Republic of Cyprus Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία (Greek) Kypriakí Dimokratía Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti (Turkish)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Υμνος είς την Ελευθερίαν Ýmnos eis tīn Eleutherían Hymn to Liberty1
Location of  Cyprus  (green) – on the European continent  (light green & grey) – in the European Union  (light green)  —  [Legend]
Capital (and largest city)		Nicosia (Λευκωσία, Lefkoşa) 35°08′N 33°28′E / 35.133°N 33.467°E / 35.133; 33.467
Official languages		Greek and Turkish[1]
Ethnic groups		77% Greek, 18% Turkish, 5% other (2001 est.)[2]
Demonym		Cypriot
Government		Presidential republic
-	President	Dimitris Christofias
Independence		from the United Kingdom
-	Zürich and London Agreement	19 February 1959
-	Proclaimed	16 August 1960
EU accession		1 May 2004
Area
-	Total	9,251 km2 (167th) 3,572 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	1.1.2009 estimate	793,963[3]
-	Density	117/km2 (85th) 221/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2008 estimate
-	Total	$22.721 billion[4] (107th)
-	Per capita	$29,853[4] (29th)
GDP (nominal)		2008 estimate
-	Total	$24.922 billion[4] (86th)
-	Per capita	$32,745[4] (26th)
Gini (2005)		29 (low) (19th)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0.914[5] (very high) (32nd)
Currency		Euro2 (EUR)
Time zone		EET (UTC+2)
-	Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Drives on the		Left
Internet TLD		.cy3
Calling code		357
1	Also the national anthem of Greece.
2	Before 2008, the Cypriot pound.
3	The .eu domain is also used, shared with other European Union member states.

Cyprus (Greek: Κύπρος, transliterated: Kýpros, IPA: [ˈkʲipɾo̞s]; Turkish: Kıbrıs), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía, [kʲipɾiaˈkʲi ðimo̞kɾaˈtia]; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti), is a Eurasian island country in the Eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon.^[6] It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of its most popular tourist destinations.^[7] A highly developed country,^[8][9] the Republic of Cyprus was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement^[10] until its accession to the European Union on May 1, 2004.^[11]

The island has known human activity since around the 10th millennium BC and contains the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Tombs of the Kings. It is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world,^[12] and is the site of the earliest known example of feline-human association.^[13][14] At a strategic location in the Middle East^{[15][16][17][18]} or West Asia,^[19][20] Cyprus has come under the occupation of various civilisations, including the Hittites, Persians, Byzantines, Arabs, and Ottomans. It was placed under British administration in 1878 until it was granted independence in 1960,^[21] becoming a member of the Commonwealth the following year. In 1974, following 11 years of intercommunal violence^[22] and an attempted coup d'état by Greek Cypriot nationalists,^[23][24] Turkey invaded and occupied the northern portion of the island. The Turkish invasion led to the displacement of thousands of Cypriots and the establishment of a separate Turkish Cypriot political entity in the north. This event and its resulting political situation are matters of ongoing dispute.

The Republic of Cyprus has de jure sovereignty over the entire island of Cyprus and its surrounding waters except small portions that are allocated by treaty to the United Kingdom as sovereign military bases. The Republic of Cyprus is de facto partitioned into two main parts, the area under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus, comprising about 59% of the island's area and the Turkish-occupied area in the north,^[25] calling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, covering about 37% of the island's area and recognised only by Turkey.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Ancient times 2.2 Middle Ages 2.3 Ottoman and British rule 2.4 Independence 2.5 Invasion and occupation 2.6 Recent history 3 Geography 4 Government 4.1 Districts 4.2 Exclaves and enclaves 4.3 Human rights 5 Military 6 Economy 6.1 Numismatics 7 Demographics 7.1 Genetics 7.2 Religion 8 Education 9 Culture 9.1 Art 9.2 Music 9.3 Literature 9.4 Cuisine 9.5 Sports 9.6 Media 10 Infrastructure 10.1 Transportation 10.2 Telecommunications 11 International membership 12 International rankings 13 See also 14 References 15 Further reading 16 External links

Etymology

The name Cyprus has a somewhat uncertain etymology. One suggestion is that it comes from the Greek word for the Mediterranean cypress tree (Cupressus sempervirens), κυπάρισσος (kypárissos), or even from the Greek name of the henna plant (Lawsonia alba), κύπρος (kýpros). Another school suggests that it stems from the Eteocypriot word for copper. Georges Dossin, for example, suggests that it has roots in the Sumerian word for copper (zubar) or for bronze (kubar), from the large deposits of copper ore found on the island. Through overseas trade the island has given its name to the Classical Latin word for copper through the phrase aes Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum.^[26] Cyprus is also known as the Island of Aphrodite, Venus, or Love^[27] since according to Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, was born in Paphos.

History

Human settlement started on Cyprus around 9,000 BC with the arrival of agriculturists who built round houses with floors of terazzo. Cities were first built during the Bronze Age. The island was part of the Hittite empire during the late Bronze Age until the arrival of two waves of Greek settlement.^[28] Mycenaeans arrived arorund 1100 BC, when the burials began to take the form of long dromio.^[29] In the 4th century BC, Cyprus was conquered by Alexander the Great and subsequently ruled by the Ptolemaic Egypt until 58 BC, when it was incorporated into the Roman Empire. Except for an interval of Arab rule (643-966), the island remained under Roman (and later Byzantine) rule until the 12th century. After an occupation by the Knights Templar and the rule of Isaac Komnenos, the island in 1192 came under the rule of the Lusignan family, who established the Kingdom of Cyprus. In February 1489 it was seized by the Republic of Venice, and then between September 1570 and August 1571 conquered by the Ottoman Empire, starting three centuries of Turkish rule over Cyprus.

Starting in the early-nineteenth century, Greeks of the island sought to bring about an end to almost 250 years of Ottoman rule and unite Cyprus with Greece. The call for that aim, called enosis, grew louder after Britain took administrative control of the island in 1878, to prevent Ottoman positions from falling under Russian control following the Congress of Berlin. Under the terms of the agreement reached between Britain and the Ottoman Empire, the island would remain an Ottoman territory. When the Ottoman Empire entered World War I on the side of the Central Powers, Britain renounced the agreement and all Turkish claims over Cyprus and declared the island a British colony. In 1915, Britain offered Cyprus to Constantine I of Greece on condition that Greece join the war on the side of the British, which he declined. In 1925 Britain declared Cyprus to be a Crown Colony.

Ancient times

The earliest confirmed site of human activity on Cyprus is Aetokremnos, situated on the south coast, indicating that hunter-gatherers were active on the island from around 10,000 BC,^[30] with settled village communities dating from 8200 BC. The arrival of the first humans correlates with the extinction of the dwarf hippos and dwarf elephants.^[31] Water wells discovered by archaeologists in western Cyprus are believed to be among the oldest in the world, dated at 9,000 to 10,500 years old.^[12] Remains of an 8-month-old cat were discovered buried with its human owner at a separate Neolithic site in Cyprus.^[13] The grave is estimated to be 9,500 years old, predating ancient Egyptian civilization and pushing back the earliest known feline-human association significantly.^[14] The remarkably well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating to approximately 6800 BC.^[32]

The island was part of the Hittite empire during the late Bronze Age until the arrival of two waves of Greek settlement.^[28] The first wave consisted of Mycenaean Greek traders, which started visiting Cyprus around 1400 BC. A major wave of Greek settlement is believed to have taken place following the Bronze Age collapse of Mycenaean Greece in the period 1100-1050 BC, with the island's predominantly Greek character dating from this period.^[33][34] Cyprus occupies an important role in Greek mythology being the birthplace of Aphrodite and Adonis, and home to King Cinyras, Teucer and Pygmalion.^[35] Beginning in the 8th century BC Phoenician colonies were founded on the south coast of Cyprus, near present day Larnaca and Salamis.^[33]

Cyprus was ruled by Assyria for a century starting in 708 BC, before a brief spell under Egyptian rule and eventually Persian rule in 545 BC.^[33] Cypriots, led by Onesilos, king of Salamis, joined their fellow-Greeks in the Ionian cities during the unsuccessful Ionian Revolt in 499 BC against the Achaemenid Empire. The revolt was suppressed without bloodshed, although Cyprus managed to maintain a high degree of autonomy and remained oriented towards the Greek world.^[33] The island was brought under permanent Greek rule by Alexander the Great and the Ptolemies of Egypt following his death. Full Hellenisation took place during the Ptolemaic period, which ended when Cyprus was annexed by the Roman Republic in 58 BC.

Middle Ages

When the Roman Empire was divided into Eastern and Western parts in 395, Cyprus became part of the East Roman, or Byzantine Empire, and would remain part of it until the crusades some 800 years later. Under Byzantine rule, the Greek orientation that had been prominent since antiquity developed the strong Hellenistic-Christian character that continues to be a hallmark of the Greek Cypriot community.^[33] Beginning in 649, Cyprus suffered from devastating raids launched from the Levant, which continued from the next 300 years.^[33] Many were quick piratical raids, but others were large-scale attacks in which many Cypriots were slaughtered and great wealth carried off or destroyed.^[33] No Byzantine churches survive from this period, thousands were killed, and many cities, such as Salamis, were destroyed and never rebuilt.^[33] Byzantine was restored in 965, when General Nikephoros Phokas (later Emperor) scored decisive victories on land and sea.^[33] In 1191, during the Third Crusade, Richard I of England captured the island from Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus^[36] He used it as a major supply base that was relatively safe from the Saracens. A year later Richard sold the island to the Templars, who, following a series of bloody revolts, in turn sold it to Guy of Lusignan.^[33] Cyprus would remain under Latin rule for the next 300 years.

Following the death in 1473 of James II, the last Lusignan king, the Republic of Venice assumed control of the island, while his Venetian widow, Queen Caterina Cornaro reigned as figurehead. Venice formally annexed Cyprus in 1489, following the abdication of Caterina.^[33] Using it as an important commercial hub, the Venetians fortified Nicosia, the current capital city in Cyprus, with its famous Venetian Walls. Throughout Venetian rule, the Ottoman Empire frequently raided Cyprus. In 1539 the Ottomans destroyed Limassol and so fearing the worst, the Venetians also fortified Famagusta and Kyrenia.^[33]

During the almost four centuries of Latin rule, there existed two societies on Cyprus. The first consisted of Frankish nobles and their retinue, as well as Italian merchants and their families. The second, the majority of the population, consisted of Greek Cypriots serfs and laborers. Although a determined effort was made to supplant native traditions and culture, the effort failed.^[33]

Ottoman and British rule

In 1570, a full scale conquest under Piyale Pasha with 60,000 troops brought the island under Ottoman control, despite stiff resistance by the inhabitants of Nicosia and Famagusta. 20,000 Nicosians were put to death, and every church, public building, and palace was looted.^[37] The Ottomans applied the millet system and allowed religious authorities to govern their own non-Muslim minorities, but at the same time invested the Eastern Orthodox Church as a mediator between Christian Cypriots and the authorities granting it not only religious but political and economic powers. Heavy taxation led to rebellions, resulting in approximately twenty-eight bloody uprisings taking place between 1572 and 1668, forcing the Sultans to intervene. The first large scale census of the Ottoman Empire in 1831, counting only men, showed 14,983 Muslims and 29,190 Christians.^[38] By 1872, the population of the island had risen to 144,000 comprising 44,000 Muslims and 100,000 Christians.^[39]

Administration, but not sovereignty, of the island was ceded to the British Empire in 1878 with the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). The island would serve Britain as a key military base in its colonial routes. By 1906, when the Famagusta harbour was completed, Cyprus was a strategic naval outpost overlooking the Suez Canal, the crucial main route to India which was then Britain's most important colony. Following the outbreak of World War I 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. Many Greek Cypriots fought in the British Army during both world wars, in the hope that Cyprus would eventually be united with Greece.^[40]

In January 1950 the Eastern Orthodox Church organized a referendum, which was boycotted by the Turkish Cypriot community, where over 90% voted in favor of "enosis", meaning union with Greece.^[41][42] Restricted autonomy under a constitution was proposed by the British administration but eventually rejected. In 1955 the EOKA organisation was founded, seeking independence and union with Greece through armed struggle. At the same time the TMT, calling for Taksim, or partition, was established by the Turkish Cypriots as a counterweight.^[43] Turmoil on the island was met with force by the British.

Independence

On August 16, 1960, Cyprus attained independence after an agreement in Zürich and London between the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey. The UK retained two Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekelia while government posts and public offices were allocated by ethnic quotas giving the minority Turks a permanent veto, 30% in parliament and administration, and granting the 3 mother-states guarantor rights.

In 1963 inter-communal violence broke out, partially sponsored by both "motherlands" with Turkish Cypriots being forced into enclaves and Cypriot President Archbishop Makarios III calling for unilateral constitutional changes as a means to ease tensions over the whole island. The United Nations was involved and the United Nations forces in Cyprus (UNICYP) deployed at flash points.^[44]

In 1964, Turkey attempted to invade Cyprus^[45] but was stopped by a strongly worded letter from the American President Lyndon B. Johnson on June 5, 1964^[46]

Invasion and occupation

Turkey launched a military invasion on the island in 1974 following the coup d'e'tat engineered by the Greek Junta. The Turkish air force began bombing Greek positions on Cyprus, hundreds of paratroops were dropped in the area between Nicosia and Kyrenia, where well-armed Turkish Cypriot enclaves had been long-established, while off the Kyrenia coast 30 Turkish troop ships protected by destroyers disgorged 6,000 men as well as an array of tanks, trucks, and armored vehicles. Three days later, when a ceasefire had been agreed, Turkey had landed 30,000 troops on the island and captured Kyrenia, the corridor linking Kyrenia to Nicosia and the Turkish-Cypriot quarter of Nicosia. The junta in Athens and then Sampson in Cyprus fell from power. In Nicosia, Glafkos Clerides assumed the presidency and constitutional order was restored; ostensibly removing the pretext the Turks gave for the invasion, though the Turks having come this far were now committed to implementing their long-held plan to partition the island and annex northern Cyprus. The Turks used a period of sham negotiations - during which Turkey enjoyed American moral, intelligence and diplomatic support - to reinforce their Kyrenia bridgehead and prepare for the second phase of the invasion, which began on 14 August and resulted in the seizure of Morphou, Karpasia, Ammochostos and the Mesaoria. Heavily outnumbered, the Greek forces were unable to resist the Turkish advance.

International pressure led to a ceasefire and at that point 37% of the land fell within the Turkish occupation zone, 180,000 Greek Cypriots were evicted from their homes in the north. At the same time around 50,000 Turkish Cypriots moved to the areas under the control of the Turkish Forces and settled in the properties of the displaced Greek Cypriots. In 1983 Turkish Cypriots unilaterally proclaimed independence, which was only recognized by Turkey. As of today, there are 1,534 Greek Cypriots^[47] and 502 Turkish Cypriots^[48] missing as a result of the fighting. The events of the summer of 1974 dominate the politics on the island, as well as Greco-Turkish relations. Around 150,000 settlers from Turkey are believed to be living in the north in violation of the Geneva Convention and various UN resolutions.^[49][50] Following the invasion and the capture of its northern territory by Turkish troops, the Republic of Cyprus announced that all of its ports of entry in the north are closed, as they are effectively not under its control.

Recent history

Since de facto, though not de jure, partition of the Republic, the north and south have followed separate paths. The Republic of Cyprus is a constitutional democracy that has reached great levels of prosperity, with a booming economy and good infrastructure. It is a member of the UN, the European Union and several other organisations by whom it is recognised as the sole legitimate government of the whole island. The area of the island not under effective control of the Republic of Cyprus, Northern Cyprus, is dependent on help from Turkey. The last major effort to settle the Cyprus dispute was the Annan Plan. It gained the support of the Turkish Cypriots but was rejected by the Greek Cypriots.

In July 2006, the island served as a safe haven for people fleeing Lebanon because of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.^[51]

In March 2008, a wall that for decades had stood at the boundary between the Greek Cypriot controlled side and the UN buffer zone was demolished.^[52] 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 3 April 2008, Ledra Street was reopened in the presence of Greek and Turkish Cypriot officials.^[53]

Geography

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean (after the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia) and the world's 81st largest. It measures 240 kilometres latitudinally and 100 km longitudinally, with Turkey 75 km to the north. Other neighbouring territories include Syria and Lebanon to the east (105 km and 108 km, respectively), Israel 200 km to the southeast, Egypt 380 km to the south, and Greece to the west-northwest: 280 km to the small Dodecanesian island of Kastellórizo (Meyísti), 400 km to Rhodes, and 800 km to the Greek mainland.

The physical setting for life on the island is dominated by the mountain masses and the central plain they encompass, the Mesaoria. The Troodos Mountains cover most of the southern and western portions of the island and account for roughly half its area. The narrow Kyrenia Range, extending along the northern coastline, occupies substantially less area, and elevations are lower.

Geopolitically, the island is subdivided into four main segments. The Republic of Cyprus, the internationally recognised government, occupies the southern two-thirds of the island (59.74%). The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus occupies the northern third (34.85%) of the island and is recognised only by Turkey, as it consists of the Turkish-occupied areas. The United Nations-controlled Green Line is a buffer zone that separates the two and covers 2.67% of the island. Lastly, two bases under British sovereignty are located on the island: Akrotiri and Dhekelia, covering the remaining 2.74%.

Government

Cyprus

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Cyprus

Constitution Cyprus dispute Annan Plan referendum President Dimitris Christofias House of Representatives Political parties Elections in Cyprus Legislative: 2001 · 2006 Presidential: 2008 Districts Foreign relations of Cyprus Politics of the European Union See also Politics of Northern Cyprus

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Cyprus is a Presidential republic. The head of state and of the government is the President, who is elected by a process of Universal suffrage for a five-year term. Executive power is exercised by the government with legislative power vested in the House of Representatives whilst the Judiciary is independent of both 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. Legislative 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. Turkish Cypriots refuse to establish the state of affairs before the invasion of Cyprus in their attempt to de jure partition the Republic of Cyprus. This is evident in the Secretary-General of the United Nations report at the time. The Turkish Cypriot leaders have adhered to a rigid stand against any measures which might involve having members of the two communities live and work together, or which might place Turkish Cypriots in situations where they would have to acknowledge the authority of Government agents. Indeed, since the Turkish Cypriot leadership is committed to physical and geographical separation of the communities as a political goal, it is not likely to encourage activities by Turkish Cypriots which may be interpreted as demonstrating the merits of an alternative policy. The result has been a seemingly deliberate policy of self-segregation by the Turkish Cypriots^[54]

In 1974 Cyprus was divided de facto into the Greek Cypriot controlled southern two-thirds of the island and the Turkish controlled northern third. The Turkish Cypriots subsequently declared independence in 1983 as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, but were recognized only by Turkey. In 1985, the TRNC adopted a constitution and held its first elections. The United Nations recognizes the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the entire island of Cyprus.^{[citation needed]}

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 Armenian, Latin and Maronite 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^[55] 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, on AKEL's first electoral victory without being part of a wider coalition. Cyprus is currently one of only two countries in the world to have a democratically elected communist government (the other being Nepal), and the only European Union member state under communist leadership. Christofias took over government from Tassos Papadopoulos of the Democratic Party who had been in office since February 2003.

Districts

The Republic of Cyprus is divided into six districts:^[56] Nicosia, Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos.

Map of Cyprus	Districts	Greek name	Turkish name
	Famagusta	Αμμόχωστος (Ammochostos)	Gazimağusa
	Kyrenia	Κερύvεια (Keryneia)	Girne
	Larnaca	Λάρνακα (Larnaka)	Larnaka/İskele
	Limassol	Λεμεσός (Lemesos)	Limasol/Leymosun
	Nicosia	Λευκωσία (Lefkosia)	Lefkoşa
	Paphos	Πάφος (Pafos/Bafos)	Baf/Gazibaf

Exclaves and enclaves

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. The third is the Dhekelia Power Station, which is divided by a British road into two parts. The northern part is an exclave, like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea and therefore not an exclave, although it has no territorial waters of its own.^[57] The UN buffer zone 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, and 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.

Pyrgos is a de facto exclave of the government-controlled part of the island. It is the only Greek Cypriot town located on the TRNC-controlled Morphou Bay.

Human rights

The constant focus on the division of the island can sometimes mask other human rights issues. Prostitution is rife in both the Greek-controlled and the Turkish-controlled regions, and the Greek south has been criticised^[58] for its role in the sex trade as one of the main destinations for human trafficking from Eastern Europe.^[59] The regime in the North has been the focus of occasional freedom of speech criticisms^[60] regarding heavy-handed treatment of newspaper editors. Domestic violence legislation in the Republic remains largely unimplemented,^[61] 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,^[62] and are the subject of several campaigns by the anti-racist charity KISA.

Military

The Cypriot National Guard is the main military institution of the Republic of Cyprus in the South. It is an all Greek combined arms force, with land, air and naval elements.

The land forces of the Cypriot National Guard comprise the following units:

• First Infantry Division (Ιη Μεραρχία ΠΖ)
• Second Infantry Division (ΙΙα Μεραρχία ΠΖ)
• Fourth Infantry Brigade (ΙVη Ταξιαρχία ΠΖ)
• Twentieth Armored Brigade (ΧΧη ΤΘ Ταξιαρχία)
• Third Support Brigade (ΙΙΙη Ταξιαρχία ΥΠ)
• Eighth Support Brigade (VIIIη Ταξιαρχία ΥΠ)

The air force includes the 449th Helicopter Gunship Squadron (449 ΜΑΕ) - 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.

Economy

The Cypriot economy is prosperous and has diversified in recent years.^[63] According to the latest IMF estimates, its per capita GDP (adjusted for purchasing power) is, at $28,381, just above the average of the European Union.^[64] 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.^[63] 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.^[65] The seabed separating Lebanon and Cyprus is believed to hold significant quantities of crude oil and natural gas.^[65] However, the Turkish Navy doesn't allow the exploration of oil in the region.^[65][66]

The economy of the Turkish-occupied area (effectively a district of the Mersin Province) 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 was $15,984 in 2008.^[67] Growth has been buoyed by the relative stability of the Turkish new lira and by a boom in the education and construction sectors. The island has witnessed a massive growth in tourism over the years and as such the property rental market in Cyprus has grown along side. Added to this is the capital growth in property that has been created from the demand of incoming investors and property buyers to the island.^[68]

Numismatics

In Cyprus, the euro was introduced in 2008. Three different designs were selected for the Cypriot coins. To commemorate this event, a €5 collector coin was also issued. This coin is a legacy of an old national practice of minting silver and gold commemorative coins. Unlike normal issues, these coins are not legal tender in all of the eurozone; so they cannot be used in any other country but only in Cyprus.

Demographics

According to the first population census after the declaration of independence, carried out in December 1960 and covering the entire island, Cyprus had a total population of 573,566, with Greek Cypriots comprising 77% of the island's population and Turkish Cypriots 18% (other nationals accounted for the remaining 5%).^[69] According to the last census covering the entire island (April 1973), the population of Cyprus was 631,778 with the Turkish Cypriots estimated at 19% of the total (about 120,000).^[70]

The subsequent censuses conducted in 1976-2001 after the de facto division of the island covered only the population in the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus government, and the number of Turkish Cypriots residing in Northern Cyprus was estimated by the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service on the basis of population growth rates and migration data. In the last census of 2001 carried out by the Republic of Cyprus, the population in the area controlled by the government was 703,529. The number of Turkish Cypriots residing in Northern Cyprus was estimated by the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service at 87,600, or 11% of the reported total.^[70]

The latest available estimates by the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service put the island’s population at the end of 2006 at 867,600, with 89.8% (778,700) in the government controlled area and 10.2% (88,900) Turkish Cypriots in Northern Cyprus.^[70] However, the Republic of Cyprus estimate of Turkish Cypriots does not represent the total population of Northern Cyprus. In addition, the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Service also estimated that 150,000-160,000 Turkish immigrants (described as “illegal settlers” in the Republic of Cyprus Statistical Abstract 2007,^[70] footnote on p. 72) were living in Northern Cyprus, bringing the de facto population of Northern Cyprus to about 250,000. This estimate produced by the Republic of Cyprus matches the results of the 2006 population census carried out by the 'government' of Northern Cyprus, which gives 265,100 as the total population of Northern Cyprus.^[71] The total population of Cyprus is thus slightly over 1 million, comprising 778,700 in the territory controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus and 265,100 in the territory controlled by the government of TRNC.

Cyprus has 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 Russian, British or other EU residents. Sizeable communities from Russia and Ukraine (mostly Pontic Greeks, immigrating after the fall of the Eastern Bloc), Bulgaria, Romania, and Eastern European states. By the end of 2007, about 124,000 immigrants settled in Cyprus, the three largest groups being 37,000 Greeks, 27,000 Britons, and 10,000 Russians. The island is also home to a Maronite minority of 6,000, an Armenian minority of around 2,000, and refugees mainly from Serbia, Palestine, and Lebanon. There is also a Kurdish minority present in Cyprus.

Outside Cyprus there is a significant and thriving Cypriot diaspora in other countries, within the United States, the United Kingdom, Greece and Australia hosting the majority of migrants who left the island after the de facto division in 1974. Specifically in the United Kingdom it is estimated that there are 150,000 Cypriots.

Genetics

Y-Dna haplogroups are found at the following frequencies in Cyprus : J (43.07% including 6.20% J1), E1b1b (20.00%), R1 (12.30% including 9.2% R1b), F (9.20%), I (7.70%), K (4.60%), A (3.10%).^[72] J, K, F and E1b1b haplogroups consist of lineages with differential distribution within Middle East, North Africa and Europe while R1 and I are typical in West European populations.

Religion

Most Greek Cypriots are members of the Greek Orthodox Church, whereas most Turkish Cypriots are Muslim. According to Eurobarometer 2005,^[73] Cyprus is one of the most religious countries in the European Union, along with Malta, Romania, Greece, and Poland. Even the first President of Cyprus, Makarios III, was an archbishop. It is also one of only five EU states that have an official state religion (Cypriot Orthodox Church, the other four states being Malta, Greece, Denmark, and United Kingdom (Church of England)). In addition to the Christian Orthodox and Muslim communities, there are also small Bahá'í, Jewish, Protestant (including Pentecostal), Roman Catholic, Maronite (Eastern Rites Catholic) and Armenian Apostolic communities in Cyprus.

Education

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Cyprus has a highly 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 but also to the fact that nearly 7% of the GDP is spent on education which makes Cyprus one of the top three spenders of education in the EU along with Denmark and Sweden. 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. Cypriot universities (like universities in Greece) 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 Turkish, Greek, British, other European and North American universities. It is noteworthy that Cyprus currently has the highest percentage of citizens of working age who have higher-level education in the EU at 30% which is ahead of Finland's 29.5%. In addition 47% of its population aged 25–34 have tertiary education, which is the highest in the EU. The body of Cypriot students is highly mobile, with 78.7% studying in a university outside Cyprus.

Culture

Art

The art history of Cyprus can be said to stretch back up to 10,000 years, following the discovery of a series of Chalcolithic period carved figures in the villages of Khoirokoitia and Lempa,^[74] and the island is also the home to numerous examples of high quality religious icon painting from the Middle Ages.

In modern times, however, Cypriot art history begins with the painter Vassilis Vryonides (1883-1958) who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice.^[75] Arguably the two founding fathers of modern Cypriot art, however, were Adamantios Diamantis (1900-1994), who studied at London's Royal College of Art, and Christopheros Savva (1924-1968), who also studied in London, at St Martins School of Art.^[76] In many ways these two artists set the template for subsequent Cypriot art, and both their artistic styles and the patterns of their education remain influential to this day. In particular the majority of Cypriot artists still train in England,^[77] although art schools in Greece are also popular, and local art institutions, such as the Cyprus College of Art, University of Nicosia and the Frederick Institute of Technology are becoming more popular.

One of the features of Cypriot art is a tendency towards figurative painting, although conceptual art is being rigorously promoted by a number of art institutions, most notably the Nicosia Municipal Art Centre[10]. Municipal art galleries exist in all the main towns, and there is a large and lively commercial art scene. Cyprus was due to host the international art festival Manifesta in 2006, but this was cancelled at the last minute following a dispute between the Dutch organisers of Manifesta and the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture over the location of some of the Manifesta events in the Turkish sector of the capital Nicosia.^[78] The ensuing furore over this event resulted in questions in Cyprus as to whether Manifesta was a CIA-backed plot to undermine the Greek Cypriot side in on-going negotiations over the reunification of Cyprus.^[79]

Other notable Cypriot artists include Rhea Bailey, Mihail Kkasialos, Ioannis Kissonergis, Theodoulos Gregoriou, Helene Black, George Skoteinos, Kalopedis family, Nicos Nicolaides, Stass Paraskos, Arestís Stasí, Telemachos Kanthos, Konstantia Sofokleous and Chris Achilleos.

Music

The traditional folk music of Cyprus has many common elements with Greek mainland and island folk music, including dances like the sousta, syrtos, zeibekikos, tatsia, and the kartsilamas. The instruments commonly associated with Cyprus folk music are the violin ["fkiolin"], the lute ["laouto"], the accordion, and the Cyprus flute "pithkiavlin". There is also a form of musical poetry known as "chattista", which is often performed at traditional feasts and celebrations. Composers associated with traditional music in Cyprus include Evagoras Karageorgis, Marios Tokas, Solon Michaelides, Savvas Salides. Pop music in Cyprus is generally influenced by the Greek pop music "Laïka" scene, with several artists such as Anna Vissi and Evridiki earning widespread popularity. Cypriot rock and "Éntekhno" rock music is often associated with artists such as Michalis Hatzigiannis and Alkinoos Ioannidis. Metal also has a following in Cyprus, represented by bands such as Armageddon Rev. 16:16, Winter's Verge, RUST, Blynd and Quadraphonic.

Literature

Literary production of the antiquity includes the Cypria, an epic poem probably composed in the later seventh century BC and attributed to Stasinus. The Cypria is one of the very first specimens of Greek and European poetry.^[80] The Cypriot Zeno of Citium was the founder of the Stoic philosophy. Epic poetry, notably the "acritic songs", flourished during Middle Ages. Two chronicles, one written by Leontios Machairas and the other by Voustronios, refer to the period under French domination (15th century). Poèmes d'amour written in medieval Greek Cypriot date back from 16th century. Some of them are actual translations of poems written by Petrarch, Bembo, Ariosto and G. Sannazzaro.^[81] Modern literary figures from Cyprus include the poet and writer Kostas Montis, poet Kyriakos Charalambides, poet Michalis Pasardis, writer Nicos Nicolaides, Stylianos Atteshlis, Altheides and also Demetris Th. Gotsis. Dimitris Lipertis and Vasilis Michaelides are folk poets who wrote poems mainly in the Cypriot-Greek dialect. Lawrence Durrell lived on Cyprus for a time, and wrote the book Bitter Lemons concerning his time there, which book in 1957 won the second Duff Cooper Prize. The majority of the play Othello by William Shakespeare is set on the island of Cyprus. Cyprus also figures in religious literature, most notably in Acts of the Apostles, according to which the Apostles Barnabas and Paul preached on the island.

Cuisine

Halloumi or Hellim cheese originated in Cyprus^[82][83] and was initially made during the Medieval Byzantine period,^[84] subsequently gaining popularity throughout the Middle-East. Halloumi is commonly served sliced, either fresh or grilled, as an appetiser.

Seafood and fish dishes of Cyprus include squid, octopus, red mullet, and sea bass. Cucumber and tomato are used widely in salads. Common vegetable preparations include potatoes in olive oil and parsley, pickled cauliflower and beets, asparagus and kolokassi. Other traditional delicacies of the island are meat marinated in dried coriander, seeds and wine, and eventually dried and smoked, such as lountza (smoked pork loin), charcoal-grilled lamb, souvlaki (pork and chicken cooked over charcoal), and sheftalia / seftali (minced meat wrapped in mesentery). Pourgouri (bulgur, cracked wheat) is the traditional carbohydrate other than bread.

Fresh vegetables and fruits are common ingredients in Cypriot cuisine. Frequently used vegetables include courgettes, green peppers, okra, green beans, artichokes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and grape leaves, and pulses such as beans, broad beans, peas, black-eyed beans, chick-peas and lentils. The commonest among fruits and nuts are pears, apples, grapes, oranges, mandarines, nectarines, mespila, blackberries, cherry, strawberries, figs, watermelon, melon, avocado, lemon, pistachio, almond, chestnut, walnut, hazelnut.

Sports

Governing bodies of sport in Cyprus include the Cyprus Automobile Association, Cyprus Badminton Federation,^[85] Cyprus Basketball Federation, Cyprus Cricket Association, Cyprus Football Association, Cyprus Rugby Federation and the Cyprus Volleyball Federation. Marcos Baghdatis is one of the most successful tennis players in international stage. He was a finalist at the Australian Open in 2006, and reached the Wimbledon semi-final in the same year. Also Kyriakos Ioannou a Cypriot high jumper born in Limassol achieved a jump of 2.35 m at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics held in Osaka, Japan, in 2007 winning the bronze medal.

Football is by far the most popular spectator sport. Notable teams include AEL Limassol, APOLLON FC, Anorthosis Famagusta FC, AC Omonia, Apollon Ladies, Olympiakos Nicosia , Nea Salamina Famagusta, AEK Larnaca and APOEL Nicosia FC. Stadiums or sports venues in Cyprus include the GSP Stadium (the largest in Cyprus), Makario Stadium, Neo GSZ Stadium, Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Ammochostos Stadium and Tsirion Stadium. The Cyprus Rally is also on the World Rally Championship sporting calendar.

Media

Newspapers include the Phileleftheros, Politis (Cyprus), Simerini, Cyprus Mail, the Cyprus Observer, Famagusta Gazette, Cyprus Today, Cyprus Weekly, Financial Mirror, Haravgi, Makhi and Kathimerini (in a special Cypriot edition). TV channels include ANT1 Cyprus, Alfa TV, CNC Plus TV, Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation, Lumiere TV, Middle East Television, Mega Channel Cyprus and Sigma TV.

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Cyprus Government Railway ceased operation on the 31st December 1951, the remaining modes of transport are by road, sea, and air. Of the 10,663 km (6,626 mi) of roads in the Greek Cypriot area as of 1998, 6,249 km (3,883 mi) were paved, and 4,414 km (2,743 mi) were unpaved. As of 1996 the Turkish Cypriot area had a similar ratio of paved to unpaved, with approximately 1,370 km (850 mi) of paved road and 980 km (610 mi) unpaved. Cyprus is one of only four EU nations in which vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road, a remnant of British colonisation, the others being Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom.

Motorways

• A1 Nicosia to Limassol
• A2 connects A1 near Pera Chorio with A3 by Larnaca
• A3 Larnaca to Agia Napa
• A5 connects A1 near Kofinou with A3 by Larnaca
• A6 Pafos to Limassol
• A9 Nicosia to Astromeritis

Number of licensed vehicles^[86]

Vehicle Category	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Private vehicles	270,348	277,554	291,645	324,212	344,953
Taxis	1,641	1,559	1,696	1,770	1,845
Rental cars	8,080	8,509	9,160	9,652	8,336
Buses	3,003	2,997	3,275	3,199	3,217
Light trucks (lighter than 40 tonnes)	107,060	106,610	107,527	105,017	105,327
Heavy trucks (over 40 tonnes)	10,882	11,182	12,119	12,808	13,028
Motorcycles (2 wheels)	12,956	14,983	16,009	16,802	16,836
Motorcycles (3 wheels)	42	41	43	55	558
Scooters	28,987	25,252	25,464	24,539	22,987
TOTAL	442,999	448,687	466,938	498,054	517,087

In 1999, Cyprus had six heliports and two international airports: Larnaca International Airport and Paphos International Airport. Nicosia International Airport has been closed since 1974 and although Ercan airport was still in use it was only for flights from Turkey. Since 2006 Ercan International Airport has been mentioned in talks between Britain, United States and the EU for direct flights, with the EU sanctioning the opening,^[87] however International flights direct are still unavailable.

Public transport in Cyprus is limited to privately run bus services (except in Nicosia), taxis, and 'shared' taxi services (referred to locally as service taxis). Per capita private car ownership is the 5th highest in the world. In 2006 extensive plans were announced to improve and expand bus services and restructure public transport throughout Cyprus, with the financial backing of the European Union Development Bank. The main harbours of the island are Limassol harbour and Larnaca harbour, which service cargo, passenger, and cruise ships.

Telecommunications

Cyta, the state-owned telecommunications company, manages most Telecommunications and Internet connections on the island. However, following the recent liberalisation of the sector, a few private telecommunications companies have emerged including MTN, Cablenet, TelePassport, OTEnet Telecom and PrimeTel.

International membership

The island nation Cyprus is member of: Australia Group,CN, CE, CFSP, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ITUC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO,ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO.^[88][89]

International rankings

Organization	Survey	Ranking
State of World Liberty Project	State of World Liberty Index[90]	9 out of 159
United Nations Development Programme	Human Development Index 2006[91] Human Development Index 2004[92] Human Development Index 2000[92]	29 out of 177 29 out of 177 29 out of 177
The Economist	Worldwide Quality-of-life Index, 2005[93]	23 out of 111
University of Leicester	Satisfaction with Life Index[94]	49 out of 178
Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal	Index of Economic Freedom[95]	20 out of 157
Reporters Without Borders	Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2006[96] Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2005[97]	30 out of 168 25(tied) out of 168
Transparency International	Corruption Perceptions Index 2006[98] Corruption Perceptions Index 2005[99] Corruption Perceptions Index 2004[100]	37 out of 163 37 out of 158 36 out of 145
World Economic Forum	Global Competitiveness Report[101]	46 out of 125
International Monetary Fund	GDP per capita[102]	31 out of 180
Yale University/Columbia University	Environmental Sustainability Index 2005[103]	not ranked
Nationmaster	Labor strikes[104]	not ranked
A.T. Kearney / Foreign Policy	Globalisation Index 2006[105] Globalisation Index 2005[106] Globalisation Index 2004[107]	not ranked

See also

• Outline of Cyprus
• Index of Cyprus-related articles
• Turkish Republic of North Cyprus
• List of international rankings

References

Further reading

• Hitchens, Christopher (1997). Hostage to History: Cyprus from the Ottomans to Kissinger. Verso. ISBN 1-85984-189-9. 
• Brewin, Christopher (2000). European Union and Cyprus. Eothen Press. ISBN 0-906719-24-0. 
• Dods, Clement (ed.) (1999). Cyprus: The Need for New Perspectives. The Eothen Press. ISBN 0-906719-23-2. 
• Durrell, Lawrence (1957). Bitter Lemons. Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571201-55-5. 
• Faustmann, Hubert and Nicos Peristianis (2006). Britain and Cyprus: Colonialism and Post-Colonialism, 1878-2006. Bibliopolis. ISBN 978-3-93392-536-7. 
• Gibbons, Harry Scott (1997). The Genocide Files. Charles Bravos Publishers. ISBN 0-9514464-2-8. 
• Hannay, David (2005). Cyprus: The Search for a Solution. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-85043-665-7. 
• Ker-Lindsay, James (2005). EU Accession and UN Peacemaking in Cyprus. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-4039-9690-3. 
• Ker-Lindsay, James and Hubert Faustmann (2009). The Government and Politics of Cyprus. Peter Lang. ISBN 978-3-03911-096-4. 
• Leventis Yiorghos, (2002). Cyprus: The Struggle for Self-Determination in the 1940s. Peter Lang. ISBN 3-631-38411-4. 
• Leventis Yiorghos, Murata Sawayanagi Nanako, Hazama Yasushi (2008). Crossing Over Cyprus. Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA) Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS). ISBN 978-4-86337-003-6. 
• Mirbagheri, Farid (1989). Cyprus and International Peacemaking. Hurst. ISBN 1-85065-354-2. 
• Nicolet, Claude (2001). United States Policy Towards Cyprus, 1954-1974. Bibliopolis. ISBN 3-933925-20-7. 
• Oberling, Pierre (1982). The Road to Bellapais. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-88033-000-7. 
• O'Malley, Brendan and Ian Craig (1999). The Cyprus Conspiracy. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-86064-737-5. 
• Palley, Claire (2005). An International Relations Debacle: The UN Secretary-General's Mission of Good Offices in Cyprus, 1999-2004. Hart Publishing. ISBN 1-84113-578-X. 
• Papadakis, Yiannis (2005). Echoes from the Dead Zone: Across the Cyprus Divide. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-85043-428-X. 
• Plumer, Aytug (2003). Cyprus, 1963-64: The Fateful Years. Cyrep (Lefkosa). ISBN 975-6912-18-9. 
• Richmond, Oliver (1998). Mediating in Cyprus. Frank Cass. ISBN 0-7146-4431-5. 
• Richmond, Oliver and James Ker-Lindsay (eds.) (2001). The Work of the UN in Cyprus: Promoting Peace and Development. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-91271-3. 
• Tocci, Nathalie (2004). EU Accession Dynamics and Conflict Resolution: Catalysing Peace or Consolidating Partition in Cyprus?. Ashgate. ISBN 0-7546-4310-7. 
• Anastasiou, Harry (2008). Broken Olive Branch: Nationalism Ethnic Conflict and the Quest for Peace in Cyprus. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 0815631960. 

External links

Government

• Cyprus High Commission Trade Centre - London
• Cypriot Diaspora Project
• Republic of Cyprus - English Language
• Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus
• Press and Information Office
• Annan Plan at annanplan.com
• Chief of State and Cabinet Members
• Cyprus Elections to European Parliament

General information

• Cyprus entry at The World Factbook
• Cyprus from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Cyprus information from the United States Department of State includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
• Cyprus at the Open Directory Project
• The UN in Cyprus

Official publications

• The British government's Foreign Affairs Committee report on Cyprus.
• Letter by the President of the Republic, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, to the U.N. Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, dated 7 June, which circulated as an official document of the U.N. Security Council
• Legal Issues arising from certain population transfers and displacements on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus in the period since 20 July 1974
• Address to Cypriots by President Papadopoulos (FULL TEXT)
• The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office, Aspects of the Cyprus Problem
• www, By (2009-01-06). "Noitiki Antistasis". Noitikiantistasis.com. http://www.noitikiantistasis.com/wordpress. Retrieved 2009-01-06.  Non-affiliated news website focusing mainly on the effect of globalisation and foreign interests on the Cyprus problem
• European Court of Human Rights Case of Cyprus v. Turkey (Application no. 25781/94)

•  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress Country Studies.
•  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.

• Official Cyprus Government Web Site
• Embassy of Greece, USA – Cyprus: Geographical and Historical Background

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International membership v • d • e Member states of the European Union Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · United Kingdom Member states by: political system · GDP v • d • e Member states of the Council of Europe Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Macedonia1 · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey · Ukraine · United Kingdom Observer member status: Argentina · Canada · Chile · Israel · Japan · Mexico · Morocco · United States · Vatican City 1 Provisionally referred to by the Council of Europe as the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"; see Macedonia naming dispute. v • d • e Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Albania · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Benin · Bolivia · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Burkina Faso · Burma · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · PR China · Colombia · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Croatia · Cuba · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · European Union¹ · Fiji · Gabon · The Gambia · Georgia · Ghana · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hong Kong² · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Israel · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kenya · South Korea · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lesotho · Liechtenstein · Macau² · Macedonia · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Moldova · Mongolia · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Nepal · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Qatar · Rwanda · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Suriname · Swaziland · Switzerland · Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu³ · Tanzania · Thailand · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Turkey · Uganda · Ukraine · United Arab Emirates · United States · Uruguay · Venezuela · Vietnam · Zambia · Zimbabwe All twenty-seven member states of the European Union are also members of the WTO in their own right: Austria • Belgium • Bulgaria • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Netherlands and Netherlands Antilles • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • United Kingdom. Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Designated name for the Republic of China (Commonly Known as Taiwan) v • d • e Members of the Commonwealth of Nations Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Botswana · Brunei · Cameroon · Canada · Cyprus · Dominica · Fiji (suspended) · The Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guyana · India · Jamaica · Kenya · Kiribati · Lesotho · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Malta · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · New Zealand · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Swaziland · Tanzania · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tuvalu · Uganda · United Kingdom · Vanuatu · Zambia Dependencies Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island New Zealand Cook Islands · Niue · Ross Dependency · Tokelau United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands v • d • e Members and observers of the Non-Aligned Movement Members Afghanistan · Algeria · Angola · Bahamas · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belarus · Belize · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Botswana · Brunei · Burkina Faso · Burma · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · Colombia · Comoros · Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Cuba · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Honduras · India · Indonesia · Iran · Jamaica · Jordan · Kenya · Kuwait · Laos · Lebanon · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mongolia · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Nepal · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · North Korea · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Peru · Philippines · Qatar · Rwanda · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · São Tomé and Príncipe · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Somalia · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Sudan · Suriname · Swaziland · Syria · Tanzania · Thailand · East Timor · Togo · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Turkmenistan · Uganda · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe Observers Countries Antigua and Barbuda · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bosnia-Herzegovina · Brazil · China (PRC) · Costa Rica · Croatia · Cyprus · Dominica · El Salvador · Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Mexico · Montenegro · Serbia · Ukraine · Uruguay Organizations African Union · Arab League · United Nations

v • d • e First Journey of Paul the Apostle 1. Antioch · 2. Seleucia · 3. Cyprus  · 3a.Salamis  · 3b. Paphos · 4. Perge · 5.Antioch in Pisidia · 6. Konya (Iconium) · 7. Derbe · 8. Lystra · 9. Antalya · 10. Antioch (returns to beginning of journey}

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