Cyprus

• Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey;
• note - Cyprus views itself as part of Europe;
• geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both

mean elevation:

91 m

elevation extremes:

0 m lowest point: Mediterranean Sea; 1951 highest point: Mount Olympus

• 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, industrial wastes, and pesticides;
• coastal degradation;
• erosion;
• loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization

noun:

Cypriot(s)

adjective:

Cypriot

0-14 years:

15.64% (male 99,390 /female 94,053)

15-24 years:

13.25% (male 89,265 /female 74,607)

25-54 years:

47.11% (male 308,190 /female 274,632)

55-64 years:

11.62% (male 68,952 /female 74,842)

65 years and over:

12.38% (male 66,209 /female 86,948) (2018 est.)

total dependency ratio:

42.3 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio:

24 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio:

18.3 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio:

5.5 (2015 est.)

note: data represent the whole country

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years:

1.19 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years:

1.11 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years:

0.92 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over:

0.77 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population:

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

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 located in the Turkish Cypriot community), Keryneia (Kyrenia; the only district located entirely in the Turkish Cypriot community), Larnaka (Larnaca; with a small part located in the Turkish Cypriot community), Lefkosia (Nicosia; a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Lemesos (Limassol), Pafos (Paphos);
• note - the 5 "districts" of the "TRNC" are Gazimagusa (Famagusta), Girne (Kyrenia), Guzelyurt (Morphou), Iskele (Trikomo), Lefkosa (Nicosia)

history:

• 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 (2016)

amendments:

• constitution of the Republic of Cyprus - proposed by the House of Representatives;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership of the "Greek Community" and the "Turkish Community";
• however, all seats of Turkish Cypriot members have remained vacant since 1964;
• amended several times, last in 2016 (2016)

;

• constitution of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” - proposed by at least 10 members of the Assembly of the Republic;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total Assembly membership and approval by referendum;
• amended 2014

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Cyprus

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

7 years

highest courts:

• 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 can serve until age 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;
• Administrative Court;
• specialized courts for issues relating to family, industrial disputes, military, and rent control;
• "TRNC Assize Courts";
• "district and family courts"

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 2016 (next to be held in May 2021);
• area administered by Turkish Cypriots: last held on 7 January 2018 (next to be held in 2023)

election results:

• area under government control: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - DISY 30.7%, AKEL 25.7%, DIKO 14.5%, KS-EDEK 6.2%, SP 6% Solidarity Movement 5.2%, other 11.7%;
• seats by party - DISY 18, AKEL 16, DIKO 9, KS-EDEK 3, Citizen's Alliance 3 (2 left the party in 2017 and 2018 due to disagreements over the party's policy regarding the presidential election campaign; the two became independent MPs), Solidarity Movement 3, other 4;
• area administered by Turkish Cypriots: "Assembly of the Republic" - percent of vote by party - UBP 35.6%, CTP 20.9%, HP 17.1%, TDP 8.6%, DP 7.8%, YDP 7%, 3%;
• seats by party - UBP 21, CTP 12, HP 9, DP 3, TDP 3, YDP 2

chief of mission:

Ambassador Marios LYSIOTIS (since 17 September 2018)

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 Ismet KORUKOGLU; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1] (202) 887-6198

chief of mission:

Ambassador Kathleen Ann DOHERTY (since 7 October 2015)

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) 393344

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 Cypriot community in Cyprus uses the anthem of Turkey

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

agriculture:

3.8%

industry:

15.2%

services:

81% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%:

28.8% (2014)

highest 10%:

28.8% (2014)

general assessment:

• despite the growth of Cyprus's telecom sector, the market overall continues to be dominated by the incumbent, Cyta, which is still fully-owned by the state;
• improved regulatory circumstances, especially in relation to network interconnection and access, has given competing operators the certainty to invest in network infrastructure, to launch competing services (2017)

domestic:

open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay; fixed-line teledisity is 26 per 100, 96 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2017)

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);
• Quantum Cable contracts for new submarine cable linking to Greece and Israel;
• Telecom Italy Sparkle and Cyta complete the Kimonas cable subsystem linking Cyprus with Crete;
• Cyta upgrades transmission capacity on the TE-North Cable System to 500Gb/s (2017)

• 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 7 privately owned TV and 21 radio broadcast stations plus 6 radio and 4 TV channels of local universities, plus 1 radio station of military, security forces and 1 radio station of civil defense cooperation, as well as relay stations from Turkey (2017)

number of registered air carriers:

2 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6 (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

23,404 (2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

230,600 mt-km (2015)

total:

20,006 km (2011)

government control:

13,006 km (includes 2,277 km of expressways) (2011)

paved:

8,564 km (2011)

unpaved:

4,442 km (2011)

Turkish Cypriot control:

7,000 km (2011)

major seaport(s):

area under government control: Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos

area administered by Turkish Cypriots:

Famagusta, Kyrenia

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;
• 14-month service obligation (2016)

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 southon 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered the EU still divided, with the EU's body of legislation and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the northTurkey protests Cypriot Government creating hydrocarbon blocks and maritime boundary with Lebanon in March 2007

refugees (country of origin):

5,274 (Syria) (2017)

IDPs:

217,000 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many displaced since 1974) (2017)

• 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