culture

Cyprus is a lovely island located in the eastern Mediterranean, rich in history and culture. In Cyprus you will enjoy the best blue waters and taste delicious Cypriot specialties that will make you want to come back.  I'm lucky that I'm living there. I've made a list with 50 interesting Cyprus facts which include points about geography, history, economy, culture, transportation, food & drinks, entertainment and myths. Although I capture my own pictures, this time I choose to feature a photo which has caught my eye a long time ago on flickr. Enjoy. General Facts Cyprus is an Island in the Mediterranean Sea Cyprus is NOT part of Greece The name of Cyprus may originate from the Mediterranean Cypress Tree (Kyparissos) or derived from copper that was discovered in Cyprus. Current population is 1,238,565 (September 2022) Spoken language is Greek and English is widely spoken The phone dialing code for Cyprus is +357 The Electricity and plug system is the same as the UK The official currency is EURO Time Zone GMT + 2:00 hours Geography Facts Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily and Sardinia Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is the only capital in the world which is divided between two nations (see point 15) There are two British military zones in Cyprus, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which are a legacy of the British occupation of Cyprus which ended in 1960 The highest peak is Mount Olympus, which reaches around 6402 ft above sea level The Akamas peninsula has a unique beauty. It’s the last coastal region on the island which remains untouched by mass tourism and development History Facts The island has been divided since 1975. A UN buffer zone (known as the Green Line) separates the self-declared Republic of Northern Cyprus (which is illegal) and the controlled South Greek. Turkey occupied 36,2% of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Cyprus and forcibly expelled from their homes about 200,000 Greek Cypriots During the Copper and Bronze Ages when the island's rich natural copper resources were exported to other countries making it one of the [...]