Cyprus
Name
| Official name | Republic of Cyprus — Kypriakí Dimokratía (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία); Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti |
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| Demonym | Cypriot; Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot |
| Meaning of the name | Kypros — ancient, of uncertain origin; the source of the Latin cuprum, copper, from the island's mines |
| Motto | None official |
| The north | The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, declared 15 November 1983 — recognized by Turkey alone; the Republic of Cyprus and the United Nations regard the whole island as one state |
Quick facts
| Capital | Nicosia — Lefkosía, Lefkoşa — the capital since the 10th century; about 330,000 in the south, the last divided capital |
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| Largest cities | Nicosia; Limassol, about 250,000; Larnaca; Paphos; Famagusta and Kyrenia in the north |
| Official languages | Greek and Turkish; English in wide use and in the courts until 1989; Armenian, Arabic and Cypriot Maronite Arabic recognized minority languages |
| Currency | Euro — EUR, €; since 1 January 2008, replacing the Cypriot pound at 0.585274; the Turkish lira in the north |
| Time zone | Eastern European Time, UTC+2; summer time UTC+3 |
| Calling code | +357 |
| Internet domain | .cy |
| ISO 3166 codes | CY · CYP · 196 |
| Vehicle registration code | CY |
| Driving side | Left — with Ireland and Malta, the only EU members |
| Electricity | 240 V, 50 Hz; plug type G — the British three-pin |
| Independence | 16 August 1960, from the United Kingdom — under the treaties of Zürich and London; celebrated 1 October |
| National days | 1 October, Independence Day; 25 March and 28 October, the Greek national days; 1 April, the EOKA anniversary of 1955; 20 July, marked in mourning |
| Constitution | 16 August 1960 — the power-sharing constitution of 1960, in force with the "doctrine of necessity" since the Turkish Cypriots withdrew from the government in 1963 |
| Population | 923,272 at the census of 2021 in the government-controlled areas; about 970,000 (Statistical Service, 2025 est.); some 400,000 in the north; about 1.3 million on the island |
| Area | 9,251 km² (3,572 sq mi) — 3,355 km² of it under Turkish Cypriot administration since 1974; the British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia 254 km²; the buffer zone 346 km² |
Flag & national symbols
| National flag | A white field bearing the island in copper color above two crossed olive branches — peace between the two communities, in colors chosen to belong to neither; designed by İsmet Güney, a Turkish Cypriot, and adopted 16 August 1960, one of two flags in the world to carry a map.Flag of Cyprus |
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| Coat of arms | A dove bearing an olive branch over the year 1960, in a copper-colored shield ringed by olive branches — adopted 1960, redrawn 2006 |
| National anthem | "Hymn to Liberty" — the anthem of Greece, by Dionysios Solomos and Nikolaos Mantzaros; adopted by Cyprus in 1966; the north uses Turkey's "İstiklal Marşı" |
| National colors | White, copper and green — the colors of the flag |
| National animal | The Cyprus mouflon — the agrino, the wild sheep of the Troodos and Paphos forest |
| National plant | The Cyprus cyclamen, Cyclamen cyprium — declared 2006 |
| National tree | The golden oak, Quercus alnifolia — found nowhere else; declared 2006 |
| National food | Halloumi — the cheese with protected designation of origin in the EU since 12 April 2021; the meze; Commandaria wine, the oldest named wine still made |
| Symbol status | The flag and arms are fixed by the Constitution and law; the plant and tree by the decision of 2006; the mouflon and the foods are widely cited |
Geography
| Location | The eastern Mediterranean — 75 km south of Turkey, 105 km west of Syria, 380 km north of Egypt; geographically in Asia, politically in Europe |
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| Land borders | None with another state — the buffer zone of 180 km (112 mi) between the two parts of the island, and 152 km (94 mi) with the British base areas |
| Coastline | 648 km (403 mi) |
| Highest point | Mount Olympus — Chionistra — 1,951 m (6,401 ft), in the Troodos |
| Lowest point | The Mediterranean Sea, 0 m |
| Mean elevation | 91 m (299 ft) |
| Rivers and lakes | The Pedieos, the longest, about 100 km, mostly dry in summer; the Kouris dam the largest reservoir; no natural freshwater lakes — the salt lakes of Larnaca and Akrotiri; the Akamas gorges |
| Terrain | The Troodos massif in the southwest — an ophiolite, ocean crust lifted above the sea, the best exposed on earth; the Kyrenia range along the north coast; the Mesaoria plain between; the Karpas peninsula pointing to Syria |
| Climate | Mediterranean — hot dry summers above 40°C on the plain, mild wet winters; snow on the Troodos from January to March |
| Natural hazards | Drought — desalination supplies most of the water; earthquakes on the Paphos coast; wildfires — the Limassol fire of July 2025 killed two |
| Natural resources | Copper, once; pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble; offshore gas — the Aphrodite field found 2011, Calypso, Glaucus |
| Land use | Agricultural land about 13%; forest about 19% |
| National parks | The Troodos and the Akamas national forest parks; the Cape Greco and Athalassa parks; the Lara turtle beach |
| UNESCO World Heritage | 3 — Paphos, the birthplace of Aphrodite, with its mosaics and the Tombs of the Kings (1980); the Painted Churches of the Troodos, ten Byzantine churches (1985); Choirokoitia, the Neolithic village of 7000 BC (1998) |
| Administrative divisions | 6 districts — Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, Famagusta and Kyrenia; Kyrenia wholly and Famagusta mostly in the north; 5 district local government organizations since 2024 |
People
| Population | 923,272 (census of 2021, government-controlled areas); about 970,000 (2025 est.) |
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| Population density | About 170 per km² (440 per sq mi) in the south |
| Population growth | About 1% a year — by immigration |
| Median age | About 39 years |
| Life expectancy | About 82 years |
| Fertility rate | About 1.3 births per woman |
| Urban population | About 67% |
| Adult literacy | About 99% |
| Communities | Greek Cypriots about 75% of the island's people, Turkish Cypriots about 20% by the settlement of 1960 — with the Armenians, Maronites and Latins as the religious groups of the Constitution; about 20% of the south's residents foreign nationals, from Britain, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, the Philippines, Syria and Russia |
| Languages | Greek by about 80% — Cypriot Greek; Turkish by about 18%, in the north; English by most; Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Arabic |
| Religion | Greek Orthodox about 89% in the south — the Church of Cyprus, autocephalous since 431; Sunni Muslim in the north; Catholic, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, Anglican |
| Human Development Index | 0.913 (2023 data, 2025 report) — very high; about 26th of 193 |
| Education | Among the highest shares of university graduates in the EU |
| Sport | Football — APOEL in the Champions League quarterfinal of 2012; tennis — Marcos Baghdatis; sailing — Pavlos Kontides's Olympic silver of 2012, the country's first medal; the Troodos ski slopes |
| Diaspora | Some 300,000 of Cypriot origin in Britain, Australia, Greece and the United States |
Government
| Form of government | Unitary presidential republic under the Constitution of 1960 — the president head of state and of government, elected for five years; no prime minister |
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| President | Nikos Christodoulides (independent), since 28 February 2023 — the eighth; foreign minister 2018–2022; elected in the runoff of 12 February 2023 with 51.9% against Andreas Mavroyiannis; born 6 December 1973 |
| The 2026 election | The House of Representatives elected 24 May 2026: DISY (Democratic Rally) 27.2% and 17 seats, AKEL 23.9% and 15, ELAM 10.9% and 8 — doubled — DIKO 10.0% and 8, ALMA 5.8% and 4, Direct Democracy 5.4% and 4; turnout 66.9%; the two old parties' combined share down to 51% from 69% in 2001 |
| Parliament | The House of Representatives — 80 seats, 56 filled by the Greek Cypriot community and 24 reserved for the Turkish Cypriot community, vacant since 1964; Annita Demetriou its president since 10 June 2021, the first woman; three observer seats for the Armenians, Maronites and Latins |
| The next elections | The presidential in February 2028; the parliamentary by 2031 |
| The EU presidency | Cyprus held the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 January to 30 June 2026 — its second, after 2012 |
| The Cyprus problem | The island divided since the Turkish invasion of 20 July 1974, which followed the coup of 15 July by the Greek junta against President Makarios — some 160,000 Greek Cypriots displaced south and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots north; the Turkish Cypriot state of 1983 recognized only by Turkey; the UN plan of 2004 accepted by 65% of Turkish Cypriots and rejected by 76% of Greek Cypriots; the talks at Crans-Montana collapsed in 2017; informal meetings under the UN Secretary-General since 2025, with Tufan Erhürman the Turkish Cypriot leader since October 2025; Greek Cypriots seek a bizonal federation, the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey a two-state settlement |
| The buffer zone | The Green Line, 180 km from Kato Pyrgos to Deryneia, held by UNFICYP, the UN force on the island since 1964; nine crossing points open since 2003; Varosha, the fenced ghost resort of Famagusta, partly reopened by the north since 2020 |
| The British bases | Akrotiri and Dhekelia — 254 km² of sovereign British territory retained in 1960, with RAF Akrotiri |
| Legal system | Common law from the British period with civil-law elements; the Supreme Court and, since 2023, the Constitutional Court |
| Districts | 6, each under a district officer; elected district organizations since 2024 |
| European Union | Member since 1 May 2004; the eurozone since 1 January 2008; a Schengen applicant, with entry sought for 2026 |
| United Nations | Member since 20 September 1960 |
| Memberships | The Commonwealth (1961), the Council of Europe (1961), the OSCE, the WTO; not a member of NATO, the only EU member besides Ireland, Austria and Malta |
Economy
| GDP (nominal) | About US$40 billion (2025, IMF) — the government-controlled areas |
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| GDP per capita | About US$40,000 (2025) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | About US$60,000 (2025) |
| GDP growth | About 3% a year (2024–25) — among the fastest in the eurozone |
| Economy by sector | Services about 85%, industry about 12%, agriculture about 2% |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Services | Shipping — the largest third-party ship-management center in the EU and one of the largest registries in the world; financial and professional services; a business hub for Israel, the Gulf and, until 2022, Russia |
| Tourism | About 4 million visitors a year — Britons, Israelis, Poles and Germans; Ayia Napa, Paphos, Limassol; about 15% of GDP |
| Halloumi | The largest export product by value after fuels — about €300 million a year, protected in the EU since 2021 |
| Gas | The Aphrodite field, 2011, and the finds since — undeveloped; the Great Sea Interconnector cable to Greece under construction |
| The crisis of 2013 | The bailout of March 2013 — the "haircut" on deposits above €100,000 at the Bank of Cyprus and Laiki Bank, the first in the eurozone; recovered by 2016; the golden-passport scheme of 2013–2020 ended in scandal |
| Income classification | High income (World Bank) |
Transport & infrastructure
| Main airports | Larnaca International, the largest; Paphos International; Nicosia airport in the buffer zone, closed since 1974; Ercan in the north, served only via Turkey |
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| Airlines | No flag carrier since Cyprus Airways closed in 2015; a new Cyprus Airways since 2016; Tus Airways |
| Main ports | Limassol, the largest, run by DP World and Eurogate since 2017; Larnaca; Vasilikos for fuel and gas; Famagusta closed to international shipping since 1974 |
| Railways | None — the Cyprus Government Railway of 1905 closed in 1951 |
| Roads | About 20,000 km (12,400 mi); the A1 from Nicosia to Limassol, the first motorway, 1985; about 260 km of motorways; the highest car ownership in the EU |
| Crossings | Nine crossing points on the Green Line since 2003 — Ledra Street in Nicosia since 2008 |
History in dates
| c. 7000 BC | The Neolithic village of Choirokoitia |
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| c. 1200 BC | Mycenaean Greeks settle; the kingdoms of Salamis, Paphos, Kition |
| 58 BC | Roman Cyprus; the apostles Paul and Barnabas at Paphos, about 45 |
| 330 | Byzantine Cyprus; the Church of Cyprus autocephalous, 431 |
| 1191 | Richard the Lionheart takes the island; the Lusignan kingdom, 1192–1489 |
| 1489 | Venice |
| 1571 | The Ottoman conquest — Famagusta falls |
| 1878 | Britain administers the island; annexed 1914; a crown colony 1925 |
| 1955 | The EOKA campaign for union with Greece begins, 1 April |
| 1960 | Independence, 16 August — Archbishop Makarios president |
| 1963–1964 | The intercommunal fighting; the Green Line; UNFICYP |
| 1974 | The Greek junta's coup, 15 July; the Turkish invasion, 20 July; the island divided |
| 1983 | The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared, 15 November |
| 2003 | The first crossing points open, 23 April |
| 2004 | The Annan Plan referendum, 24 April; EU membership, 1 May |
| 2008 | The euro, 1 January |
| 2013 | The bailout and the deposit haircut, March |
| 2021 | Halloumi protected, 12 April |
| 2023 | Nikos Christodoulides president, 28 February |
| 2026 | The EU Council presidency, January–June; the election of 24 May |
Records & firsts
| The last divided capital | Nicosia, since 1974 |
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| The island that named copper | Cuprum, from aes cyprium |
| The oldest named wine | Commandaria, made since antiquity and named by the Crusaders |
| Aphrodite's birthplace | Petra tou Romiou, near Paphos |
| The world's oldest perfumes | Found at Pyrgos, about 4,000 years old |
| A flag with a map | One of two in the world, with Kosovo's |
| The best-exposed ocean crust on earth | The Troodos ophiolite |
| The first eurozone deposit haircut | March 2013 |
| Halloumi | A cheese the whole world grills |
| Foreign bases on EU soil | The only EU member with another state's sovereign territory inside it |
Frequently asked questions
What is the official name of Cyprus?
The Republic of Cyprus — Kypriakí Dimokratía in Greek, Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti in Turkish — since independence from Britain on 16 August 1960. The name is ancient — Kypros in Greek, from the Bronze Age — and gave the Romans their word for copper, aes cyprium, which became cuprum: the island was the copper mine of the ancient world.
What is the capital of Cyprus?
Nicosia — Lefkosía in Greek, Lefkoşa in Turkish — in the center of the island, the capital since the 10th century and the last divided capital in the world: the Green Line has run through it since 1964 and the buffer zone since 1974, with about 330,000 people on the government-controlled side and some 100,000 in the north. Limassol on the south coast is the second city and the port and business center; Larnaca, Paphos and, across the line, Famagusta and Kyrenia follow.
How big is Cyprus, and how many people live there?
About 9,251 km² (3,572 sq mi) — the third-largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily and Sardinia, a little smaller than Connecticut — of which 3,355 km² has been under Turkish Cypriot administration since 1974 and 254 km² is British sovereign base territory. The census of 2021 counted 923,272 people in the areas the government controls, about a fifth of them foreign nationals, and the Statistical Service estimates about 970,000 for 2025; the north has some 400,000 more, many of them settlers from Turkey, for an island of about 1.3 million.
What are the highest and lowest points of Cyprus?
Mount Olympus — Chionistra — 1,951 m (6,401 ft), the summit of the Troodos range in the southwest, with a ski resort in winter and a radar station on top; and the Mediterranean. The Kyrenia range runs along the north coast, and the Mesaoria plain lies between the two around Nicosia. Cyprus has no natural lakes; the salt lakes of Larnaca and Akrotiri fill in winter and draw the flamingos.
What currency does Cyprus use?
The euro (ISO code EUR, €), since 1 January 2008, replacing the Cypriot pound at 0.585274; the north uses the Turkish lira. Clocks keep Eastern European Time, UTC+2, with summer time UTC+3. Cyprus drives on the left, like Britain, Ireland and Malta, and uses the British three-pin plug.
Who governs Cyprus?
President Nikos Christodoulides, an independent and former foreign minister, in office since 28 February 2023 as both head of state and head of government — Cyprus has no prime minister — after winning the runoff of 12 February 2023 with 51.9 percent; his term runs to 2028. The House of Representatives elected on 24 May 2026 gave the center-right DISY 17 seats, the communist AKEL 15, the far-right ELAM 8, DIKO 8, and the new ALMA and Direct Democracy 4 each, under its president Annita Demetriou; the president governs without a party majority. Cyprus held the presidency of the Council of the European Union from January to June 2026. The Turkish Cypriot north, a self-declared republic recognized only by Turkey, is led by Tufan Erhürman, elected in October 2025.
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