Country Info:
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Cyprus Location:
Physical. Cyprus is a Middle Eastern island in the Mediterranean Sea, located just south of Turkey. It covers an area slightly more than half the size of Connecticut. Cyprus is divided into two portions by a United Nations Buffer Zone. The northern portion is under Turkish control and the southern portion is loyal to Greece. The climate is temperate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The terrain consists of a central plain with mountains in the north and south and scattered but significant plains along the southern coast. Natural resources include copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble and clay earth pigment.
Cyprus Geography:
Geography
Area: 9,250 sq km (with 3,355 sq km in north Cyprus)
Capital: Nicosia (population 206,200 at the end of 2001 in the Government controlled part)
Environmental concerns: water resource problems; water pollution from sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization
Geographical features: central plain with mountains in the north and south and significant plains along the southern coast.
Climate: Mediterranean with hot dry summers, wet winters
Cyprus People:
People. Nearly 784,301 people live in Cyprus. The three main languages found on the island are Greek, Turkish, and English. Ethnically, the population is divided between Greek (85%), Turkish (12%), and various other groups (3%). The religious make-up of Cyprus is: Greek Orthodox (78%) Muslim (18%), Maronite, Armenian Apostolic and other (4%).
784,301 (July 2006 est.); Greek (77%), Turkish (18%), and various other groups (5%)
Annual growth rate: 0.53%
Major languages are Greek, Turkish, English
Religions: Greek Orthodox (78%) Muslim (18%), Maronite, Armenian Apostolic and other (4%)
Cyprus Government:
Government. The country is officially known as the Republic of Cyprus, however the Turkish area refers to itself as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The TRNC is only recognized by Turkey, while Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government. The capital is Nicosia, located near the center of the dividing line about 15 miles inland from the northern Mediterranean coast. The city is the only split capital in the world, since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the Turkish portion of Nicosia is referred to as Lefkosa. (Southern) Cyprus celebrates its independence on August 16, 1960, while the Turkish north celebrates its self-proclaimed independence on November 15, 1983. The chief of state and head of government is President Tassos Papadopoulis. The current constitution governing the Greek Cypriots was passed in August 1960 while the Turkish Cypriots ratified their own constitution first in 1975 and then again in 1985.
Cyprus is a republic separated into two ethnic communities.
President Tassos Papadoupolis has been the head of stat and head of government since 1 March 2003.
Universal suffrage at 18
Cyprus Communication:
Communication and transportation
Republic of Cyprus: 418,400 (2004); north Cyprus: 86,228 (2002) main telephone lines
298,000 Internet users (2005)
14,110 km (Republic of Cyprus: 11,760 km; north Cyprus: 2,350 km) of roadways
no railroads
16 airfields
343,000 motor vehicles (2004 statistic)
Cyprus Economy:
Economy. Although small and unstable, the Greek Cypriot economy is relatively successful with the GDP for the Republic of Cyprus at $21,600; north Cyprus GDP is $7,135. The composition by sectors for the Republic of Cyprus is: agriculture (3.8%), industry (20%), and services (76.2%). For north Cyprus it is: agriculture (11%), industry (20%), services (69%) (2003 est.) Unemployment is low. However, the country's economy (dependent on tourism) is affected by the political instability. The Turkish Cypriot economy has roughly one-third of the per capita GDP of the south. In the north, economic growth tends to be volatile, given north Cyprus's relative isolation, bloated public sector, reliance on the Turkish lira, and small market size. As a result, Turkey provides direct and indirect aid to nearly every sector of this economy.
Currency: Republic of Cyprus: Cypriot pound; Turkish Cypriot area: Turkish New lira
Per capita GDP: Republic of Cyprus: $21,600 (2005 est.); north Cyprus: $7,135 (2004 est.)
GDP: Republic of Cyprus: $16.85 billion; north Cyprus: $4.54 billion (2005 est.)
GDP growth rate: Republic of Cyprus: 3.7%; north Cyprus: 10.6% (2005 est.)
Inflation rate: Republic of Cyprus: 2.5% (2005 est.); north Cyprus: 9.1% (2004 est.)
Labor force: Republic of Cyprus: agriculture (7.4%), industry (38.2%), services (54.4%) (2004 est.); north Cyprus: agriculture (14.5%), industry (29%), services (56.5%) (2004 est.)
Cyprus More Information:
www.kypros.org/Cyprus/root.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus |
