Total area:
9,250 km2
Land area:
9,240 km2
Comparative area:
about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
648 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
1974 hostilities divided the island into two de facto autonomous areas - a
Greek area controlled by the Cypriot Government (60% of the island's land
area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (35% of the island) that are separated by a
narrow UN buffer zone; in addition, there are two UK sovereign base areas
(about 5% of the island's land area)
Climate:
temperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters
Terrain:
central plain with mountains to north and south
Natural resources:
copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment
Land use:
arable land 40%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and
woodland 18%; other 25%; includes irrigated 10% (most irrigated lands are in
the Turkish-Cypriot area of the island)
Environment:
moderate earthquake activity; water resource problems (no natural reservoir
catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, and most potable resources
concentrated in the Turkish-Cypriot area)
:Cyprus People
Population:
716,492 (July 1992), growth rate 1.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
18 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
10 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
74 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Cypriot(s); adjective - Cypriot
Ethnic divisions:
Greek 78%; Turkish 18%; other 4%
Religions:
Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian, Apostolic, and other 4%
Languages:
Greek, Turkish, English
Literacy:
90% (male 96%, female 85%) age 10 and over can read and write (1976)
Labor force:
Greek area - 278,000; services 45%, industry 35%, agriculture 14%; Turkish
area - 71,500 (1990); services 21%, industry 30%, agriculture 27%
Organized labor:
156,000 (1985 est.)
:Cyprus Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Cyprus
Type:
republic; a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the
island began after the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation
was further solidified following the Turkish invasion of the island in July
1974, which gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek
Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15
November 1983 Turkish Cypriot President Rauf DENKTASH declared independence
and the formation of a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which has
been recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly call for the resolution
of intercommunal differences and creation of a new federal system of
government
Capital:
Nicosia
Administrative divisions:
6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos
Independence:
16 August 1960 (from UK)
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 area passed by
referendum in May 1985
Legal system:
based on common law, with civil law modifications
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (15 November is celebrated as Independence Day
in the Turkish area)
Executive branch:
president, Council of Ministers (cabinet); note - there is a president,
prime minister, and Council of Ministers (cabinet) in the Turkish area
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Representatives (Vouli Antiprosopon); note - there is a
unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Cumhuriyet Meclisi) in the Turkish area
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; note - there is also a Supreme Court in the Turkish area
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President George VASSILIOU (since February 1988); note - Rauf R. DENKTASH
has been president of the Turkish area since 13 February 1975
Political parties and leaders:
Greek Cypriot:
Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL; Communist Party), Dimitrios
CHRISTOFIAS; Democratic Rally (DESY), Glafkos KLERIDES; Democratic Party
(DEKO), Spyros KYPRIANOU; United Democratic Union of the Center (EDEK),
Vassos LYSSARIDES; Socialist Democratic Renewal Movement (ADESOK), Mikhalis
PAPAPETROU; Liberal Party, Nikos ROLANDIS
:Cyprus Government
Turkish area:
National Unity Party (UBP), Dervis EROGLU; Communal Liberation Party (TKP),
Mustafa AKINCI; Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Ozker OZGUR; New Cyprus
Party (YKP), Alpay DURDURAN; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Ergun VEHBI; New
Birth Party (YDP), Ali Ozkan ALTINISHIK; Free Democratic Party (HDP), Ismet
KOTAK; note - CTP, TKP, and YDP joined in the coalition Democratic Struggle
Party (DMP) for the 22 April 1990 legislative election; the CTP and TKP
boycotted the byelection of 13 October 1991, which was for 12 seats; the DMP
was dissolved after the 1990 election; National Justice Party (MAP), Zorlu
TORE; United Sovereignty Party, Arif Salih KIRDAG
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 14 February and 21 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993);
results - George VASSILIOU 52%, Glafkos KLERIDES 48%
House of Representatives:
last held 19 May 1991; results - DESY 35.8%, AKEL (Communist) 30.6, DEKO
19.5%, EDEK 10. 9%; others 3.2% seats - (56 total) DESY 20, AKEL (Communist)
18, DEKO 11, EDEK 7
Turkish Area: President:
last held 22 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results - Rauf R.
DENKTASH 66%, Ismail BOZKURT 32.05%
Turkish Area: Assembly of the Republic:
last held 6 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results - UBP
(conservative) 54.4%, DMP 44.4% YKP .9%; seats - (50 total) UBP
(conservative) 45, SDP 1, HDP 2, YDP 2; note - by-election of 13 October
1991 was for 12 seats
Communists:
about 12,000
Other political or pressure groups:
United Democratic Youth Organization (EDON; Communist controlled); Union of
Cyprus Farmers (EKA; Communist controlled); Cyprus Farmers Union (PEK;
pro-West); Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation (PEO; Communist controlled) ;
Confederation of Cypriot Workers (SEK; pro-West); Federation of Turkish
Cypriot Labor Unions (Turk-Sen); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions
(Dev-Is)
Member of:
C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM,
OAS (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO; note - the Turkish-Cypriot administered area of Cyprus has observer
status in the OIC
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Michael E. SHERIFIS; Chancery at 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC
20008; telephone (202) 462-5772
US:
Ambassador Robert E. LAMB; Embassy at the corner of Therissos Street and
Dositheos Street, Nicosia (mailing address is APO AE 09836); telephone [357]
(2) 465151; FAX [357] (2) 459-571
Flag:
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; note -
the Turkish cypriot flag has a horizontal red stripe at the top and bottom
with a red crescent and red star on a white field
:Cyprus Economy
Overview:
The Greek Cypriot economy is small, diversified, and prosperous. Industry
contributes 24% to GDP and employs 35% of the labor force, while the service
sector contributes 44% to GDP and employs 45% of the labor force. Rapid
growth in exports of agricultural and manufactured products and in tourism
have played important roles in the average 6.4% rise in GDP between 1985 and
1990. In mid-1991, the World Bank "graduated" Cyprus off its list of
developing countries. In contrast to the bright picture in the south, the
Turkish Cypriot economy has less than half the per capita GDP and suffered a
series of reverses in 1991. Crippled by the effects of the Gulf war, the
collapse of the fruit-to-electronics conglomerate, Polly Peck, Ltd., and a
drought, the Turkish area in late 1991 asked for a multibillion-dollar grant
from Turkey to help ease the burden of the economic crisis. Turkey normally
underwrites a substantial portion of the TRNC economy.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - Greek area: $5.5 billion, per capita $9,600;
real growth rate 6.0%; Turkish area: $600 million, per capita $4,000; real
growth rate 5.9% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Greek area: 4.5%; Turkish area: 69.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
Greek area: 1.8%; Turkish area: 1.2% (1990)
Budget:
revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $2.0 billion, including capital
expenditures of $250 million (1991)
Exports:
$847 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
citrus, potatoes, grapes, wine, cement, clothing and shoes
partners:
UK 23%, Greece 10%, Lebanon 10%, Germany 5%
Imports:
$2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, food and feed grains, machinery
partners:
UK 13%, Japan 12%, Italy 10%, Germany 9.1%
External debt:
$2.8 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 5.6% (1990); accounts for 24% of GDP
Electricity:
620,000 kW capacity; 1,770 million kWh produced, 2,530 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood products
Agriculture:
accounts for 7% of GDP and employs 14% of labor force in the south; major
crops - potatoes, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, and citrus fruits;
vegetables and fruit provide 25% of export revenues
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $292 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $250 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $62 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $24
million
Currency:
Cypriot pound (plural - pounds) and in Turkish area, Turkish lira (plural -
liras); 1 Cypriot pound (#C) = 100 cents and 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus
:Cyprus Economy