Cyprus is an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the third largest island in that sea, lying south of Turkey and west of the Middle East. A sun-drenched land of mountains, beaches, and ancient ruins, it has been a crossroads of civilisations for thousands of years and was so rich in copper that the metal may take its name from the island. Greek and Turkish communities share its history, and since 1974 the island has been tragically divided, a partition that remains unresolved.
Cyprus has been inhabited since the Stone Age, and from antiquity it was prized for its copper. Settled by Mycenaean Greeks, who gave it its lasting Greek character, it was ruled in turn by a parade of powers: Phoenicians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Venetians, Ottomans, and finally the British. Independence from Britain came in 1960, but tensions between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities led, after a coup and a Turkish invasion in 1974, to the division of the island that endures today.
In Greek mythology, Cyprus is celebrated as the birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, who was said to have risen from the sea foam off the island's southern coast, near a spot still known as Aphrodite's Rock. The myth made Cyprus a centre of her worship in antiquity and remains a cherished part of the island's identity and tourism. As a literal event it belongs, of course, to mythology rather than history, but the goddess's deep association with the island is very real.
Cyprus is dominated by two mountain ranges, the Troodos massif in the centre and west, rich in the copper and forests of antiquity, and the long, narrow Kyrenia range along the north coast, with a fertile plain, the Mesaoria, between them. The island has a warm Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers, and a coastline of beaches, coves, and rocky headlands. Water is scarce, and the dry interior contrasts with the cooler, pine-clad heights of the mountains.
The flag of Cyprus is unusual in depicting the shape of the country itself: a copper-coloured silhouette of the island on a white field, above two green olive branches. The copper colour recalls the island's ancient wealth in that metal, and the olive branches symbolise peace between its Greek and Turkish communities. Designed to be neutral, the flag deliberately avoids the colours and symbols of either Greece or Turkey, expressing a hope for unity that the island's division has frustrated.
Religion on Cyprus largely follows its communal divide. The Greek Cypriot majority is overwhelmingly Greek Orthodox Christian, and the Church of Cyprus is one of the oldest autonomous Orthodox churches, deeply tied to Greek Cypriot identity and history. The Turkish Cypriot community is traditionally Sunni Muslim. The island is dotted with ancient churches and monasteries as well as mosques, a reflection of its long and layered history and of the two communities that share it.
Cypriot cuisine blends Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern influences in the sunny Mediterranean style. Its most famous product is halloumi, a firm, salty cheese that holds its shape when grilled and is now enjoyed around the world. Meals are often built around meze, a spread of many small dishes, and feature grilled meats such as souvla, fresh vegetables, olives, and seafood. Olive oil, citrus, and local wine, from one of the world's oldest winemaking traditions, complete the table.
Agriculture on Cyprus is shaped by the warm, dry climate and limited water. The island grows citrus fruits, grapes for its ancient winemaking, potatoes, and a variety of vegetables, and it produces olives and the celebrated halloumi cheese from its sheep and goats. In antiquity it was renowned above all for its copper, and farming has long had to contend with the scarcity of fresh water, a constant challenge in this sun-baked Mediterranean land.
The island's ancient wealth in copper, its deep Greek heritage, and its passage through a long line of empires shaped Cyprus. Its modern history has been defined by its division: after independence from Britain in 1960, conflict between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, a Greek-backed coup, and a Turkish military invasion in 1974 split the island into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north, with the capital, Nicosia, the last divided capital in Europe.
Cyprus has a population of around 1.3 million people across the whole island, divided between a Greek Cypriot majority and a Turkish Cypriot minority, along with many foreign residents and workers. The internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union, controls the south, while the north is a self-declared Turkish Cypriot state recognised only by Turkey. Most people live in and around the cities of the south, including the divided capital, Nicosia.
