CIA World Factbook 1991: Cyprus

Total area: 9,250 km2;

land area: 9,240 km2

Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 648 km

Maritime claims:

Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes: 1974 hostilities divided the island into two de facto autonomous areas--a Greek area controlled by the Cypriot Government (60% of the island's land area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (35% of the island) that are separated by a narrow UN buffer zone; in addition, there are two UK sovereign base areas (about 5% of the island's land area)

Climate: temperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters

Terrain: central plain with mountains to north and south

Natural resources: copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment

Land use: arable land 40%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and woodland 18%; other 25%; includes irrigated 10% (most irrigated lands are in the Turkish-Cypriot area of the island)

Environment: moderate earthquake activity; water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, and most potable resources concentrated in the Turkish-Cypriot area)

People

Population: 709,343 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)

Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 78 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality: noun--Cypriot(s); adjective--Cypriot

Ethnic divisions: Greek 78%; Turkish 18%; other 4%

Religion: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian, Apostolic, and other 4%

Language: Greek, Turkish, English

Literacy: 90% (male 96%, female 85%) age 10 and over can read and write (1976)

Labor force: Greek area--246,100; services 42%, industry 33%, agriculture 22%; Turkish area--NA (1989)

Organized labor: 156,000 (1985 est.)

Government

Long-form name: Republic of Cyprus

Type: republic; a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began after the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified following the Turkish invasion of the island in July 1974, which gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktash declared independence and the formation of a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which has been recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly call for the resolution of intercommunal differences and creation of a new federal system of government

Capital: Nicosia

Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos

Independence: 16 August 1960 (from UK)

Constitution: 16 August 1960; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and to better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently; in 1975 Turkish Cypriots created their own Constitution and governing bodies within the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus, which was renamed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983; a new Constitution for the Turkish area passed by referendum in May 1985

Legal system: based on common law, with civil law modifications

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October

Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet); note--there is a president, prime minister, and Council of Ministers (cabinet) in the Turkish area

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (Vouli Antiprosopon); note--there is a unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Cumhuriyet Meclisi) in the Turkish area

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; note--there is also a Supreme Court in the Turkish area

Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government--President George VASSILIOU (since February 1988); note--Rauf R. DENKTASH has been president of the Turkish area since 13 February 1975

Political parties and leaders:
Greek Cypriot--Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL; Communist Party), Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS, Democratic Rally (DESY), Glafcos CLERIDES; Democratic Party (DEKO), Spyros KYPRIANOU; United Democratic Union of the Center (EDEK), Vassos LYSSARIDES; Socialist Democratic Renewal Movement (ADESOK), Pavlos DINGLIS, chairman; Liberal Party, Nikos ROLANDIS;

Turkish area--National Unity Party (UBP), Dervis EROGLU; Communal Liberation Party (TKP), Mustafa AKINCI; Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Ozker OZGUR; New Cyprus Party (NKP), Alpay DURDURAN; New Dawn Party (YDP), Ali Ozkan ALTINISHIK; Free Democratic Party, Ismet KOTAK; note--CTP, TKP, and YDP joined in the coalition Democratic Struggle Party (DMP) for the 22 April 1990 legislative election

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:

President--last held 14 February and 21 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993);
results--George VASSILIOU 52%, Glafcos CLERIDES 48%;

House of Representatives--last held 8 December 1985 (next to be held 19 May 1991);
results--DESY 33.56%, DEKO 27.65%, AKEL (Communist) 27.43%, EDEK 11.07%; seats--(56 total) DESY 19, DEKO 16, AKEL (Communist) 15, EDEK 6;

Turkish Area: President--last held 22 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995);
results--Rauf R. DENKTASH 66%, Ismail BOZKURT 32.05%;

Turkish Area: Assembly of the Republic--last held 6 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995);
results--UBP (conservative) about 55%, DMP NA%; seats--(50 total) UBP (conservative) 34, CTP (Communist) 7, TKP (center-right) 7, New Dawn Party 2

Communists: about 12,000

Other political or pressure groups: United Democratic Youth Organization (EDON; Communist controlled); Union of Cyprus Farmers (EKA; Communist controlled); Cyprus Farmers Union (PEK; pro-West); Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation (PEO; Communist controlled); Confederation of Cypriot Workers (SEK; pro-West); Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions (Turk-Sen); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions (Dev-Is)

Member of: C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Michael E. SHERIFIS; Chancery at 2211 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-5772; there is a Cypriot Consulate General in New York;

US--Ambassador Robert E. LAMB; Embassy at the corner of Therissos Street and Dositheos Street, Nicosia (mailing address is FPO New York 09530); telephone [357] (2) 4651511

Flag: white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities

Economy

Overview: These data are for the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus (information on the northern Turkish-Cypriot area is sparse). The economy is small, diversified, and prosperous. Industry contributes about 25% to GDP and employs 35% of the labor force, while the service sector contributes about 55% to GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Rapid growth in exports of agricultural and manufactured products and in tourism have played important roles in the average 6% rise in GDP in recent years.

GDP: $5.4 billion, per capita $7,960; real growth rate 5.5% (1990)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1990)

Unemployment rate: below 2% (1990)

Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $178 million (1989 est.)

Exports: $770 million (f.o.b., 1990);

commodities--citrus, potatoes, grapes, wine, cement, clothing and shoes;

partners--UK 23%, Greece 10%, Lebanon 9%, Saudi Arabia 4%

Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990);

commodities--consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, food and feed grains, machinery;

partners--France 12%, UK 11%, Japan 11%, Italy 10%

External debt: $2.2 billion (1990)

Industrial production: growth rate 6.5% (1988); accounts for 27% of GDP

Electricity: 620,000 kW capacity; 1,770 million kWh produced, 2,530 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood products

Agriculture: accounts for 7% of GDP and employs 22% of labor force; major crops--potatoes, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, and citrus fruits; vegetables and fruit provide 25% of export revenues

Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $292 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $230 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $62 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $24 million

Currency: Cypriot pound (plural--pounds) and in Turkish area, Turkish lira (plural--liras); 1 Cypriot pound (5C) = 100 cents and 1 Turkish lira
(TL) = 100 kurus

Exchange rates: Cypriot pounds (5C) per US$1--0.4325 (December 1990), 0.4572 (1990), 0.4933 (1989), 0.4663 (1988), 0.4807 (1987), 0.5167 (1986), 0.6095 (1985); in Turkish area, Turkish liras (TL) per US$1--2,873.9 (December 1990), 2,608.6 (1990), 2,121.7 (1989), 1,422.3 (1988), 857.2 (1987), 674.5 (1986), 522.0 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Highways: 10,780 km total; 5,170 km bituminous surface treated; 5,610 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth

Ports: Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos

Merchant marine: 1,169 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,310,063 GRT/34,338,028 DWT; 10 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 435 cargo, 76 refrigerated cargo, 20 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 48 container, 4 multifunction large load carrier, 111 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 8 liquefied gas, 17 chemical tanker, 30 combination ore/oil, 360 bulk, 2 vehicle carrier, 44 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; Cuba owns at least 25 of these ships, USSR owns 52, and Yugoslavia owns 1

Civil air: 11 major transport aircraft

Airports: 13 total, 13 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: excellent in the area controlled by the Cypriot Government (Greek area), moderately good in the Turkish-Cypriot administered area; 210,000 telephones; stations--14 AM, 7 (7 repeaters) FM, 2 (40 repeaters) TV; tropospheric scatter circuits to Greece and Turkey; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations--INTELSAT, 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, and EUTELSAT systems

Defense Forces

Branches: Greek area--Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG; includes air and naval elements), Greek Cypriot Police; Turkish area--Turkish Cypriot Security Force

Manpower availability: males 15-49, 182,426; 125,839 fit for military service; 5,169 reach military age (18) annually

Defense expenditures: $209 million, 5% of GDP (1990 est.) _%_