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Republic of Cyprus Topography: The Troodos Mountains, in the area; comprising 2.2 per cent of the total In 1974 Turkish troops invaded and central and western part of the island, rise to network. Cyprus has no railway. occupied the northern 36 per cent of the 1,951 metres at Mount Olympus. The Republic of Cyprus. This area was later Major ports are at Larnaca and Limassol. Troodos, of infertile igneous rock, are declared independent. The secession has characterised by steep slopes, narrow valleys Nicosia airport was closed in 1974. There are not been recognised internationally, and precipices. The Kyrenia Mountains (also international airports 5 km south of Larnaca, except by Turkey. The UN and known as the Pentadaktylos range), along the and 15 km east of Paphos. Commonwealth have for many years north coast, rise to 1,024 metres and are protested about the occupation and tried mainly limestone. Passes and valleys allow to resolve the problem by negotiation. Society access to the north coast. The fertile KEY FACTS 2013 Due to this division of the Republic of Messaoria Plain lies between them. About Cyprus, aggregated information is not half of its 186,000 hectares is irrigated. Most Population per sq km: 123 always available. Economic and social data water sources are in the south – all major Life expectancy: 80 years given here generally cover the government- rivers originate in the Troodos and flow east, Net primary enrolment: 98% controlled areas only, although legally and south or west. Many rivers dry up in the constitutionally the Republic of Cyprus summer. There are sandy beaches on the Population: 1,141,000 (2013); 67 per cent includes the occupied north. south of the island and some rugged rocky of people live in urban areas; growth 1.7 per coastline in the north. cent p.a. 1990–2013; birth rate 11 per 1,000 people (19 in 1970); life expectancy 80 years Climate: Mediterranean climate. Hot dry (71 in 1970). summers (June–September) and mild wet winters (November–March). The population comprises Greek Cypriots (approximately 80 per cent) and Turkish Environment: The most significant Cypriots, and small populations of environmental issues are limited water Armenians, Maronites and ‘Latins’ (the term resources – due to lack of rain in the summer used in Cyprus for Roman Catholics of and pollution of the island’s largest aquifer by European origin). The population of the sea water; water pollution by sewage and occupied north was estimated at 257,000 in industrial wastes; coastal degradation; and 2005, and included around 160,000 Turkish loss of wildlife habitats due to urbanisation. illegal settlers. Vegetation: Mediterranean scrub, succulents Language: Official languages are Greek and and pine woods, adapted to the dry Turkish. English is widely spoken; German summers, with 1,800 species and subspecies and French are spoken in tourist centres. of flowering plants. Forest covers 19 per cent KEY FACTS of the land area. The mountains are forested Religion: Most Greek Cypriots belong to the and less than 15 per cent of the land is autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church; Joined Commonwealth: 1961 arable and permanently cropped, about 20 most Turkish Cypriots are Sunni Muslims. Population: 1,141,000 (2013) per cent of which is irrigated. The occupied There are small religious groups of Maronites, GDP p.c. growth: 0.9% p.a. 1990–2013 north is generally more thickly vegetated and Armenians, Roman Catholics and Anglicans. fertile. UN HDI 2014: World ranking 32 Health: Public spending on health was three Wildlife: The only large wild animal is the per cent of GDP in 2012. In the Republic, Official languages: Greek, Turkish agrino, a species of wild sheep, which is now medical care is free for government Time: GMT plus 2–3 hrs protected. Snakes, once so abundant as to employees, displaced persons and low- give the island its old name Ophiussa (‘abode income families, including in all about 65 per Currency: Euro ( €) of snakes’), are now comparatively rare. cent of the population. The government has proposed a national health insurance scheme. Main towns: Nicosia (Lefkosia, capital, pop. Geography A new general hospital was built in Nicosia in 334,120 in 2011, with a further 61,378 in the latter 1990s. Infant mortality was three Area: 9,251 sq km the occupied north), Limassol (239,739), per 1,000 live births in 2013 (30 in 1960). Coastline: 648 km Paphos (91,200), Larnaca (53,500). In the occupied north, other main towns are The Government of Cyprus offers free Capital: Nicosia Famagusta (40,920), Kyrenia (33,207), treatment in government hospitals to all Cyprus is an oval-shaped island with ‘pan- Morphou and Lefka. Turkish Cypriots residing in the occupied north. handle’ north-east peninsula in the eastern Transport: There is a good road network in Mediterranean. Its closest mainland the Republic, extending to 20,000 km (40 per Education: Public spending on education neighbours are Turkey (to the north) and cent paved), with motorways between was seven per cent of GDP in 2010. There Syria and Lebanon (to the east). Nicosia, Limassol, Paphos and the Famagusta are nine years of compulsory education The CommonwealTh YeaRbook 2015 Republic of Cyprus starting at the age of six. Primary school December). Fixed-date holidays falling on a GDP by sector (2013) comprises six years and secondary six, with Saturday or Sunday are not moved. two cycles each of three years. There are Religious and other festivals whose dates vary many private schools. Some 95 per cent of Agriculture from year to year include Green Monday pupils complete primary school (2007). The 2.7% (start of Lent, 50 days before Greek Orthodox school year starts in September. Easter), Good Friday (Greek Orthodox), Easter Industry 12.8% The University of Cyprus is a bilingual (Greek Monday (Greek Orthodox) and Kataklysmos and Turkish) university which opened in (Pentecost, 50 days after Greek Orthodox Services 1992. The other public universities are Cyprus Easter). 84.5% University of Technology (2007) and Open University of Cyprus (2002). Private Economy From the latter 1990s, the government universities include the European University introduced economic reforms with a view to (In this section, figures do not include the Cyprus (2007), which developed out of joining the European Union (EU). The occupied north.) Cyprus College (1961); Frederick University economy continued to grow strongly, until it (2007), which developed out of the Frederick KEY FACTS 2013 slowed in the tougher international climate Institute of Technology (1965); Neapolis GNI: US$21.5bn after 2000, picking up again from 2004, the University (Paphos, 2010); and University of year in which the Republic of Cyprus joined Nicosia (2007), which developed out of GNI p.c.: US$25,210 the EU, and continuing at about four per Intercollege (1980). Other tertiary institutions GDP growth: -1.6% p.a. 2009–13 cent until 2008, when the impact of the include Cyprus Forestry College (1951); Inflation: 1.6% p.a. 2009–13 world economic downturn on tourism and Higher Hotel Institute of Cyprus (1966); trade caused growth to stall in the latter part Higher Technical Institute (1968); Despite occupation of the north and the of that year and go into reverse in 2009 ( –1.7 Mediterranean Institute of Management consequent forced movement of population per cent). There was then a return to growth (1976, postgraduate); Nursing School; and and loss of resources, the economy of the in 2010–11 before the economy moved into Cyprus International Institute of Management Republic has grown steadily with relatively recession again in 2012 ( –2.4 per cent), (1990). The female–male ratio for gross low inflation, particularly in the tourism and contracting sharply in 2013 (by 5.4 per cent) enrolment in tertiary education is 0.90:1 offshore financial services sectors, while the and 2014 (by about three per cent). (2010). There is virtually no illiteracy among agriculture sector and exports of citrus fruits people aged 15–24. and potatoes became relatively less Cyprus adopted the euro at the beginning of important. Oil and gas exploration was under 2008, replacing the Cyprus pound. In March In 1984 Cyprus hosted the Ninth Conference way in 2011 and large offshore finds of 2013 the EU and International Monetary of Commonwealth Education Ministers in natural gas were announced in December Fund (IMF) offered Cyprus a €10 billion loan Nicosia. Commonwealth Education Ministers 2011, amounting to an estimated 140–230 to rescue the Cypriot banks, which had meet every three years to discuss issues of billion cubic metres, and further significant incurred heavy losses arising from a very large mutual concern and interest. finds were announced in 2012. exposure to Greek debt. This deal required Media: There are several daily papers, most the government to raise a further €5.8 in Greek (including Phileleftheros , Politis , Real growth in GDP billion. Parliament then voted against the Simerini ) but the Cyprus Mail is in English. Of government’s initial proposals for a levy on all % 2 the several bi-weekly, weekly and fortnightly % the banks’ customers. The banks remained papers, two ( Cyprus Weekly and Financial 1 closed while discussions continued between Mirror ) are in English. 0 the government, EU and IMF. A deal was agreed on 24 March 2013, under which the The public radio and TV provider is the -1 Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation, banks were to be restructured; the levy paid -2 g broadcasting in Greek, English, Turkish and only by custo mers w ith deposits of at least -3 100,000; an d Cyp rus was to remain in the Armenian. Private radio and TV stations € compete with the public networks. The -4 eurozone. switch from analogue to digital TV was -5 completed in July 2011.