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Name of
State
Kypriaki
Demokratia
Republic
of Cyprus
Kibris
Cumhuriyeti
Cyprus
gained its independence from British
rule in 1960. Since 1974 almost 36% of
the Republic%26rsquo;s territory has
been under Turkish occupation.
Presidential system of
government. The President is elected by
universal suffrage for a five-year
term. Executive power is exercised
through an 11-member Council of
Ministers appointed by the
President.
Multi-party
unicameral House of
Representatives.
Voting
system: Simple proportional
representation.
House
members are elected by universal
suffrage for a five-year
term.
Justice is
administered by the Supreme Court and
by the Assize and District
Courts.
- Independent Officers and
Bodies
A number of
officers and bodies are independent and
do not come under any ministry. The
independent officers of the Republic
under the Constitution are the Attorney
General and the Auditor-General, who
head the Law Office and the Audit
Office respectively, and the Governor
of the Central Bank of Cyprus. The
Ombudsman is also an independent
officer of the Republic whose position,
however, was created much later, in
1991. The bodies with independent
functions include the Public Service
Commission, the Educational Service
Commission and the Planning
Bureau.
The
Central Bank of Cyprus
The Central Bank of
Cyprus was established in 1963. It is
responsible for formulating and
implementing monetary and credit
policy. Ét also administers the foreign
exchange reserves of the Republic,
supervises banks and acts as banker and
financial agent of the
Government.
Local
Authorities
Local
government is the responsibility of the
Municipal and Community Councils. The
former is concerned with the provision
of local government services and
administration of the towns and large
rural areas, while the latter with the
management of village affairs. These
councils are independent bodies whose
members are elected by universal
suffrage.
International
Relations
Cyprus is
a member of many international
organisations including:
The United
Nations (UN) (1960) and its specialized
agencies
Council of
Europe (CoE) (1961)
The
Commonwealth (1961)
Organisation for Security and
Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
(1975)
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
(1960)
World
Trade Organisation (WTO)
(1995)
Relations with the European
Union (EU)
Customs
Union Agreement (1987)
Application for EU membership
(1990)
Commencement of accession
negotiations with the EU
(1998)
In giving
its opinion on Cyprus´ application
(30.6.1993), the EU confirmed Cyprus´
European character and eligibility for
membership.
The
European Council declared at its Corfu
Summit on 25 June 1994 that the next
phase of enlargement would also involve
Cyprus.
Location and Area
Cyprus is
a small island of 9.251 sq kms (3.572
sq miles), extending 240 Kms (149
miles) from east to west and 100 Kms
(62 miles) from north to south. It is
strategically situated in the far
eastern end of the Mediterranean (33o
E, 35o N), at the crossroads of Europe,
Africa and Asia, and in close proximity
to the busy trade routes linking Europe
with the Middle East, Russia, Central
Asia and the Far East.
Its
capital is Nicosia
(Lefkosia).
Topography
Troodos
massif (southwest); highest point:
Olympos (1.953 m)
Kyrenia
(Keryneia) or Pentadaktylos range
(north); highest point: Kyparissovounos
(1.024 m).
Central
plain: Messaoria plain.
There are
no perennial rivers, only few springs
and streams.
Climate
Mediterranean, with mild, wet
winters (mean daily minimum 5o C, 41o
F), and hot, dry summers (mean daily
maximum 36o C, 97%F).
Flora
and Fauna
Seventeen
per cent of the island is woodland. The
natural vegetation includes forests of
evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs
and flowers. The flora comprises about
1.800 indigenous species, sub-species
and varieties. About 140 or 7% of these
are endemics.
There are
also 365 species of birds but only 115
breed on the island. Two species and
five sub-species have been classed as
endemic.
Among the
animals the moufflon is the most
noteworthy. It belongs to the sheep
family and is unique in the
world.
Population
759.000
(2000)
647.000
(85,2%)Greek Cypriots
88.000
(11,6%)Turkish Cypriots
24.000
(3,2%) foreign residents and
workers
Population
density: 82 persons / sq km.
The
population does not include over
115.000 Turkish settlers illegally
residing in the Turkish-occupied part
of Cyprus.
The figure
of the Greek Cypriot population
includes the 8.000 Maronites, Armenians
and Latins who, under the 1960
Constitution where asked to choose
between the two communities and opted
to join the Greek Cypriot
community.
Vital
Statistics
| Birth rate |
12,8 per
thousand |
| Death rate |
7,6 per
thousand |
| Growth
rate |
0,5 %
(1999) |
| Life expectancy
(males) |
75,3
(1998/99) |
| Life expectancy
(females) |
80,4
(1998/99) |
Towns
|
Town |
Population
(1999) |
| Nicosia
(Lefkosia) (Capital)
|
197.800 |
| Limassol
(Lemesos) |
157.600 |
| Larnaca
(Larnaka) |
69.700 |
| Paphos
(Pafos) |
40.000 |
Official Languages
Greek and
Turkish
English is
widely spoken
Religion
The Greek
Cypriots are Christians and adhere to
the Autocephalous Greek
Orthodox
Church of Cyprus. The Turkish Cypriots
are Muslims, while the smaller Cypriot
minorities of Maronites, Armenians and
Latins belong to other Christian
denominations.
Defence
The
National
Guard was formed in 1964 and
comprises regular soldiers and
reserves, and a small number of Greek
army officers and NCO%26rsquo;s.
As an EU
candidate country, Cyprus also
contributes to the European Union rapid
reaction force.
UN
Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
(UNFICYP)
A UN
peacekeeping force, UNFICYP, consisting
of 1.210 military personnel, has been
on the island since 1964. It arrived
after the outbreak of intercommunal
clashes in December 1963 and Turkish
threats to invade. Its chief task is to
supervise the buffer zone and maintain
the ceasefire, given that 35.000
Turkish troops are occupying the north
of the island.
British
Sovereign Base Areas
There are
British military bases at Akrotiri/
Episkopi and Dhekelia covering 2,74% of
the country%26rsquo;s
territory.
The bases
were retained by Britain under the 1960
treaty, which gave Cyprus its
independence.
Cultural
Heritage
Neolithic
settlements
Classical,
Hellenistic and Roman
monuments
Byzantine
and Latin churches and
monasteries
Lusignan
and Venetian fortresses and castles
(12th – 16th century)
Mosques
History
Cyprus%26rsquo; civilisation
according to archaeological evidence
goes back 9.000 years to the 7th
millennium BC (Neolithic or Stone
Age).
The island
acquired its Greek character after it
was colonised by the Mycenaean and
Achaean Greeks between 2000 and 1000
BC. It subsequently came, in turn,
under Assyrian, Egyptian and Persian
domination (8th_ 4th century BC). It
became part of the Roman Empire between
50 BC and 330 AD.
However,
it retained its Greek identity and, as
part of the Hellenistic state of the
Ptolemies (325-50 BC) and of the
Greek-speaking world of Byzantium (330
AD-1191), its ethnic heritage was
reinforced. The Greek language and
culture also prevailed throughout the
centuries that followed even though
Cyprus came under the rule of
successive foreign powers –
chiefly the Franks (Lusignans),
Venetians, Ottomans and
British.
The Greek
Cypriots mounted a liberation struggle
against British rule from 1955 to 1959
and in 1960 Cyprus gained its
independence. Greece, Turkey and
Britain were to stand as guarantors of
the country%26rsquo;s independence
under the relevant agreements and
Britain would have two sovereign base
areas.
Power
would be shared between the Greek and
Turkish Cypriots on a 7:3 ratio. This
gave the 18% Turkish Cypriot minority
– the descendants of the Ottoman
Turks who occupied the island from 1571
to 1878 – 30% representation in
the Government and all state
institutions. In addition it was
granted veto rights.
Relations
between the two communities had for
centuries been peaceful and amicable.
But a conflict of aims after
independence – with the Greek
Cypriot side determined to preserve the
unity of the state and the Turkish
Cypriot leadership, at the strong
urging of Turkey, seeking partition
– led to brief intercommunal
clashes in 1963, 1964 and 1967 and the
withdrawal in December 1963 of the
Turkish Cypriots from the
administration and legislature.
Turkish
Invasion and Occupation
On 15 July
1974 the ruling military junta of
Greece staged a coup to overthrow the
democratically elected Government of
Cyprus.
On 20 July
Turkey, in violation of international
codes of conduct established under
treaties to which it is a signatory,
invaded Cyprus, purportedly to restore
constitutional order. Instead it seized
almost 36% of the territory of Cyprus
in the north – an act universally
condemned as a gross infringement of
international law and the UN Charter.
Turkey, only 75 Kms (47 miles) away,
had repeatedly claimed for decades
before the invasion and frequently
afterwards that Cyprus was of vital
strategic importance to it and has
defied a multitude of UN resolutions
demanding the withdrawal of its
occupying troops from the
island.
The
invasion and occupation had disastrous
consequences. 28 percent of the Greek
Cypriot population were driven from
their homes and became refugees. A
further 20.000 Greek Cypriots enclaved
in the occupied area were gradually
forced through intimidation and denial
of their basic human rights to abandon
their homes and find refuge in the
Government-controlled area. Today there
are about 576 enclaved people. Seventy
per cent (70%) of the productive
potential of the island was lost and
30% of the population became
unemployed.
More than
1.600 Greek Cypriot civilians and
soldiers disappeared during and after
the invasion. Many had been arrested
and some seen in prisons in Turkey and
Cyprus before their disappearance.
Altogether 1.493 cases have been
submitted to the Missing Persons
Committee for investigation but the
fate of all but a handful is still not
known. To resolve this humanitarian
issue it is essential to have
Turkey%26rsquo;s
co-operation.
Since the
invasion some 115.000 Turks from the
mainland have been illegally settled in
the occupied area and the
island%26rsquo;s cultural heritage is
being destroyed as part of a policy to
erase evidence of its Cypriot character
and Turkify the island.
The large
influx of settlers has affected the
living conditions of the Turkish
Cypriots. Poverty and unemployment has
forced over 55.000 to emigrate and they
now make up only 12% of the native
population.
On 15
November 1983 the Turkish-occupied area
was unilaterally declared an
independent “state%26rdquo;. The
UN Security Council, in a relevant
resolution, considered the declaration
legally invalid and called for its
withdrawal. To this day no country in
the world except Turkey has recognised
this spurious entity.
UN-sponsored efforts to resolve
the Cyprus problem have so far failed
and the two sides remain divided over
the nature of a settlement. The Greek
Cypriot side insists on the creation of
a bicommunal and bizonal federation
with a strong central government that
would ensure the unity of the state and
preserve its sovereignty. Basic human
rights, such as freedom of movement and
residence and right to ownership, would
be safeguarded. It is also a strong
advocate of the total demilitarisation
of Cyprus.
The
Turkish Cypriot side on the other hand
is seeking the establishment of a
confederation made up of two provinces
with separate sovereignties, which
would have very loose links between
them and in effect function as two
independent states. The Greek Cypriots
would have to forgo their human rights
in the part of the island that would
come under Turkish Cypriot
administration and Turkish troops and
weapons would continue to be deployed
in the north. These positions have been
fully endorsed by Turkey.
The United
Nations, with the backing of the USA,
Britain and the other members of the
Security Council, has emphasised that a
fair and viable settlement must
envisage a single state with one
sovereignty and respect for human
rights under a bicommunal and bizonal
federal structure. It has, moreover,
stressed the importance of
demilitarisation.
Economy
Whereas
the political problem remains
unresolved the economy, based on the
free enterprise system, has made a
remarkable recovery, exceeding the
pre-invasion levels. Cyprus is today a
major tourist destination, a services
centre – mainly banking and
shipping – and telecommunications
node. It has a standard of living that
is even higher than some European Union
member-states and the performance of
the economy compares favourably with
that of most EU countries. According to
the World Development Indicators 1999
published by the World Bank, Cyprus
holds 16th place worldwide in terms of
per capita income. The average annual
rate of growth in the past five years
was about 3,8%, while inflation stood
at 2,9% and unemployment at 3,4% over
that period.
|
Sector |
% Contribution to GDP
(2000) |
| Primary (mainly
Agriculture) |
4% |
| Secondary (mainly
Manufacturing and
Construction) |
20,6 % |
| Tertiary
(Services) |
75,4 % |
|
Other Economic Data
(2000) |
| Per capita incomeC£
8.128,5* |
| Inflation4,1% |
| Rate of growth
5% |
| Unemployment3,5
% |
| Economically active
population315.400 |
| Gainfully employed
295.000 |
*C£1 =
approx. US$1,51, St£1,06 and 1,72 Euro
(April 2001)
International Business and
Shipping
Cyprus has
developed into an international banking
and business centre with 30 foreign
banks, two administered banking units
and over 1.000 fully-fledged overseas
companies operating on the island. It
has also become an important shipping
centre and currently ranks sixth in the
world as a maritime nation.
The
central geographical location of the
island, British modelled legal system,
availability of wide-ranging
professional services, excellent
infrastructural facilities, advanced
telecommunications network and
widespread knowledge of English are
some of the factors that have helped
create an ideal business environment
for foreign firms.
High
Technology Industry
The
Government is currently promoting the
establishment of high technology
industry through the creation of
incubators and a research and
technological development
centre.
Services
The
tertiary or services sector is the
fastest growing area and today accounts
for about 75,4% of GDP and 69% of the
gainfully employed population. The
sector includes tourism, transport and
communications, trade, banking,
insurance, accounting, real estate,
catering, public administration and
business and legal services.
Tourism
(hotels and restaurants) in particular
plays an important role in the economy.
It contributes about 9,4% to GDP and
10,6% of the workforce is engaged in
the industry.
In 2000
over 2,6 million tourists visited
Cyprus, mainly from the UK (50,7%),
Scandinavian countries (10,8%), Russia
and former Soviet Union countries
(9,8%), Germany (8,7%), Greece (3,7%)
and Switzerland (2,9%).
Cyprus%26rsquo; role as a
regional services centre is being
enhanced, and with the information
superhighway now a reality in modern
day living, plans are currently
underway to promote the island as an
international information
centre.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing accounts for
10,8% of GDP and provides employment to
13,3% of the workforce. The main
industries are food, beverages,
tobacco, textiles, clothing, footwear,
leather goods, metal products,
chemicals and plastic
products.
Imports
Chief
imports are raw materials, consumer and
capital goods, transport equipment and
fuels. In 2000, 51,7% of total imports
come from the EU, mainly the UK
(10,8%), Italy (8,8%), Greece (8,6 %),
Germany (7%) and France (4,4%). The USA
accounted for 10,6% of imports and
Japan 5,8 %.
Exports
Major
exports are clothing, footwear,
pharmaceutical products, cement,
cigarettes, furniture, paper goods,
wines, potatoes and citrus fruit. In
2000, 48% of domestic exports went to
EU countries, mainly to the UK (17,2%),
Greece (9,5%) and Germany (6,3%). Also
24,3 % of exports went to Arab and 7,8%
to Eastern European
countries.
Transhipment
On account
of its geographical location Cyprus has
developed into an important
transhipment centre with a large volume
of re-exports going to the emerging
markets of the Middle East and Central
Europe.
Agriculture
Agriculture contributed about
3,5% to GDP in 2000 and gave employment
to 8,3% of the working
population.
Principal
crops are potatoes, other vegetables,
cereals, citrus, grapes and
olives.
Livestock
farming is mainly in cattle, sheep,
goats, pigs and poultry. Fish
production is derived from inshore and
trawl fishing and marine
aquaculture.
Natural
Resources
The
island%26rsquo;s natural resources are
copper, gypsum, timber, marble,
bentonite and earth pigment, but none
exist in significant quantities.
Water is a
scarce resource in Cyprus. The problem
has been met by the construction of
dams and desalination
plants.
Environment
The
protection of the environment is an
essential element in the
country%26rsquo;s economic and social
development policies.
Environmental legislation is at
present being harmonised with the
relevant EU laws and directives and
will be fully in line with those by the
end of 2002.
Health
and Social Welfare
Free
medical care in government hospitals is
available for low-income families,
government employees and refugees.
There are also 103 private clinics with
1.545 beds and a large number of
practices offering a wide range of
medical services. The ratio of persons
per doctor is 357:1.
A
comprehensive social insurance scheme
covers every working male and female
and their dependants. Benefits and
pensions from the scheme cover
unemployment, sickness, maternity,
widows, injury at work, old age and
death.
There is
also a broad range of welfare services
provided by the Government, including
children%26rsquo;s day care centres,
old people%26rsquo;s homes, facilities
for the disabled, free housing for
refugees, rent subsidies and financial
assistance to community
organisations.
Education
Education
is compulsory up to the age of 15.
Primary and secondary education is
free. Cyprus has one university and 34
colleges and institutions of further
education.
Cyprus
ranks high in terms of third level
education with 70% of secondary school
leavers in 2000 continuing their
studies. More than half the students
study abroad, mainly in Greece (53%),
the UK (23%) and the USA
(14%).
In 1999/00
53% of students studying abroad and 57%
enrolled on third level education
courses in Cyprus were
women.
Culture
Cultural
life finds expression through the
creative arts. Literature, poetry,
concerts, opera, dance, painting and
sculpture are some of its
manifestations.
There are
also a number of museums and art
galleries.
Media
Freedom of
expression and media pluralism are
safeguarded by the Constitution and the
relevant press and radio and television
station laws.
Currently
there are:
8 dailies
and a large number of weeklies and
periodicals in circulation.
7
island-wide and 4 local TV
channels
9
island-wide and 32 local radio
stations.
1 news
agency (Cyprus News Agency).
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