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Cyprus: An Overview

Introduction

Largely English speaking (90 per cent of Greek Cypriots speak and/or understand English), Cyprus has long been popular with British buyers, particularly those in their retirement years, owing to favourable pension and tax laws on the island for all non-nationals, especially retirees.

Property prices on the island have traditionally been cheap compared with the UK, but since 2001, when it was announced that Cyprus would be joining the EU in 2004, they have risen by 80 per cent. Capital appreciation is expected to be between 10 and 15 per cent in 2006, as the country gears up to join the euro in 2008.

Geography

Located approximately 65km south of Turkey and 350km north of Egypt, Cyprus, third largest of the Mediterranean islands (after Sicily and Sardinia), is dominated by rugged mountain ranges. Rising to a maximum height of nearly 2,000m, the Troodos Mountains cover most of the south and west of the island, while the narrow Kyrenia range, which occupies a smaller area and has significantly lower elevations, extends along the north coast.

Between the two ranges lies the plain of Messaoria, which, as well as being Cyprus’s main agricultural area, is home to most of its inhabitants. Nicosia, the capital, is situated there.

Climate and weather

The island’s climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and changeable winters that are often cold and dry. The low rainfall is a cause for concern for the government, which has a desalination plant policy to supplement it.

The summer months are generally considered to be April–November, when the average temperature ranges from 17 to 27 degrees Celsius, although 40-degree heat is not uncommon. The winter season is December–March, when the temperature averages around 12–14 degrees Celsius and rarely falls below double figures.

Cyprus prides itself on the fact that even in the summer months, when temperatures often reach 30 degrees Celsius, one can ski in the Troodos Mountains in the morning and swim in the sea in the afternoon.

History

Like the rest of the Mediterranean region, Cyprus has a long and fascinating history. Traces of settlements dating back to the Neolithic Age have been found along its coasts.

The island was in turn part of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and has also numbered the Venetians among its rulers. It was conquered by Richard the Lionheart, sold to the Knights Templar and has been, at different stages, Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Muslim.

Under the Cyprus Convention of 1878, Britain took over the administration of the island, though it remained part of the Ottoman Empire until 1914, when Britain annexed it. In 1923, Turkey relinquished all claim to Cyprus, and the island was declared a British crown colony in 1925.

In 1955, an armed struggle against colonial rule broke out. This lasted until 1960, when the island gained independence.

Turkey invaded the northern half of Cyprus in 1974. The territory remains occupied – and disputed ¬– to this day.

More pages

Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Culture
Page 3: Natural beauty
Page 4: National holidays

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