adjusted for purchasing power) is slightly lower than that of France, Germany, Italy and the UK, but slightly higher than the European Union average. 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.[29] 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.[30] The seabed separating Lebanon and Cyprus is believed to hold significant quantities of crude oil and natural gas.[30] The economy of the Turkish-occupied area 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 is $5,000 per capita, and the Turkish government has pledged to increase this to $12,000 through investment and aid.[31] Growth has been buoyed by the relative stability of the Turkish new lira and by a boom in the education and construction sectors. [edit] Demographics Main article: Demographics of Cyprus Population Growth. Population structure. According to the last census carried out by the Republic in 1960, Greek Cypriots comprise 77% of the island's population, Turkish Cypriots 18%, while the remaining 5% are of other ethnicities. However, after the Turkish invasion of 1974, about 150,000 Turks from Anatolia were transferred or decided to settle in the north. This has changed the actual demographic structure of the island. Northern Cyprus now claims 265,100 inhabitants,[32] closer to 30% of the population of the island. The TRNC has granted citizenship to these immigrants: however, as the TRNC is not recognised by the Republic or the international community (with the exception of Turkey), its power to create new citizens is not recognised and the newcomers retain Turkish passports. The result of this situation is that percentage population estimates vary widely. In the years since the census data were gathered in 2000, Cyprus has also 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 British residents. The island is also home to a significant Armenian minority, as well as a large refugee population consisting of people mainly from Serbia, Palestine and Lebanon. There is also a Kurdish minority present in Cyprus. Since the country joined the European Union, a significant Polish population has also grown up, joining sizeable communities from Russia and Ukraine (mostly Pontic Greeks, immigrating after the fall of the Eastern Bloc), Bulgaria, Romania and Eastern European states. There is also a significant and thriving Cypriot Diaspora in other countries, with the United States, the United Kingdom, Greece and Australia hosting the majority of migrants who fled the Turkish invasion in 1974. [edit] Religion Main article: Religion in Cyprus Agios Lazaros Church in Larnaca. Most Greek Cypriots, and thus the majority of the population of Cyprus, are members of the Cypriot Orthodox Church, whereas most Turkish Cypriots are Muslim. According to Eurobarometer 2005 [33], Cyprus is one of the most religious countries in Europe, along with Malta, Romania, Greece and Poland. In addition to the Orthodox Christian and Muslim communities, there are also small Bahá'í, Jewish, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Maronite (Eastern Rites Catholic) and Armenian Apostolic communities in Cyprus. [edit] Education Cyprus has a well-developed system of primary and secondary education offering both public and private education. The high quality of instruction can be attributed to a large extent to the above-average competence of the teachers. State schools are generally seen as equivalent in quality of education to private-sector institutions. However, the value of a state high-school diploma is limited by the fact that the grades obtained account for only around 25% of the final grade for each topic, with the remaining 75% assigned by the teacher during the semester, in a minimally transparent way. Greek (List of universities in Greece) and Cypriot universities (University of Cyprus) ignore high school grades almost entirely for admissions purposes. While a high-school diploma is mandatory for university attendance, admissions are decided almost exclusively on the basis of scores at centrally administered university entrance examinations that all university candidates are required to take. The majority of Cypriots receive their higher education at Greek, British, Turkish, other European and North American universities. Private colleges and state-supported universities have been developed by both the Turkish and Greek communities. [edit] Culture [edit] Art Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. Kourion Notable artists include Rhea Bailey, Mihail Kkasialos, Theodoulos Gregoriou, Helene Black, George Skoteinos, Hüseyin Çakmak, Kalopedis family, Nicos Nicolaides, Stass Paraskos, Arestís Stasí, Telemachos Kanthos, Adamantios Diamantis and Konstantia Sofokleous [edit] Music Main article: Music of Cyprus The traditional folk music of Cyprus has many common elements with Greek mainland and island folk music, as well as Turkish folk music, including dances lik