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50 Cyprus Facts, an island rich in history and 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 [...]

20 Venice Facts you need to know

There’s a lot travel information, holiday ideas and travel advice about Venice on the web so after visiting Venice I decided to post some interesting Venice facts. To be honest I had no idea about most of the following and I only found out after going there and reading about the Venetian town. Venice was the major Mediterranean maritime power during the 14th to 16th centuries. Venice is one of the most important tourist destinations in the world Venice consists of 118 small islands separated by 177 canals and linked by 416 bridges. The canals and bridges are the main routes of commutation. The main entrance of the houses and buildings are always on the side of a canal. The Venice lagoon is 15 meters deep at its deepest point. The buildings of Venice are constructed on millions wooden platforms places in the sea. The city is often threatened by flood tides pushing in from the Adriatic between autumn and early spring. Acqua alta is a natural phenomenon that forces water from the Adriatic into the Venetian lagoon causing the level of tide (the rise and fall of sea level) up to 80 cm. Venice is sinking at the rate of 1-2 millimeters a year. There are about 350 gondolas and 400 gondolieri. Only 3-4 gondolier licenses are issues every year The first public casino was born here in 1638. Venetians loved to wear the masks for any possible occasion, and many laws were made to specify when, where and who was allowed to walk around with a mask. Famous Venetians include Marco Polo, Antonio Vivaldi and Casanova. Calletta, or Ramo Varisco Street, is one of the narrowest streets in the world - only 53 cm wide. The San Marco bell tower, the tallest bell tower in Italy, collapsed in 1920 and was rebuilt again. The city is visited by 18 million tourists a year, on average 50,000 a day. The progressive sinking of Venice is making the locals move out. It is expected that in 2030 Venice may be a ghost town, populated only with tourists, coming in at morning until evening. So now I’m sure [...]