Map of Cyprus | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: Independence from the UK was approved in 1960 with constitutional guarantees by the Greek Cypriot majority to the Turkish Cypriot minority. In 1974 a Greek-sponsored attempt to seize the government was met by military intervention from Turkey which soon controlled almost 40% of the island. In 1983 the Turkish-held area declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus but it is recognized only by Turkey. Cyprus talks resumed in December 1999 to prepare the ground for a comprehensive settlement.


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Location: Middle East island in the Mediterranean Sea south of Turkey

Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N 33 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Comparative: about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 648 km

Maritime claims

Climate: temperate Mediterranean with hot dry summers and cool winters

Terrain: central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast

Elevation

Natural resources: copper pyrites asbestos gypsum timber salt marble clay earth pigment

Land use

Irrigated land: 390 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: moderate earthquake activity

Geography


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Population: 758,363 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.6% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Greek 78% (99.5% of the Greeks live in the Greek Cypriot area; 0.5% of the Greeks live in the Turkish Cypriot area) Turkish 18% (1.3% of the Turks live in the Greek Cypriot area; 98.7% of the Turks live in the Turkish Cypriot area) other 4% (99.2% of the other ethnic groups live in the Greek Cypriot area; 0.8% of the other ethnic groups live in the Turkish Cypriot area)

Languages: Greek Turkish English

Religions: Greek Orthodox 78% Muslim 18% Maronite Armenian Apostolic and other 4%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.6% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 13.27 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 7.68 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.44 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: 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 and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.07 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital: Nicosia

Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Famagusta Kyrenia Larnaca Limassol Nicosia Paphos; note - Turkish Cypriot area's administrative divisions include Kyrenia all but a small part of Famagusta and small parts of Lefkosa (Nicosia) and Larnaca

Dependent areas

Independence: 16 August 1960 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 1 October; note - Turkish Cypriot area celebrates 15 November as Independence Day

Constitution: 16 August 1960; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and to better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently; in 1975 Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing bodies within the 'Turkish Federated State of Cyprus' which was renamed the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' in 1983; a new constitution for the Turkish Cypriot area passed by referendum on 5 May 1985

Legal system: based on common law with civil law modifications

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral - Greek Cypriot area: House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to the Greek Cypriots 24 to Turkish Cypriots; note - only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); Turkish Cypriot area: Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court judges are appointed by the Supreme Council of Judicature

Political parties and leaders: Greek Cypriot area: Democratic Party or DIKO [Spyros KYPRIANOU]; Democratic Rally or DISY [Nikos ANASTASIADHIS]; Ecologists [Yeoryios PERDHIKIS]; New Horizons [Nikolaos KOUTSOU secretary general]; Restorative Party of the Working People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS]; United Democratic Union of Cyprus or EDEK [Vassos LYSSARIDIS]; United Democrats Movement or EDI (formerly Free Democrats Movement or KED) [George VASSILIOU]; Turkish Cypriot area: Communal Liberation Party or TKP [Mustafa AKINCI]; Democratic Party or DP [Serdar DENKTASH]; National Birth Party or UDP [Enver EMIN]; National Unity Party or UBP [Dervis EROGLU]; Our Party or BP [Okyay SADIKOGLU]; Patriotic Unity Movement or YBH [Ozker OZGUR]; Republican Turkish Party or CTP [Mehmet ALI TALAT]

International organization participation: C CCC CE EBRD ECE EU (applicant) FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICFTU IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS (associate) IHO ILO IMF IMO Inmarsat Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU NAM OAS (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Economic affairs are dominated by the division of the country into the southern (Greek) area controlled by the Cyprus Government and the northern Turkish Cypriot-administered area. The Greek Cypriot economy is prosperous but highly susceptible to external shocks. Erratic growth rates in the 1990s reflect the economy's vulnerability to swings in tourist arrivals caused by political instability on the island and fluctuations in economic conditions in Western Europe. Economic policy in the south is focused on meeting the criteria for admission to the EU. As in the Turkish sector water shortage is a growing problem and several desalination plants are planned. The Turkish Cypriot economy has about one-fifth the population and one-third the per capita GDP of the south. Because it is recognized only by Turkey it has had much difficulty arranging foreign financing and foreign firms have hesitated to invest there. The economy remains heavily dependent on agriculture and government service which together employ about half of the work force. Moreover the small vulnerable economy has suffered because the Turkish lira is legal tender. To compensate for the economy's weakness Turkey provides direct and indirect aid to tourism education industry etc.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: Greek Cypriot area: 3.0%; Turkish Cypriot area: 5.3% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: Greek Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $15,400; Turkish Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $5,000 (1998 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: potatoes citrus vegetables barley grapes olives vegetables

Industries: food beverages textiles chemicals metal products tourism wood products

Industrial production growth rate: Greek Cypriot area: 2.4% (1998); Turkish Cypriot area: 5.1% (1997)

Labor force: Greek Cypriot area: 289,400; Turkish Cypriot area: 80,200 (1998)
By occupation Greek Cypriot area  services: 66.6%
By occupation industry: 21.6%
By occupation agriculture: 23% (1997)
By occupation (1998); Turkish Cypriot area  services: 55.4%

Unemployment rate: Greek Cypriot area: 3.3% (1998 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 6.4% (1997)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: Greek Cypriot area: 2.3% (1998 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 66% (1998 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: Greek Cypriot area: $1.1 billion (f.o.b. 1998 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: $63.9 million (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: Greek Cypriot area: citrus potatoes grapes wine cement clothing and shoes; Turkish Cypriot area: citrus potatoes textiles (1998)
Partners: Greek Cypriot area: UK 14.5% Russia 14.5% Greece 9.8% Lebanon 5.5% UAE 4.9%; Turkish Cypriot area: Turkey 47% UK 26% other EU 15% (1998)

Imports: Greek Cypriot area: $3.5 billion (f.o.b. 1998 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: $374 million (f.o.b. 1997)
Commodities: Greek Cypriot area: consumer goods petroleum and lubricants food and feed grains machinery (1998); Turkish Cypriot area: food minerals chemicals machinery (1997)
Partners: Greek Cypriot area: US 12.5% UK 11.3% Italy 9.4% Germany 8.5% Greece 8.2% (1998); Turkish Cypriot area: Turkey 56.4% UK 13.5% other EU 12.2% (1997)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: Greek Cypriot area: $1.27 billion; Turkish Cypriot area: $N/A (1998)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Cypriot pounds per US$1 - 0.5688 (January 2000) 0.5423 (1999) 0.5170 (1998) 0.5135 (1997) 0.4663 (1996) 0.4522 (1995); Turkish liras (TL) per US$1 - 545,584 (January 2000) 418,783 (1999) 260,724 (1998) 151,865 (1997) 81,405 (1996) 45,845 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: Greek Cypriot area: 2.675 billion kWh; Turkish Cypriot area: NA kWh (1998)
Consumption: Greek Cypriot area: 2.488 billion kWh; Turkish Cypriot area: NA kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: Greek Cypriot area: 405,000 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area: 70,845 (1996)
Mobile cellular: Greek Cypriot area: 68,000 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area: 70,000 (1999)

Telephone system: excellent in both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot areas

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 5 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $320 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 5% (FY99)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 15 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 6 (1999 est.)

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: 1974 hostilities divided the island into two de facto autonomous areas a Greek Cypriot area controlled by the internationally recognized Cypriot Government (59% of the island's land area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (37% of the island) that are separated by a UN buffer zone (4% of the island); there are two UK sovereign base areas mostly within the Greek Cypriot portion of the island

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and container traffic to Europe especially from Lebanon and Turkey; some cocaine transits as well