Cyprus

• 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

party to:

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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

0-14 years:

24% (male 92,626; female 88,127)

15-64 years:

65% (male 249,083; female 244,750)

65 years and over:

11% (male 34,612; female 44,866) (1999 est.)

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 (1999 est.)

noun:

Cypriot(s)

adjective:

Cypriot

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)

• 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

• 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

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 area: last held 26 May 1996 (next to be held May 2001); Turkish area: last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held December 2003)

election results:

• Greek area: House of Representatives--percent of vote by party--DISY 34.5%, AKEL (Communist) 33.0%, DIKO 16.4%, EDEK 8.1%, KED 3.7%, others 4.3%;
• seats by party--DISY 20, AKEL (Communist) 19, DIKO 10, EDEK 5, KED 2;
• Turkish 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

• Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or PEO (Communist controlled);
• Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West);
• Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen;
• Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is

chief of mission:

Ambassador Erato KOZAKOU-MARCOULLIS

chancery:

2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

consulate(s) general:

New York

note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot area in the US is Ahmet (202) 887-6198

chief of mission:

Ambassador Kenneth C. BRILL

embassy:

corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, Engomi, Nicosia

mailing address:

P. O. Box 4536, FPO AE 09836

• 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

Greek Cypriot area:

• agriculture 4.4%;
• industry 22.4%;
• services 73.2% (1996);
• Turkish Cypriot area: agriculture 10%;
• industry 24.6%;
• services 65.4% (1995)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

revenues:

Greek Cypriot area--$2.9 billion, Turkish Cypriot area--$171 million

expenditures:

Greek Cypriot area--$3.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $345 million, Turkish Cypriot area--$306 million, including capital expenditures of $56.8 million (1997 est.)

Greek Cypriot area:

citrus, potatoes, grapes, wine, cement, clothing and shoes (1996); Turkish Cypriot

area:

citrus, potatoes, textiles (1996)

• Cypriot pounds per US1$--0.5013 (January 1999), 0.5170 (1998), 0.5135 (1997), 0.4663 (1996), 0.4522 (1995), 0.4915 (1994);
• Turkish liras (TL) per US$1--331,400 (January 1999), 260,724 (1998), 151,865 (1997), 81,405 (1996), 45,845.1 (1995), 29,608.7 (1994)

Greek Cypriot area:

AM 4, FM 36,

shortwave 1, Turkish Cypriot area:

AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0

Greek Cypriot area:

500,000 (1996 est.); Turkish Cypriot

area:

130,000 (1996 est.)

Greek Cypriot area:

7 (in addition, there are 35 low-power repeaters) (1997); Turkish Cypriot

area:

3 (in addition, there are 4 repeaters) (1997)

total:

Greek Cypriot area: 10,415 km; Turkish Cypriot area: 2,350 km

paved:

Greek Cypriot area: 5,947 km; Turkish Cypriot area: 1,370 km

unpaved:

Greek Cypriot area: 4,468 km; Turkish Cypriot area: 980 km (1996 est.)

Greek Cypriot area:

Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG; includes air and naval elements), Hellenic Forces Regiment on Cyprus (ELDYK), Greek Cypriot Police; Turkish Cypriot

area:

Turkish Cypriot Security Force (TCSF), Turkish Forces Regiment on Cyprus (KTKA), Turkish mainland army units

• 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 within the Greek Cypriot portion of the island