Cyprus

agricultural land:

13.4%;

• arable land 9.8%;
• permanent crops 3.2%;
• permanent pasture 0.4%

forest:

18.8%

other:

67.8% (2011 est.)

total:

0.18 cu km/yr (10%/3%/86%)

per capita:

164.7 cu m/yr (2009)

• 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

noun:

Cypriot(s)

adjective:

Cypriot

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.19 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.11 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.77 male(s)/female

total population:

1.04 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Cyprus

conventional short form:

Cyprus

local long form:

Kypriaki Dimokratia/Kibris Cumhuriyeti

local short form:

Kypros/Kibris

note: the Turkish Cypriot community, which administers the northern part of the island, refers to itself as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" or "TRNC" ("Kuzey Kibris Turk Cumhuriyeti" or "KKTC")

name:

Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa)

geographic coordinates:

35 10 N, 33 22 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

• 6 districts;
• Ammochostos (Famagusta; all but a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Keryneia (Kyrenia; the only district completely administered by Turkish Cypriots), Larnaka (Larnaca; a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Lefkosia (Nicosia; a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Lemesos (Limassol), Pafos (Paphos);
• note - the 5 districts of Turkish Cypriot-administered part of Cyprus are Gazimagusa (Famagusta), Girne (Kyrenia), Guzelyurt (Morphou), Iskele (Trikomo), Lefkosia (Nicosia)

• ratified 16 August 1960;
• note - in 1963, the constitution was partly suspended as Turkish Cypriots withdrew from the government;
• Turkish-held territory in 1983 was declared the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC");
• in 1985, the "TRNC" approved its own constitution (2013)

description:

• area under government control: unicameral House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to Greek Cypriots, 24 to Turkish Cypriots, but only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled; members directly elected by both proportional representation and preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms);
• area administered by Turkish Cypriots: unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections:

• area under government control: last held on 22 May 2011 (next to be held in May 2016);
• area administered by Turkish Cypriots: last held on 28 July 2013 (next to be held on July 2018)

election results:

• area under government control: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - DISY 34.3%, AKEL 32.7%, DIKO 15.8%, KS-EDEK 8.9%, EVROKO 3.9%, other 4.4%;
• seats by party - DISY 20, AKEL 19, DIKO 9, KS-EDEK 5, EVROKO 2, KOP 1;
• note - as of 1 January 2014, the composition of the Cypriot House of Representatives was DISY 20, AKEL 19, DIKO 8, KS-EDEK 5, EVROKO 1, SP 1, KOP 1, independent 1;
• area administered by Turkish Cypriots: "Assembly of the Republic" - percent of vote by party - CTP-BG 38%, UBP 27%, DP-UG 23%, TDP 7%, other 5%;
• seats by party - CTP-BG 21, UBP 17, DP-UG 9, TDP 3

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court of Cyprus (consists of 13 judges including the court president);
• note - the highest court in the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)" is the "Supreme Court" (consists of 8 "judges" including the "court president")

judge selection and term of office:

• Republic of Cyprus Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the Supreme Court judges;
• judges tenure is until the age of 68;
• "TRNC Supreme Court" judges appointed by the "Supreme Council of Judicature", a 12-member body of "judges", the "attorney general", "appointees" - 1 each by the "president" of the "TRNC" and by the "Legislative Assembly" and 1 member elected by the Bar Association;
• "judge" tenure NA

subordinate courts:

• Republic of Cyprus district courts;
• Assize Courts;
• specialized courts for issues relating to family, industrial disputes, military, and rent control;
• "TRNC Assize Courts";
• "district and family courts"

• Citizens' Alliance or SP [Giorgos LILLIKAS]
• Democratic Party or DIKO [Nicolas PAPADOPOULOS]
• Democratic Rally or DISY [Averof NEOPHYTOU (Neofytou)]
• Ecological and Environmental Movement or KOP (Green Party) [Giorgos PERDIKIS]
• European Party or EVROKO [Dimitris SYLLOURIS]
• Movement of Social Democrats or KS-EDEK [Marinos SIZOPOULOS]
• National Popular Front or ELAM [Christos CHRISTOU]
• Progressive Party of the Working People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Andros KYPRIANOU]
• United Democrats or EDI [Praxoula ANTONIADOU]
• Communal Democracy Party or TDP [Cemal OZYIGIT]
• Cyprus Socialist Party or KSP [Mehmet BIRINCI]
• Democrat Party- National Forces or DP-UG [Serdar DENKTAS]
• National Justice Party or UAP [Fatma SOLMAZ]
• National Unity Party or UBP [Huseyin OZGURGUN]
• New Cyprus Party or YKP [Murat KANATLI]
• Republican Turkish Party-United Forces or CTP-BG [Ozkan YORGANCIOGLU]
• Social Democratic Party or SDP [Tozun TUNALI]
• United Cyprus Party or BKP [Izzet IZCAN]

chief of mission:

Ambassador George CHACALLI (since 30 May 2013)

chancery:

2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 462-5772, 462-0873

FAX:

[1] (202) 483-6710

consulate(s) general:

New York

note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the US is Ahmet ERDENGIZ; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1] (202) 887-6198

chief of mission:

Ambassador John M. KOENIG (since 17 August 2012)

embassy:

corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, 2407 Engomi, Nicosia

mailing address:

P. O. Box 24536, 1385 Nicosia

telephone:

[357] (22) 393939

FAX:

[357] (22) 780944

name:

"Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)

lyrics/music:

Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS

note: adopted 1960; Cyprus adopted the Greek national anthem as its own; the Turkish community in Cyprus uses the anthem of Turkey

• citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables;
• poultry, pork, lamb;
• dairy, cheese

Agriculture - products:

citrus fruit, dairy, potatoes, grapes, olives, poultry, lamb

agriculture:

3.9%

industry:

16%

services:

80.1% (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 14.5%, industry: 29%, services: 56.5% (2004)

lowest 10%:

3.5%

highest 10%:

26.4% (2013)

general assessment:

excellent in both area under government control and area administered by Turkish Cypriots

domestic:

open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay

international:

• country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90);
• a number of submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE-3, combine to provide connectivity to Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia;
• tropospheric scatter;
• satellite earth stations - 8 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat)

• mixture of state and privately run TV and radio services;
• the public broadcaster operates 2 TV channels and 4 radio stations;
• 6 private TV broadcasters, satellite and cable TV services including telecasts from Greece and Turkey, and a number of private radio stations are available;
• in areas administered by Turkish Cypriots, there are 2 public TV stations, 4 public radio stations, and privately owned TV and radio broadcast stations (2007)

area under government control:

AM 5, FM 76, shortwave 0

area administered by Turkish Cypriots:

AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2004)

area under government control:

8

area administered by Turkish Cypriots:

2 (plus 4 relay) (2004)

total:

20,006 km

government control:

13,006 km (includes 2,277 km of expressways)

paved:

8,564 km

unpaved:

4,442 km

Turkish Cypriot control:

7,000 km (2011)

country comparison to the world: 108

Cypriot National Guard (CNG):

• 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males;
• 17 years of age for voluntary service;
• 2-year service obligation (2014)

males age 16-49:

327,875

females age 16-49:

287,891 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

275,842

females age 16-49:

239,862 (2010 est.)

male:

8,167

female:

7,398 (2010 est.)

• hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus);
• the 1,000-strong UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since 1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and south;
• on 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered the European Union still divided, with the EU's body of legislation and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the north;
• Turkey protests Cypriot Government creating hydrocarbon blocks and maritime boundary with Lebanon in March 2007

current situation:

• Cyprus is a source and destination country for men and women from Eastern Europe, India, Vietnam, and sub-Saharan Africa who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
• migrant workers and asylum seekers from these countries are subjected to forced work in the construction, agriculture, and domestic service sectors;
• migrant workers are often subjected to debt bondage, threats, and withholding of pay and documents once work permits expire;
• sex trafficking occurs within Cyprus’ commercial sex industry outlets, including bars, coffee shops, and cabarets

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List – Cyprus does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
• in 2013, the government implemented an EU directive that strengthened its legal framework for combating human trafficking, and a new-anti-trafficking action plan was adopted for 2013-2015;
• significant decreases occurred in investigations, prosecutions, and convictions of trafficking offenses, and punishments remained weak;
• fewer trafficking victims were identified (2014)

• 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;
• despite a strengthening of anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money laundering;
• reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector remains weak (2008)