CYPRUS
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 9,250 km2; land area: 9,240 km2
Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 648 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: 1974 hostilities divided the island into two de facto
autonomous areas--a Greek area controlled by the Cypriot Government (60%
of the island's land area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (35% of the island)
that are separated by a narrow UN buffer zone; in addition, there are two
UK sovereign base areas (about 5% of the island's land area)
Climate: temperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool,
wet winters
Terrain: central plain with mountains to north and south
Natural resources: copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt,
marble, clay earth pigment
Land use: arable land 40%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures
10%; forest and woodland 18%; other 25%; includes irrigated 10% (most
irrigated lands are in the Turkish-Cypriot area of the island)
Environment: moderate earthquake activity; water resource problems
(no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, and
most potable resources concentrated in the Turkish-Cypriot area)
PEOPLE
Population: 709,343 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)
Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 78 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Cypriot(s); adjective--Cypriot
Ethnic divisions: Greek 78%; Turkish 18%; other 4%
Religion: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian,
Apostolic, and other 4%
Language: Greek, Turkish, English
Literacy: 90% (male 96%, female 85%) age 10 and over can
read and write (1976)
Labor force: Greek area--246,100; services 42%, industry 33%,
agriculture 22%; Turkish area--NA (1989)
Organized labor: 156,000 (1985 est.)
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Republic of Cyprus
Type: republic; a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities
inhabiting the island began after the outbreak of communal strife in
1963; this separation was further solidified following the Turkish
invasion of the island in July 1974, which gave the Turkish Cypriots de
facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only
internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish
Cypriot President Rauf Denktash declared independence and the formation
of a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which has been recognized
only by Turkey; both sides publicly call for the resolution of
intercommunal differences and creation of a new federal system of
government
Capital: Nicosia
Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia,
Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos
Independence: 16 August 1960 (from UK)
Constitution: 16 August 1960; negotiations to create the basis for
a new or revised constitution to govern the island and to better
relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held
intermittently; in 1975 Turkish Cypriots created their own Constitution
and governing bodies within the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus, which
was renamed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983; a new
Constitution for the Turkish area passed by referendum in May 1985
Legal system: based on common law, with civil law modifications
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet);
note--there is a president, prime minister, and Council of Ministers
(cabinet) in the Turkish area
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (Vouli
Antiprosopon); note--there is a unicameral Assembly of the Republic
(Cumhuriyet Meclisi) in the Turkish area
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; note--there is also a Supreme Court
in the Turkish area
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President George VASSILIOU
(since February 1988); note--Rauf R. DENKTASH has been president
of the Turkish area since 13 February 1975
Political parties and leaders:
Greek Cypriot--Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL;
Communist Party), Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS,
Democratic Rally (DESY), Glafcos CLERIDES;
Democratic Party (DEKO), Spyros KYPRIANOU;
United Democratic Union of the Center (EDEK), Vassos LYSSARIDES;
Socialist Democratic Renewal Movement (ADESOK), Pavlos DINGLIS, chairman;
Liberal Party, Nikos ROLANDIS;
Turkish area--National Unity Party (UBP), Dervis EROGLU;
Communal Liberation Party (TKP), Mustafa AKINCI;
Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Ozker OZGUR;
New Cyprus Party (NKP), Alpay DURDURAN;
New Dawn Party (YDP), Ali Ozkan ALTINISHIK;
Free Democratic Party, Ismet KOTAK; note--CTP, TKP, and YDP joined
in the coalition Democratic Struggle Party (DMP) for the 22 April
1990 legislative election
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
President--last held 14 February and 21 February 1988 (next
to be held February 1993);
results--George VASSILIOU 52%, Glafcos CLERIDES 48%;
House of Representatives--last held 8 December 1985 (next to
be held 19 May 1991);
results--DESY 33.56%, DEKO 27.65%, AKEL (Communist) 27.43%, EDEK 11.07%;
seats--(56 total) DESY 19, DEKO 16, AKEL (Communist) 15, EDEK 6;
Turkish Area: President--last held 22 April 1990 (next to be
held April 1995);
results--Rauf R. DENKTASH 66%, Ismail BOZKURT 32.05%;
Turkish Area: Assembly of the Republic--last held 6 May 1990
(next to be held May 1995);
results--UBP (conservative) about 55%, DMP NA%;
seats--(50 total) UBP (conservative) 34, CTP (Communist) 7,
TKP (center-right) 7, New Dawn Party 2
Communists: about 12,000
Other political or pressure groups: United Democratic Youth
Organization (EDON; Communist controlled); Union of Cyprus Farmers (EKA;
Communist controlled); Cyprus Farmers Union (PEK; pro-West); Pan-Cyprian
Labor Federation (PEO; Communist controlled); Confederation of Cypriot
Workers (SEK; pro-West); Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions
(Turk-Sen); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions (Dev-Is)
Member of: C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Michael E. SHERIFIS;
Chancery at 2211 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
462-5772; there is a Cypriot Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Robert E. LAMB; Embassy at the corner of Therissos
Street and Dositheos Street, Nicosia (mailing address is FPO New York
09530); telephone 357 (2) 4651511
Flag: white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the
name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green
crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize
the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish
communities
ECONOMY
Overview: These data are for the area controlled by the Republic of
Cyprus (information on the northern Turkish-Cypriot area is sparse).
The economy is small, diversified, and prosperous. Industry contributes
about 25% to GDP and employs 35% of the labor force, while the service
sector contributes about 55% to GDP and employs 40% of the labor force.
Rapid growth in exports of agricultural and manufactured products
and in tourism have played important roles in the average 6% rise in GDP
in recent years.
GDP: $5.4 billion, per capita $7,960; real growth rate 5.5%
(1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1990)
Unemployment rate: below 2% (1990)
Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including
capital expenditures of $178 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $770 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--citrus, potatoes, grapes, wine, cement, clothing and
shoes;
partners--UK 23%, Greece 10%, Lebanon 9%, Saudi Arabia 4%
Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, food and
feed grains, machinery;
partners--France 12%, UK 11%, Japan 11%, Italy 10%
External debt: $2.2 billion (1990)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.5% (1988); accounts for
27% of GDP
Electricity: 620,000 kW capacity; 1,770 million kWh produced,
2,530 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products,
tourism, wood products
Agriculture: accounts for 7% of GDP and employs 22% of labor force;
major crops--potatoes, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, and citrus
fruits; vegetables and fruit provide 25% of export revenues
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $292
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-87), $230 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $62 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $24 million
Currency: Cypriot pound (plural--pounds) and in Turkish area,
Turkish lira (plural--liras); 1 Cypriot pound (LC) = 100 cents and
1 Turkish lira
(TL) = 100 kurus
Exchange rates: Cypriot pounds (LC) per US$1--0.4325 (December
1990), 0.4572 (1990), 0.4933 (1989), 0.4663 (1988), 0.4807 (1987), 0.5167
(1986), 0.6095 (1985); in Turkish area, Turkish liras (TL) per
US$1--2,873.9 (December 1990), 2,608.6 (1990), 2,121.7 (1989), 1,422.3
(1988), 857.2 (1987), 674.5 (1986), 522.0 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Highways: 10,780 km total; 5,170 km bituminous surface treated;
5,610 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth
Ports: Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos
Merchant marine: 1,169 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
19,310,063 GRT/34,338,028 DWT; 10 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo,
435 cargo, 76 refrigerated cargo, 20 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 48
container, 4 multifunction large load carrier, 111 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 8 liquefied gas, 17
chemical tanker, 30 combination ore/oil, 360 bulk, 2 vehicle carrier, 44
combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; Cuba owns at
least 25 of these ships, USSR owns 52, and Yugoslavia owns 1
Civil air: 11 major transport aircraft
Airports: 13 total, 13 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent in the area controlled by the Cypriot
Government (Greek area), moderately good in the Turkish-Cypriot
administered area; 210,000 telephones; stations--14 AM, 7 (7 repeaters)
FM, 2 (40 repeaters) TV; tropospheric scatter circuits to Greece and
Turkey; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations--INTELSAT, 1
Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, and EUTELSAT systems
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Greek area--Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG;
includes air and naval elements), Greek Cypriot Police; Turkish
area--Turkish Cypriot Security Force
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 182,426; 125,839 fit for
military service; 5,169 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $209 million, 5% of GDP (1990 est.)