Among these different powers, Greek and Turkish influence has perhaps been the greatest and most prominent today, something that can be seen in the two official languages of Cyprus: Greek and Turkish.

According to Stratis Efthymiou, even though defeated, the referendum had a formative impact on the Greek Cypriot community; [46] Greek Cypriots felt that reunification is a touchable reality, and this undermined the nationalist struggle and ideas of military defence. According to Efthymiou, since the referendum, the phenomenon of draft dodging has become prevalent and the defence budget has turned into a trivial amount. [46] Formula One and the Cyprus dispute [ edit ] The longest river in Cyprus is the Pedieos River, which originates in the Troodos Mountains, and flows through the Mesaoria Plains and the capital, Nicosia, eventually emptying into Famagusta Bay. Cyprus has a well-developed transportation system that includes a national highway network, an international airport, and a seaport. Arriving in Cyprus usually entails taking an international flight to one of the island’s international airports. It is possible to arrive by ferry from other Mediterranean countries, but the service of these ferries is limited and very irregular.The highest peak is Mount Olympus with 1,952 m (6,404 ft), the mountain is part of the Troodos range. Cyprus covers an area of 9,251 km² in the Mediterranean Sea. About two-thirds of the area belongs to the Republic of Cyprus, and one-third is de facto under the control of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The British Base Areas occupy 254 km². It is a large producer of products in this region, surpassing countries in its vicinity. Transportation in Cyprus After an occupation by the Knights Templar and the rule of Isaac Komnenos, the island in 1192 came under the rule of the Lusignan family, who established the Kingdom of Cyprus. In February 1489 it was seized by the Republic of Venice. [ citation needed] Between September 1570 and August 1571 it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, [ citation needed] starting three centuries of Turkish rule over Cyprus.

On 29 April 2009, Talat stated that if the Court of Appeal of England and Wales (that will put the last point in Orams' case) makes a decision in the same spirit as the decision of European Court of Justice (ECJ) then the negotiation process in Cyprus will be damaged [68] in such a way that it will never be repaired once more. [69] [ full citation needed] The European Commission warned the Republic of Cyprus not to turn Orams' legal fight to keep their holiday home into a political battle over the divided island. [ citation needed] The city of Paphos is the capital of the district of the same name and is one of the most popular locations for tourists in Cyprus. The city lies along the seashore and is particularly interesting to tourists interested in history and culture. The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, and President of Northern Cyprus, Mustafa Akıncı, met for the first time and restarted peace talks on 12 May 2015. On 7 July 2017, the UN-sponsored talks which had been held in the Swiss Alps for the previous 10 days were brought to a halt after negotiations broke down. [88] Cyprus talks in Crans-Montana ended without a peace and reunification deal. [89]The two major religions practiced in Cyprus reflect the island’s two major ethnic groups. The vast majority of Greek Cypriots consider themselves Greek Orthodox, and most Turkish Cypriots are practitioners of Sunni Islam. Today, modern art in Cyprus is on display at the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts and several other museums. Theater and music performances can be seen at the Kypria International Festival, which takes place annually and was first held in 1991. The two official languages listed in the constitution of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish. Recognized minority languages in the country are Armenian and Cypriot Maronite Arabic. The two major ethnic groups inhabiting Cyprus are Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Roughly 80% of the population is Greek, and the remaining 20% are mostly Turkish. On 5 February 2019, Greece and Turkey stated they wanted to defuse tensions between them through dialogue, including regarding the Cyprus dispute. Another dispute over oil and gas explorations in the waters of Cyprus' exclusive economic zone between the different parties is however keeping them from renewing talks. [96] [97]

In October 2012, Northern Cyprus became an "observer member" country of the Economic Cooperation Organization under the name " Turkish Cypriot State". The United Nations also recognizes the “government” of the Republic of Cyprus as representing its territory. Still, this part of the island has remained occupied by Turkish troops since Turkey’s 1974 invasion. Cyprus Main Cities Map Cyprus Map with main cities Each district is headed by a District Officer who coordinates the activities of the ministries in that district and is an extension of the central government. Cyprus has a population of almost 1.2 million people live on the island. 875,900 people live in the Republic of Cyprus (in 2018), 326,000 in Northern Cyprus (in 2017) Spoken languages are Greek and Turkish.More recently, the Greek government of the Republic of Cyprus has one-sidedly taken decisions on hydrocarbon initiatives, creating significant tension with Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots. The Greek side has agreements with multinational companies like Eni, Noble Energy, ExxonMobil, Qatar Petroleum and Shell. By now the island was on the verge of civil war. Several attempts to present a compromise settlement had failed. Therefore, beginning in December 1958, representatives of Greece and Turkey, the so-called "mother lands" opened discussions of the Cyprus issue. Participants for the first time discussed the concept of an independent Cyprus, i.e., neither enosis nor taksim. Subsequent talks always headed by the British yielded a so-called compromise agreement supporting independence, laying the foundations of the Republic of Cyprus. The scene then naturally shifted to London, where the Greek and Turkish representatives were joined by representatives of the Greek Cypriots, the Turkish Cypriots (represented by Arch. Makarios and Dr Fazıl Küçük with no significant decision-making power), and the British. The Zürich-London agreements that became the basis for the Cyprus constitution of 1960 were supplemented with three treaties – the Treaty of Establishment, the Treaty of Guarantee, and the Treaty of Alliance. The general tone of the agreements was one of keeping the British sovereign bases and military and monitoring facilities intact. Some Greek Cypriots, especially members of organisations such as EOKA, expressed disappointment because enosis had not been attained. In a similar way some Turkish Cypriots especially members of organisations such as TMT expressed their disappointment as they had to postpone their target for taksim, however most Cypriots that were not influenced by the three so called guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey, and Britain), welcomed the agreements and set aside their demand for enosis and taksim. According to the Treaty of Establishment, Britain retained sovereignty over 256 square kilometres, which became the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, to the northeast of Larnaca, and the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area to the southwest of Limassol. By 1954 a number of Turkish mainland institutions were active in the Cyprus issue such as the National Federation of Students, the Committee for the Defence of Turkish rights in Cyprus, the Welfare Organisation of Refugees from Thrace and the Cyprus Turkish Association. [ citation needed] Above all, the Turkish trade unions were to prepare the right climate for the main Turkish goal, the division of the island ( taksim) into Greek and Turkish parts, thus keeping the British military presence and installations on the island intact. By this time a special Turkish Cypriot paramilitary organisation Turkish Resistance Organisation (TMT) was also established which was to act as a counterbalance to the Greek Cypriot enosis fighting organisation of EOKA. [20] Many tourists visiting Cyprus will arrive at Larnaca International Airport, which puts them just outside the city of Larnaca. The city itself has a lot to offer visitors interested in taking advantage of the sun and exceptionally clear water at Finikoudes Beach as well as those more interested in the history of Cyprus. President of the Republic of Cyprus, archbishop Makarios III (left) and Vice-President Dr. Fazıl Küçük (right)