What I knew about Cyprus before today

It’s a Mediterranean island with two nations. The Republic of Cyprus is what we’re mostly talking about today. After the Turkish invasion in 1974, Cyprus has been split in two with a UN-controlled buffer zone. To the North of the line is the Turkish controlled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which is only internationally recognised by Turkey. Finally, the island of Cyprus is also home to the surprisingly large British controlled Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases. There have been numerous fruitless attempts to reunify Cyprus and end the Cyprus problem. However, despite its idyllic Mediterranean setting, the geopolitics of the island of Cyprus is in danger of becoming one of the longest outstanding unresolved problems of the world.

What is Cyprus’s top tourist attraction?

According to Tripadvisor, it’s the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage. The site contains the major part of the important ancient Greek and Roman city of Paphos and includes the remains of villas, palaces, tombs and fortresses.

What was the last war or conflict Cyprus took part in?

Cyprus has an incredibly long history of over 10,000 years of civilisation and an accompanying timeline of constant invasions and colonisations. The most recent conflict though was the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. This invasion was in response to a coup d'état by the Greek Army in Cyprus. Both the coup and the invasion were motivated by underlying power struggles between Greek and Turkish Cypriots after Cyprus became an independent state in 1960.

A Bizarre fact about Cyprus

Cyprus and Greece have many things in common, but unexpectedly they share the name of their highest mountains. In both countries, the highest peak is named Mount Olympus. 

Was Cyprus a former colony?

Yes, multiple times throughout its long history. Alexander the Great invaded and seized Cyprus from the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Persians in 333 BC. The most recent colonial presence was the UK. Britain negotiated control of Cyprus in 1878 from the Ottoman Empire and administered Cyprus until 1960.

What are Cyprus’s main exports?

Citrus fruits, potatoes, pharmaceuticals and cement.

What’s Cyprus’s National dish?

The rustic soup named fasolada is considered to be the national dish of Cyprus. Fasolada is made with butter beans and is actually popular in both Cyprus and Greece.