Cyprus Wine
Wine made on the Island of Cyprus
Cyprus (Greek: Κύπρος, Kýpros; Turkish: Kıbrıs), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, Kypriakí Dimokratía) is a Eurasian island country in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey (Anatolia).
Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, attracting over 2.4 million tourists per year. A former British colony, it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960 and became a Commonwealth republic in 1961. The Republic of Cyprus is a developed country and has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004.
In 1974, following a period of violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and an attempted Greek Cypriot coup sponsored by the Greek military junta of that period, Turkey invaded and occupied one-third of the island. This 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 is a matter of ongoing dispute.
The Republic of Cyprus, the internationally recognized state, has de jure sovereignty over the island of Cyprus and surrounding waters. However, the island is de facto partitioned into four main parts:
- the area under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus in the south of the island;
- the area in the north, styling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus;
- the United Nations-controlled Green Line, separating the two; and
- two Sovereign Base Areas (Akrotiri and Dhekelia), over which the United Kingdom retained jurisdiction after Cypriot independence.
Etymology
The name Cyprus has a somewhat uncertain etymology. 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. Dossin, for example, suggests that it has roots to the Sumerian word for copper (zubar) or even the word for bronze (kubar), due to the large deposits of copper ore found on the island. Through overseas trade, the island has already given its name to the Classical Latin word for the metal, which appears in the phrase aes Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum. Cyprus is also called "the island of Aphrodite", because according to Greek mythology the goddess of love, Aphrodite (Venus), was born in Cyprus.
Cyprus in ancient myth
Cyprus is the legendary birthplace of the goddess of beauty and love, the beautiful Aphrodite (also known as Kypris or the Cyprian). According to Hesiod's Theogony, the goddess emerged fully grown from the sea where the severed genitals of the god Uranus were cast by his son, Kronos, causing the sea to foam (Greek: Aphros). Her birth was famously depicted by the artist Botticelli in The Birth of Venus. The legendary site of Aphrodite's birth is at Petra Tou Romiou ("Aphrodite's Rock"), a large sea stack close to the coastal cliffs near Paphos. Throughout ancient history, Cyprus was a flourishing centre for the cultic worship of Aphrodite.
Other mythological characters associated to Cyprus are King Cinyras, Teucer (founder of Salamis), the Cypriot sculptor Pygmalion, and (in some versions) Adonis.
Turkish Invasion (1974)
By 1974, dissatisfaction among Greek nationalist right-wing elements in favour of the long-term goal of unification with Greece precipitated a coup d'etat against President Makarios which was sponsored by the military government of Greece and led by Greek officers in the Cypriot National Guard. The Greek military junta and their supporters attempted to assassinate President Makarios. The new regime replaced Makarios with Nikos Giorgiades Sampson as president, and Bishop Gennadios as head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church. Seven days after these events Turkey invaded Cyprus by sea and air on 20 July 1974. At the time Turkey claimed it was invading to uphold its obligation under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee "to re-instate the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus". The coup was dissolved after strong resistance by the Greek Cypriot people, however the constitution was replaced only in the free areas of Cyprus, not under the Turkish occupation army. Talks in Geneva involving Greece, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the two Cypriot factions stalled and on August 12 Turkey offered a proposal for a communal system, with confederate cantons, and gave Greece 24 hours to accept. The talks soon collapsed after Turkish planes attacked Nicosia, and Turkish forces subsequently moved from the previous cease-fire lines to gain control of 37% of the island's territory. During the invasion, 200,000 Greek Cypriots were displaced from their home land. While this was happening, the entire Turkish Cypriot male population of Tokhni was massacred by Greek Cypriot paramilitaries in reprisal for the landings. Further mass graves were uncovered in Aloa, Sandalaris and Maratha. As of today, there are still 1,468 Greek Cypriots and 502 Turkish Cypriots unaccounted for as well as over 150,000 Greek Cypriot refugees and over 60,000 Turkish Cypriot displaced persons. The events of the summer of 1974 have dominated Cypriot politics ever since and have been a major point of contention between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, as well as Greece and Turkey.
Since 1974, there have been continual efforts to negotiate a settlement, which met with varying levels of disagreement from either side. The Turkish government arranged an influx of settlers from Turkey whose exact numbers are disputed, but believed to be in the range of over 100,000, thus altering the demographics of the island against the rules of the Geneva Convention. Turkey counters that the Turkish Cypriots - before 1963 - owned and farmed 33% of Cypriot land before being forced into enclaves by the TMT (the Turkish Cypriot counter organization to EOKA and later EOKA-B), thus the take-over of one-third of Cyprus was seen as compensating the Turkish Cypriots for their lost land. These figures are rejected by both the Colonial land registry and the Cyprus Republic Authorities as fictional. According to the records held by the Cyprus Land Registry, only 12.3% of all Cypriot land, or 16.7% of privately owned land was owned by Turkish Cypriots. Of the 3,240 square kilometers of the occupied area, 60.27% is owned by Greek Cypriots, 16.39% is owned by Turkish Cypriots and 23.09% is state owned land.
Turkish Cypriots proclaimed a separate state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), under Rauf Denktaş on November 15, 1983. The UN Security Council, in its Resolution 541 of November 18, 1983, declared the action legally invalid and called for a withdrawal of Turkish troops. The above-mentioned Resolutions also asked all states to refrain from recognizing the declaration, which was created through secessionist actions, and not to facilitate or in any other way aid the secessionist entity. Turkey is the only country to date that recognizes the administration on the northern third of Cyprus in violation of the resolution. Turkey does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus's authority over the whole island, and refers to it as the Greek Cypriot administration.
Modern Era (1974-present)
In 2004, the UN-backed Annan Plan for Cyprus sought to reunify the island before EU accession. Turkish Cypriots accepted the plan whilst Greek Cypriots rejected it, with the result that the island entered the EU as a divided country. EU countries recognize the official government and still officially treat the North as a militarily occupied area: although this has affected discussions with Turkey over accession, it has not prevented them, and EU ministers have repeatedly stressed their intention to open direct trade links with the occupied area. The EU Acquis communautaire applies only to those (Greek) areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus.Since the invasion, the economy of Cyprus has grown greatly and citizens of the Republic in particular enjoy a high standard of living. The north maintains a lower standard of living due to international embargoes, and is still reliant on Turkey for aid, though increased revenues through tourism and a recent construction boom have led to rapid economic development in recent years. The Turkish Cypriot administration has allowed the illegal sale of real estate, consisting almost entirely of property and land still owned by Greek Cypriots from before the 1974 Turkish invasion, to private buyers from overseas. In 2005, the UK's Guardian newspaper reported that up to 10,000 Europeans had invested in property in the north of Cyprus, a trend that still causes concern in the south. This concern was highlighted by the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper in 2006 when Cherie Blair, the wife of Britain's prime minister, touched a diplomatic nerve; Mrs Blair, in her capacity as an advocate at law, represented a UK couple, the Orams, who had been taken to court by Greek Cypriots who claimed ownership of the land on which the Orams had built a house. President Tassos Papadopoulos referred to Blair's decision to represent the Orams as "a provocative action".
On 5 December 2006, the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommended a further six-month extension in the mandate of the UN mission that has been deployed on the island for over four decades. Mr. Annan said that while the situation remained “calm and stable with no major violations of the ceasefire lines,” he regretted the continued stalemate in the political process and the “missed opportunities” over the past 10 years. In July of 2006, the island served as a safe haven for Lebanese displaced by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
2007 is shaping up as another significant year for the Cypriot peoples, as the topic of reunification gathers pace once again, after the failed Annan Plan. A July 8, 2006 agreement between the two communities shows promise as it focuses on resolving smaller issues in the hope of this leading to further, more significant issues. Turkish and Turkish Cypriot threats regarding the Government-controlled areas' exploration for Oil seems to be increasing tension, and stalled Turkish - EU accession negotiations have added to this.
Cyprus' recent defense agreement with France and the new President Sarkozy have strengthened support for the Greeek-Cypriot side, but could prove disastrous for a solution.
Geography
The third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia), Cyprus is geographically situated in the eastern Mediterranean and just south of the Anatolian peninsula (or Asia Minor) of the Asian mainland; thus, it is commonly included in the Middle East (see also Western Asia and Near East). Turkey is 75 kilometres (47 miles) north; other neighbouring countries include Syria and Lebanon to the east, Israel to the southeast, Egypt to the south, and Greece to the west-north-west.
Historically, politically and culturally, however, it is closely aligned with Europe – the Greek Cypriots in the internationally recognised Government controlled area with Greece and the Turkish Cypriots in the occupied North with Turkey. Historically, Cyprus has been at the crossroads between Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, with lengthy periods of mainly Greek and intermittent Anatolian, Levantine, and British influences. Thus, it is generally considered a transcontinental island.[citation needed]
The central plain (Mesaoria) with the Kyrenia and Pentadactylos mountains to the north and the Troodos mountain range to the south and west. There are also scattered, but significant, plains along the southern coast.
The major cities in Cyprus are the capital Nicosia (Lefkosia in Greek), Limassol (Lemesos in Greek), Larnaca, Paphos, Famagusta (Ammochostos in Greek), and Kyrenia (Kerynia in Greek).
The climate is temperate and Mediterranean with dry summers and variably rainy winters. Summer temperatures range from warm at higher elevations in the Troodos mountains to hot in the lowlands. Winter temperatures are mild at lower elevations, where snow rarely occurs, but are significantly colder in the Troodos mountains, where there is sufficient snow for a seasonal ski facility. Dust storms are frequent throughout the year.
Notables
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See also
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| People |
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| History | Timeline · Prehistory of Cyprus · Ancient Cyprus · Medieval Cyprus · Kingdom of Cyprus · Ottoman Cyprus · British Empire · Civil War · Turkish Invasion · Invasion Timeline · Annan Plan · Modern Cyprus | |
| Law | Law and order · Supreme Special Court · Court of Cassation · Council of State · Chamber of Accounts | |
| Politics and government | Political History · Parliament · President · Cabinet · Elections · Political Parties · Foreign relations · Constitution · Cyprus Dispute | |
| Geography | Districts · Climate · Mountains · Lakes · Rivers · Transport · Environmental Issues | |
| Economy | Economic History · Stock Exchange · Banks · Bank of Cyprus · Taxation · Tourism | |
| Military | Military history · National Guard · Conscription | |
| Demographics | Demographic History · Religions · Diaspora · Cities · Immigration | |
| Culture | Art · Cinema · Literature · Cuisine · Music · Sport · Media · Holidays | |
| Symbols | Flag · Coat of Arms · National Anthem | |
External links
Wikimedia
Atlas of Cyprus, holding maps related to Cyprus.
Government
- Cyprus Trade Centres Worldwide
- Cyprus High Commission Trade Centre - London
- Cypriot Diaspora Project
- Republic of Cyprus
- Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus
- Press and Information Office
- Central Bank of Cyprus
General information
- Cyprus weather station and webcams - Cyprus
- Live weather station from Nicosia - Cyprus
- CIA World Factbook - Cyprus
- US State Department - Cyprus includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
- "The Cyprus Conflict" An extensive educational web site dedicated to the Cyprus Conflict
- Open Directory Project - Cyprus directory category
- News and information about both parts of Cyprus
Miscellaneous
- Cyprus Guide Everything about Cyprus
- Cyprus Business Guide Everything and Links about Cyprus
- Senses of Cyprus A Bicommunal Art Project