| Background: |
Independence from
the UK was approved in 1960 with constitutional guarantees
by the Greek Cypriot majority to the Turkish Cypriot
minority. In 1974, a Greek-sponsored attempt to seize the
government was met by military intervention from Turkey,
which soon controlled almost 40% of the island. In 1983, the
Turkish-held area declared itself the "Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus", but it is recognized only by
Turkey. UN-led talks on the status of Cyprus resumed in
December 1999 to prepare the ground for meaningful
negotiations leading to a comprehensive settlement. |
| Location: |
Middle East,
island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
35 00 N, 33 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Middle East |
| Area: |
total:
9,250 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in the Turkish Cypriot
area)
land: 9,240 sq km
water: 10 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
about 0.6 times
the size of Connecticut |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental
shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 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
extremes: |
lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Olympus 1,951 m |
| Natural
resources: |
copper, pyrites,
asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
12%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 13%
other: 70% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
390 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
moderate
earthquake activity; droughts |
| 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 and industrial wastes; coastal
degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
| Population: |
762,887 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
22.95% (male 89,532; female 85,518)
15-64 years: 66.26% (male 255,368; female
250,140)
65 years and over: 10.79% (male 35,864; female
46,465) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.59% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
13.08
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.65 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.44 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
7.89 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 76.89 years
male: 74.6 years
female: 79.3 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.93 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.1% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
400 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Cypriot(s)
adjective: Cypriot |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Greek 78% (99.5%
of the Greeks live in the Greek Cypriot area; 0.5% of the
Greeks live in the Turkish Cypriot area), Turkish 18% (1.3%
of the Turks live in the Greek Cypriot area; 98.7% of the
Turks live in the Turkish Cypriot area), other 4% (99.2% of
the other ethnic groups live in the Greek Cypriot area; 0.8%
of the other ethnic groups live in the Turkish Cypriot area) |
| Religions: |
Greek Orthodox
78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and other 4% |
| Languages: |
Greek, Turkish,
English |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94%
male: 98%
female: 91% (1987 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Cyprus
conventional short form: Cyprus
note: the Turkish Cypriot area refers to itself
as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC) |
| Government
type: |
republic
note: a disaggregation of the two ethnic
communities inhabiting the island began following the
outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was
further solidified after the Turkish intervention in July
1974 after a Greek junta-based coup attempt 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),
recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly support a
settlement based on a federation (Greek Cypriot position) or
confederation (Turkish Cypriot position) |
| Administrative
divisions: |
6 districts;
Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos; note
- Turkish Cypriot area's administrative divisions include
Kyrenia, all but a small part of Famagusta, and small parts
of Lefkosa (Nicosia) and Larnaca |
| Independence: |
16 August 1960
(from UK); note - Turkish Cypriot area proclaimed self-rule
on 13 February 1975 |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriot area celebrates 15
November (1983) as Independence Day |
| 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 Cypriot area passed by
referendum on 5 May 1985 |
| Legal
system: |
based on common
law, with civil law modifications |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President Glafcos CLERIDES (since 28
February 1993); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government; post of vice president is
currently vacant; under the 1960 constitution, the post is
reserved for a Turkish Cypriot
head of government: President Glafcos CLERIDES
(since 28 February 1993); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government; post of vice
president is currently vacant; under the 1960 constitution,
the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed jointly
by the president and vice president
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; election last held 15 February 1998
(next to be held NA February 2003)
election results: Glafcos CLERIDES reelected
president; percent of vote - Glafcos CLERIDES 50.8%, George
IAKOVOU 49.2%
note: Rauf R. DENKTASH has been
"president" of the Turkish Cypriot area since 13
February 1975 ("president" elected by popular vote
for a five-year term); elections last held 15 April 2000
(next to be held NA April 2005); results - Rauf R. DENKTASH
reelected president after the other contender withdrew;
Dervis EROGLU has been "prime minister" of the
Turkish Cypriot area since 16 August 1996; there is a
Council of Ministers (cabinet) in the Turkish Cypriot area |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral -
Greek Cypriot area: House of Representatives or Vouli
Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to the Greek Cypriots,
24 to Turkish Cypriots; note - only those assigned to Greek
Cypriots are filled; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms); Turkish Cypriot area: Assembly of
the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Greek Cypriot area: last held 27 May
2001 (next to be held NA May 2006); Turkish Cypriot area:
last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2003)
election results: Greek Cypriot area: House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - AKEL (Communist) 20, DISY 19, DIKO 9, KISOS 4,
others 4; Turkish Cypriot area: Assembly of the Republic -
percent of vote by party - UBP 40.3%, DP 22.6%, TKP 15.4%,
CTP 13.4%, UDP 4.6%, YBH 2.5%, BP 1.2%; seats by party - UBP
24, DP 13, TKP 7, CTP 6 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court
(judges are appointed by the Supreme Council of Judicature)
note: there is also a Supreme Court in the
Turkish Cypriot area |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Greek Cypriot
area: Democratic Party or DIKO [Tassos PAPADOPOULOS];
Democratic Rally or DISY [Nikos ANASTASIADHIS]; Restorative
Party of the Working People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Dimitrios
CHRISTOFIAS]; Social Democrats Movement or KISOS (formerly
United Democratic Union of Cyprus or EDEK) [Vassos
LYSSARIDIS]; United Democrats Movement or EDE (formerly Free
Democrats Movement or KED) [George VASSILIOU]; Turkish
Cypriot area: Communal Liberation Party or TKP [Mustafa
AKINCI]; Democratic Party or DP [Salih COSAR]; National
Birth Party or UDP [Enver EMIN]; National Unity Party or UBP
[Dervis EROGLU]; Our Party or BP [Okyay SADIKOGLU];
Patriotic Unity Movement or YBH [Izzet IZCAN]; Republican
Turkish Party or CTP [Mehmet ALI TALAT] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Confederation of
Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West); Confederation of
Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation of Turkish
Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian Labor
Federation or PEO (Communist controlled) |
| International
organization participation: |
Australia Group,
C, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, NAM, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Erato KOZAKOU-MARCOULLIS
chancery: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 462-5772
FAX: [1] (202) 483-6710
consulate(s) general: New York
note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot
area in the US is Ahmet ERDENGIZ; office at 1667 K Street
NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1] (202) 887-6198 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Donald K. BANDLER
embassy: corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou
Streets, Engomi, 2407 Nicosia
mailing address: P. O. Box 4536, FPO AE 09836
telephone: [357] (2) 776400
FAX: [357] (2) 780944 |
| Flag
description: |
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 between which is a red
crescent and red star on a white field |
| Economy
- overview: |
Economic affairs
are affected by the division of the country. The Greek
Cypriot economy is prosperous but highly susceptible to
external shocks. Erratic growth rates in the 1990s reflect
the economy's vulnerability to swings in tourist arrivals,
caused by political instability on the island and
fluctuations in economic conditions in Western Europe.
Economic policy is focused on meeting the criteria for
admission to the EU. As in the Turkish sector, water
shortage is a growing problem, and several desalination
plants are planned. The Turkish Cypriot economy has about
one-fifth the population and one-third the per capita GDP of
the south. Because it is recognized only by Turkey, it has
had much difficulty arranging foreign financing, and foreign
firms have hesitated to invest there. It remains heavily
dependent on agriculture and government service, which
together employ about half of the work force. Moreover, the
small, vulnerable economy has suffered because the Turkish
lira is legal tender. To compensate for the economy's
weakness, Turkey provides direct and indirect aid to
tourism, education, industry, etc. |
| GDP: |
Greek Cypriot
area: purchasing power parity - $9.7 billion (2000 est.);
Turkish Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $830 million
(1999 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
Greek Cypriot
area: 4.2% (2000 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 4.9% (1999
est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
Greek Cypriot
area: purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.); Turkish
Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $5,300 (1999 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
Greek Cypriot
area: agriculture 6.3%, industry 22.4%, services 71.3%
(1998); Turkish Cypriot area: agriculture 11.8%, industry
20.5%, services 67.7% (1998) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
Greek Cypriot
area: 4.2% (2000 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 58% (1999
est.) |
| Labor
force: |
Greek Cypriot
area: 291,000; Turkish Cypriot area: 86,300 (2000) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
Greek Cypriot
area: services 73%, industry 22%, agriculture 5% (2000);
Turkish Cypriot area: services 56.4%, industry 22.8%,
agriculture 20.8% (1998) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
Greek Cypriot
area: 3.6% (2000 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 6% (1998 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
Greek Cypriot area - $2.9 billion (2000 est.); Turkish
Cypriot area - $294 million (2000 est.)
expenditures: Greek Cypriot area - $3.2
billion, including capital expenditures of $324 million
(2000 est.); Turkish Cypriot $495 million, including capital
expenditures of $60 million (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
food, beverages,
textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood products |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
Greek Cypriot
area: 2.2% (1999); Turkish Cypriot area: -0.3% (1999) |
| Electricity
- production: |
2.951 billion kWh
(1999); Turkish Cypriot area: NA kWh |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
2.744 billion kWh
(1999); Turkish Cypriot area: NA kWh |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
potatoes, citrus,
vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables |
| Exports: |
Greek Cypriot
area: $1 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.); Turkish Cypriot area:
$51.1 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
Greek Cypriot
area: citrus, potatoes, grapes, wine, cement, clothing and
shoes; Turkish Cypriot area: citrus, potatoes, textiles |
| Exports
- partners: |
Greek Cypriot
area: UK 17.3%, Greece 9.7%, Russia 7.0%, Lebanon 5.2%
(1999); Turkish Cypriot area: Turkey 51%, UK 31%, other EU
16.5% (1999) |
| Imports: |
Greek Cypriot
area: $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.); Turkish Cypriot
area: $402 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
Greek Cypriot
area: consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, food and
feed grains, machinery; Turkish Cypriot area: food,
minerals, chemicals, machinery |
| Imports
- partners: |
Greek Cypriot
area: UK 11.2%, US 10.6%, Italy 8.8%, Greece 8.2%, Germany
6.7% (1999); Turkish Cypriot area: Turkey 58.6%, UK 12.5%,
other EU 13% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
Greek Cypriot
area: $NA; Turkish Cypriot area: $NA |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
Greek Cypriot
area - $17 million (1998); Turkish Cypriot area - $700
million from Turkey in grants and loans (1990-97) that are
usually forgiven |
| Currency: |
Greek Cypriot
area: Cypriot pound (CYP); Turkish Cypriot area: Turkish
lira (TRL) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Cypriot pounds
per US dollar - 0.6146 (January 2001), 0.6208 (2000), 0.5423
(1999), 0.5170 (1998), 0.5135 (1997), 0.4663 (1996); Turkish
liras per US dollar - 677,621 (December 2000), 625,219
(2000), 418,783 (1999), 260,724 (1998), 151,865 (1997),
81,405 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
Greek Cypriot
area: 405,000 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area: 83,162 (1998) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
Greek Cypriot
area: 68,000 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area: 70,000 (1999) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: excellent in both the Greek Cypriot
and Turkish Cypriot areas
domestic: open wire, fiber-optic cable, and
microwave radio relay
international: tropospheric scatter; 3 coaxial
and 5 fiber-optic submarine cables; satellite earth stations
- 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 2
Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
Greek Cypriot
area: AM 7, FM 60, shortwave 1 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area:
AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios: |
Greek Cypriot
area: 310,000 (1997); Turkish Cypriot area: 56,450 (1994) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
Greek Cypriot
area: 4 (plus 225 low-power repeaters) (September 1995);
Turkish Cypriot area: 4 (plus 5 repeaters) (September 1995) |
| Televisions: |
Greek Cypriot
area: 248,000 (1997); Turkish Cypriot area: 52,300 (1994) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cy |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
6 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
80,000 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
Greek Cypriot area: 10,663 km (1998 est.); Turkish Cypriot
area: 2,350 km (1996 est.)
paved: Greek Cypriot area: 6,249 km (1998
est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 1,370 km (1996 est.)
unpaved: Greek Cypriot area: 4,414 km (1998
est.); Turkish Cypriot area: 980 km (1996 est.) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Famagusta,
Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos, Vasilikos |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
1,328 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,905,542 GRT/36,312,219
DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 2, bulk 431, cargo
438, chemical tanker 23, combination bulk 36, combination
ore/oil 4, container 140, liquefied gas 6, passenger 8,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 143, refrigerated cargo
40, roll on/roll off 42, short-sea passenger 9, specialized
tanker 2, vehicle carrier 3
note: includes some foreign-owned ships
registered here as a flag of convenience: Austria 8, Belgium
7, China 10, Cuba 10, Denmark 2, Germany 79, Greece 385,
Hong Kong 9, Croatia 2, India 5, Iran 1, Israel 4, Italy 2,
Japan 19, South Korea 3, Latvia 10, Lithuania 1, Monaco 1,
Netherlands 13, Norway 11, Poland 9, Portugal 3, Russia 42,
Singapore 1, Spain 5, Sudan 2, Sweden 3, Switzerland 2, UAE
6, UK 8, Ukraine 2, US 9, Venezuela 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Greek Cypriot
area: Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG; includes air and
naval elements), Hellenic Forces Contingent on Cyprus (ELDYK),
Greek Cypriot Police; Turkish Cypriot area: Turkish Cypriot
Security Force (TCSF), Turkish mainland army units |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 198,275 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 136,147 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
6,616 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$370 million
(FY00) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
4.2% (FY00) |
| Disputes
- international: |
1974 hostilities
divided the island into two de facto autonomous areas, a
Greek Cypriot area controlled by the internationally
recognized Cypriot Government (59% of the island's land
area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (37% of the island), that
are separated by a UN buffer zone (4% of the island); there
are two UK sovereign base areas mostly within the Greek
Cypriot portion of the island |
| 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 |
|
