Map of Cyprus | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: 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.


top of page


Location: 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: 35 00 N, 33 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 9,251 km²
Note: (of which 3,355 km² are in north Cyprus)
Land: 9,241 km²
Water: 10 km²
Rank: 170
Comparative: about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries
Total: 156 km
Border sovereign base areas: Akrotiri 48 km, Dhekelia 108 km

Coastline: 648 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm

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
Mean elevation: 91 m
Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Highest point: Mount Olympus 1,951 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 13.4% (2011 est.)
Forest: 18.8% (2011 est.)
Other: 67.8% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 460 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: moderate earthquake activity; droughts

Geography
Note: the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia); several small Cypriot enclaves exist within the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area


top of page


Population
Distribution: population concentrated in central Nicosia and in the major cities of the south: Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca: 1,237,088 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 158
Growth rate: 1.27% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 86
Below poverty line note: NA

Nationality
Noun: Cypriot(s)
Adjective: Cypriot

Ethnic groups:

Languages:

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.64% (male 99,390 /female 94,053)
15-24 years: 13.25% (male 89,265 /female 74,607)
25-54 years: 47.11% (male 308,190 /female 274,632)
55-64 years: 11.62% (male 68,952 /female 74,842)
65 years and over: 12.38% (male 66,209 /female 86,948) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 42.3 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 24 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 18.3 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 5.5 (2015 est.): note: data represent the whole country

Median age
Total: 37.2 years (2018 est.)
Male: 35.9 years
Female: 38.7 years
Rank: 68

Population growth rate: 1.27% (2018 est.)
Rank: 86

Birth rate: 11.2 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 174

Death rate: 6.8 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 133

Net migration rate: 8.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 11

Population distribution: population concentrated in central Nicosia and in the major cities of the south: Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca

Urbanization
Urban population: 66.8% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.75% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 269,000 NICOSIA (capital) (2018)

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, industrial wastes, and pesticides; coastal degradation; erosion; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.2 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.7 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.2 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 155

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79 years (2018 est.)
Male: 76.2 years
Female: 81.9 years
Rank: 52

Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 202

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 6.9% (2016)

Physicians density: 1.95 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density: 3.4 beds/1000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 119
People living with hivaids note: <1000 (2017 est.)
Deaths note: <100 (2017 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 21.8% (2016)
Rank: 84

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 6.4% of GDP (2015)
Rank: 22

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.1%
Male: 99.5%
Female: 98.7% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 15 years (2015)

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus
Conventional short form: Cyprus
Local long form: Kypriaki Dimokratia/Kibris Cumhuriyeti
Local short form: Kypros/Kibris
Etymology: 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: 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')

Government type:

Capital
Name: Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa)
Geographic coordinates: 35 10 N, 33 22 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October: etymology: 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')

Administrative divisions: 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 'TRNC' are Gazimagusa (Famagusta), Girne (Kyrenia), Guzelyurt (Morphou), Iskele (Trikomo), Lefkosa (Nicosia)

Dependent areas

Independence: 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: Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots celebrate 15 November (1983) as 'Republic Day'

Constitution
History: 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
Amendments:

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and civil law with European law supremacy

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cyprus
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Nikos ANASTASIADIS (since 28 February 2013); 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
Head of government: President Nikos ANASTASIADIS (since 28 February 2013)
Cabinet: 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
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term; election last held on 28 January 2018 with a runoff on 4 February 2018 (next to be held in February 2023)
Election results: 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%, Savros MALAS 44%: note: Mustafa AKINCI assumed office as 'president' of the 'TRNC' on 30 April 2015; percent of vote in first round (19 April 2015) - Dervis EROGLU 28.2%, Mustafa AKINCI 26.9%, other 44.9%; percent of vote in runoff (26 April 2015) - AKINCI 60.5%, EROGLU 39.5%

Legislative branch
Description: 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); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members directly elected to 5-year terms by proportional representation system using a hybrid dHondt method with voter preferences for individual candidates
Elections: area under government control: last held on 22 May 2016 (next to be held in May 2021); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: last held on 7 January 2018 (next to be held in 2023, unless early election called)
Election results: area under government control: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - DISY 30.7%, AKEL 25.7%, DIKO 14.5%, KS-EDEK 6.2%, SP 6% Solidarity Movement 5.2%, other 11.7%; seats by party - DISY 18, AKEL 16, DIKO 9, KS-EDEK 3, Citizens Alliance 3 (2 left the party in 2017 and 2018 due to disagreements over the partys policy regarding the presidential election campaign; one joined DIKO and the other became an independent MP), Solidarity Movement 3, other 4; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Assembly of the Republic - percent of vote by party - UBP 35.6%, CTP 20.9%, HP 17.1%, TDP 8.6%, DP 7.8%, YDP 7%, 3%; seats by party - UBP 21, CTP 12, HP 9, DP 3, TDP 3, YDP 2

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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: 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: 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

Political parties and leaders: area under government control: Citizens' Alliance or SP [Giorgos LILLIKAS]Democratic Party or DIKO [Nicolas PAPADOPOULOS]Democratic Rally or DISY [Averof NEOPHYTOU]Movement of Ecologists and Environmentalists or KOP (Green party) [Giorgos PERDIKIS]I, the Citizen or EOP [Georgios KOUNTOURIS]Movement of Social Democrats EDEK [Marinos SIZOPOULOS]National Popular Front or ELAM [Christos CHRISTOU]Progressive Party of the Working People or AKEL (Communist party) [Andros KYPRIANOU]Solidarity Movement [Eleni THEOCHAROUS]United Democrats or EDI [Praxoula ANTONIADOU]Democratic Front or DIPA [Marios GAROYIAN]Animal Party Cyprus or APC [Kyriacos KYRIACOU]area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Communal Democracy Party or TDP [Cemal OZYIGIT]Communal Liberation Party-New Forces or TKP-YG [Mehmet CAKICI]Cyprus Socialist Party or KSP [Mehmet BIRINCI]Democratic Party or DP [Serdar DENKTAS]National Democratic Party or NDP [Buray BUSKUVUTCU]National Unity Party or UBP [Ersin TATAR]New Cyprus Party or YKP [Murat KANATLI]People's Party or HP [Kudret OZERSAY]Rebirth Party or YDP [Erhan ARIKLI]Republican Turkish Party or CTP [Tufan ERHURMAN]United Cyprus Party or BKP [Izzet IZCAN]

International organization participation: Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 2,211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 462-5,772, 462-0873
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 483-6,710
In the us consulate: New York
In the us: note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the US is Mustafa LAKADAMYALI; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1] (202) 887-6,198
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Judith Gail GARBER (since 18 March 2019)
From the us telephone: [357] (22) 393,939
From the us embassy: corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, 2,407 Engomi, Nicosia
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 24,536, 1385 Nicosia
From the us FAX: [357] (22) 393,344

Flag description:

National symbols: Cypriot mouflon (wild sheep), white dove; national colors: blue, white

National anthem
Name: Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian (Hymn to Liberty)
Lyricsmusic: Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS: note: adopted 1960; Cyprus adopted the Greek national anthem as its own; the Turkish Cypriot community in Cyprus uses the anthem of Turkey

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: The area of the Republic of Cyprus under government control has a market economy dominated by a services sector that accounts for more than four-fifths of GDP. Tourism, finance, shipping, and real estate have traditionally been the most important services. Cyprus has been a member of the EU since May 2004 and adopted the euro as its national currency in January 2008.During the first five years of EU membership, the Cyprus economy grew at an average rate of about 4%, with unemployment between 2004 and 2008 averaging about 4%. However, the economy tipped into recession in 2009 as the ongoing global financial crisis and resulting low demand hit the tourism and construction sectors. An overextended banking sector with excessive exposure to Greek debt added to the contraction. Cyprus’ biggest two banks were among the largest holders of Greek bonds in Europe and had a substantial presence in Greece through bank branches and subsidiaries. Following numerous downgrades of its credit rating, Cyprus lost access to international capital markets in May 2011. In July 2012, Cyprus became the fifth euro-zone government to request an economic bailout program from the European Commission, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund - known collectively as the 'Troika.'Shortly after the election of President Nikos ANASTASIADES in February 2013, Cyprus reached an agreement with the Troika on a $13 billion bailout that triggered a two-week bank closure and the imposition of capital controls that remained partially in place until April 2015. Cyprus' two largest banks merged and the combined entity was recapitalized through conversion of some large bank deposits to shares and imposition of losses on bank bondholders. As with other EU countries, the Troika conditioned the bailout on passing financial and structural reforms and privatizing state-owned enterprises. Despite downsizing and restructuring, the Cypriot financial sector remains burdened by the largest stock of non-performing loans in the euro zone, equal to nearly half of all loans. Since the bailout, Cyprus has received positive appraisals by the Troika and outperformed fiscal targets but has struggled to overcome political opposition to bailout-mandated legislation, particularly regarding privatizations. The rate of non-performing loans (NPLs) is still very high at around 49%, and growth would accelerate if Cypriot banks could increase the pace of resolution of the NPLs.In October 2013, a US-Israeli consortium completed preliminary appraisals of hydrocarbon deposits in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which estimated gross mean reserves of about 130 billion cubic meters. Though exploration continues in Cyprus’ EEZ, no additional commercially exploitable reserves have been identified. Developing offshore hydrocarbon resources remains a critical component of the government’s economic recovery efforts, but development has been delayed as a result of regional developments and disagreements about exploitation methods.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 129

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 81

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 53

Gross national saving:
Rank: 140

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 68.7% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 14.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.7% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 63.8% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -67.8% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 12.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 85.5% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables; poultry, pork, lamb; dairy, cheese

Industries: tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone and clay products

Industrial production growth rate: 13.4% (2017 est.)
Rank: 5

Labor force: 426,600 (2017 est.)
Rank: 158
By occupation agriculture: 3.8%
By occupation industry: 15.2%
By occupation services: 81% (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 150

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line
Note: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.3%
Highest 10: 28.8% (2014)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 99

Budget
Revenues: 8.663 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 8.275 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 17

Taxes and other revenues: 39.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 40

Public debt:
Rank: 19

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 35

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 150

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 164

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 102

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 105

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 63

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 96

Current account balance:
Rank: 154

Exports:
Rank: 131
Partners: Libya 9.4%, Greece 7.7%, Norway 6.7%, UK 5.3%, Germany 4.1% (2017)
Commodities: citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement, clothing

Imports:
Rank: 111
Commodities: consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, machinery, transport equipment
Partners: Greece 19%, Italy 7.5%, China 7.4%, South Korea 7.3%, Germany 7%, Netherlands 5.1%, UK 5%, Israel 4.1% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 136

Debt external:
Rank: 50

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 28

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 26

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2016)
Production: 4.618 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 123
Consumption: 4.355 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 126
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 126
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 140
Installed generating capacity: 1.77 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 117
Generation sources fossil fuels: 85% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 70
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 76
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 166
Generation sources other renewable sources: 15% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 58

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 126
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 113
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 116
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 122

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 135
Products consumption: 49,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 106
Products exports: 500 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 110
Products imports: 49,240 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 84

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 122
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 138
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 92
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 115
Proven reserves: 141.6 billion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 47

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 7.72 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 118

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 317,241
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 26 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 110
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 1,176,801
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 96 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 157

Telephone system
General assessment: despite the growth of Cypruss telecom sector, the market overall continues to be dominated by the incumbent, Cyprus Telecommunications Authority CyTA, which is still fully-owned by the state but is losing ground to its competition annually; improved regulatory circumstances, especially in relation to network interconnection and access, has given competing operators the certainty to invest in network infrastructure, to launch competing services (2018)
Domestic: open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay; fixed-line teledinsity is 26 per 100, and  96 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2018)
International: 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)

Broadcast media: 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)

Internet
Country code: .cy
Users total: 915,036
Users percent of population: 75.9% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 133

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 295,686
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (2017 est.)
Rank: 95


top of page


Military expenditures:
Rank: 72

Military and security forces: Republic of Cyprus: Cypriot National Guard (Ethniki Froura, EF, includes ground, naval, and air elements); 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus': Turkish Cypriot Security Force (GKK) (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 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 (2016)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 23,404 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 230,600
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 5B (2016)

Airports: 15 (2013)
Rank: 145
With paved runways total: 13 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2013)

Heliports: 9 (2013)

Pipelines: 0 km oil

Railways

Roadways
Total: 19,901 km (2016)
Government control: 12,901 km
Note: (includes 272 km of expressways) (2016)
Paved: 8,631 km (2016)
Unpaved: 4,270 km (2016)
Turkish Cypriot control: 7,000 km (2011)
Rank: 112

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 1020
By type: bulk carrier 311, container ship 184, general cargo 177, oil tanker 51, other 297 (2018)
Rank: 24

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: area under government control: Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos: area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Famagusta, Kyrenia


top of page


Disputes international: 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 6,259 (Syria) (2018)
IDPs: 228,000 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many displaced since 1974) (2018): note: 10,690 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-November 2019)

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; despite a strengthening of anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector remains weak