Destination Guide to Cyprus
 
 
Immerse yourself in a culture that draws on Europe, the Middle East, and 9000 years of constant invasion. Crusader castles rub shoulders with ancient vineyards, frescoed monasteries overlook citrus orchards, and sandy, sun-soaked feet tread Roman mosaic floors.
 
Cyprus is a deeply enjoyable holiday island that boasts a myriad of charms year round. Within one compact and sweepingly attractive island are a variety of rich landscapes and eclectic travel experiences. The rich story of the island can be traced back over 10,000 years. Like many Mediterranean islands, Cyprus has long been seen as an important strategic base with various civilizations having swept through over the years from the Ottoman Turks to the British, the Greeks to the Romans.
 
While independence was achieved in August 1960, in 1974 Turkish troops arrived on the northern coast of Cyprus, having been ‘invited' by the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, to intervene in order to protect the Turkish community. Since the Turkish army took control of the northern third of the island it has remained partitioned and UN peacekeeping forces maintain a truce between the two sides with all attempts to date to find a solution failing.
 
Cyprus as a destination is not just about its (admittedly very attractive and impressively clean) beaches, as it also offers skiing and hiking in its voluminous mountains, charming hilltop villages and vine-blessed slopes with nearby towns where you can sample the seriously underrated Cypriot wine. Then there is the sweep of Roman and Greek remnants that scatter the island and sit dramatically amongst its coast and mountains. Moving into the towns and cities, there is a dash of Mediterranean swagger to go with the bright lights and buzzing nightlife.
 
Despite its political problems, Cyprus is a modern country that effortlessly marries European culture with indelible links to the past. Here, visitors will discover a compact world of clean beaches and rugged mountain peaks, vineyards studded with olive trees and ancient ruins that stir the imagination, citrus groves and old stone villages where 21st-century Europe seems a very long way away indeed.
 
History
 
Recent History
 
Peace talks have been held sporadically, but Cyprus remains divided. The United Nations has been scaling down its presence in Cyprus, and small-scale border scuffles are on the increase. The Republic's purchase of missiles capable of reaching the Turkish coast has further soured relations between the two sides.
 
However, both Turkey and the Republic have made moves towards full membership of the European Union, and this may force both sides to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
 
In March 2003, the deadline for agreement from both sides on a UN-sponsored reunification passed. When the plan was put to referendum on both sides of the Green Line in April, Turkish Cypriots supported and Greek Cypriots did not. The island joined the EU in May, but EU laws will apply only to Greek Cyprus.
 
Modern Day History
 
In 1925 Cyprus became a Crown colony of the UK, but by then the Cypriots had had just about enough of being a pawn for empire-builders, and agitation for self-determination began. This laid the foundations for today's Greek/Turkish conflict: while many Greek Cypriots wanted to form a union with Greece (a movement known as enosis), the Turkish population was not so keen. By 1950, the Cypriot Orthodox Church and 96% of Greek Cypriots wanted enosis. In response, the British drafted a new constitution, which was accepted by the Turkish population but opposed by the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters, who wanted enosis or nothing. They began a guerrilla war against the British.
 
In August 1960, Britain granted Cyprus its independence. A Greek, Archbishop Makarios, became president, while a Turk, Kücük, was made vice-president. By 1964 Makarios was moving towards stronger links with Greece, and intercommunal violence was on the rise. The United Nations sent in a peace-keeping force. In 1967 a military junta took over the Greek government and enosis went out the window - even the most fervent Greece-lovers didn't want union with such a repressive regime.
 
Greece didn't give up, though: on 15 July 1974 a CIA-sponsored, Greek-organised coup overthrew Makarios and replaced him with a puppet leader. Turkey responded by invading and Greece quickly pulled out, but the Turks weren't placated and took the northern third of the island, forcing 180,000 Greek Cypriots to flee their homes. In 1983 Turkish Cypriots proclaimed a separate state, naming it the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). No country except for Turkey has recognised this 'state'.
 
Pre 20th Century History
 
Cyprus has always been an important trading post between the empires of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and throughout history someone has always wanted to take it from someone else. First the Mycenaeans grabbed it, then the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians and Persians.
 
Alexander the Great took it off them, and then Ptolemy snatched it from him. Rome took over in 58 BC and kept the place in relative peace and security until the 7th century, when the Byzantine and Islamic empires started three centuries of bickering over it. In 1191, Richard the Lionheart, on his way to the Crusades, dropped into Cyprus for a spot of conquering, but the Cypriots caused him too much trouble (one of them killed his hawk and he was forced to massacre a few villages in retaliation), so he sold them to the Knights Templar. The Templar’s sold the island to Guy de Lusignan, whose heirs hung in for three centuries, repressing the culture and orthodox religion but doing wonders for the economy.
 
The Venetians took over in 1489, but were booted out by the expanding Ottoman Empire in 1571, which kept Cyprus for 300 years before handing it over to Britain.
 
Cyprus Facts
 
Population: 772000
Area: 9250km²
Capital: Nicosia
Currency: Cyprus pound (CYP)
Country dialing code: 357
Weights & Measures system: Metric
Electricity: 240V, 50Hz
Government type: republic
President: Tassos Papadopoulos
Religions: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic and Christian 4%