Cyprus

More Facts & Figures

National name: Kypriaki Dimokratia—Kibris Cumhuriyeti

Current government officials

Languages: Greek, Turkish (both official); English

Ethnicity/race: Greek 77%, Turkish 18% (each concentrated almost exclusively in separate areas); other 5% (2001)

National Holiday: Independence Day, October 1

Religions: Greek Orthodox 78%, Islam 18%, Maronite, other (includes Maronite and Armenian Apostolic) 4%

Literacy rate: 97.6% (2011 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP: $22.97 billion (2011 est.): $23.77 billion; $29,100 per capita (2011 est.). Real growth rate: –0%. Inflation: 3.3% (2011 est.). Unemployment: 7.7%. Arable land: 10.8%. Agriculture: citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables; poultry, pork, lamb; dairy, cheese. Labor force: Greek Cypriot area: 414,100; Turkish Cypriot area: 95,025 (2006 est.); Greek Cypriot area: agriculture 7.4%, industry 38.2%, services 54.4%; Turkish Cypriot area: agriculture 14.5%, industry 29%, services 56.5% (2004 est.). Industries: tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum production, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone, and clay products. Natural resources: copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment. Exports: $1.5 billion (2011 est.). Imports: $10.11 billion (2011 est.). Major trading partners: UK, Greece, Germany, UAE, France, Italy, Japan, Israel, Netherlands, China (2006).

Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: Greek Cypriot area: 414,700 (2011); Turkish Cypriot area: 86,228 (2002); mobile cellular: Greek Cypriot area: 1.034 million (2011); Turkish Cypriot area: 147,522 (2012). Radio broadcast stations: Greek Cypriot area: AM 5, FM 76, shortwave 0 (2004); Turkish Cypriot area: AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2004). Television broadcast stations: Greek Cypriot area: 8; Turkish Cypriot area: 2 (plus 4 relay) (2004). Internet hosts: 252,990 (2011). Internet users: 433,900 (2011).

Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: Greek Cypriot area: 12,280 km; Turkish Cypriot area: 2,350 km; paved: Greek Cypriot area: 7,979 km; Turkish Cypriot area: 1,370 km; unpaved: Greek Cypriot area: 4,301 km (2005); Turkish Cypriot area: 980 km (2006). Ports and harbors: Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos. Airports: 15 (2011).

International disputes: hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus); the 1,000-strong UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since 1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and south; March 2003 reunification talks failed, but Turkish-Cypriots later opened their borders to temporary visits by Greek Cypriots; on 24 April 2004, the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities voted in simultaneous and parallel referenda on whether to approve the UN-brokered Annan Plan that would have ended the thirty-year division of the island by establishing a new "United Cyprus Republic," a majority of Greek Cypriots voted "no"; on 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered the European Union still divided, with the EU's body of legislation and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the north.

Major sources and definitions