Cyprus (island)

Cyprus is a large Mediterranean island nation in the eastern Mediterranean, lying at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean by area and has archaeological sites spanning Neolithic, classical and medieval periods.

Tourist highlights include well-preserved Greco-Roman and Byzantine ruins, extensive coastline with beaches and marinas, and historic walled towns such as Paphos and Limassol. The island’s coastal archaeology and museums draw visitors, and the Troodos Mountains offer inland hiking and mountain villages.

Cyprus has a layered history with periods under Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, medieval Lusignan and Venetian rule, Ottoman rule from the 16th century, and British administration in the 19th and early 20th centuries before independence in 1960. The island’s modern political division dates from intercommunal conflict in the 1960s and the events of 1974.

Geographically the island sits in the eastern Mediterranean at roughly 35°N, 33°E. Major urban centres include Nicosia (the capital), Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos; the island is served by international airports at Larnaca and Paphos.

• Size and antiquity: The island is the third-largest in the Mediterranean Sea by area and has a long history of settlement from the Neolithic through classical and medieval periods.
• Political division: Since 1974 the island has been effectively divided; the northern third is administered separately and is recognized only by Turkey, while the southern two-thirds form the Republic of Cyprus.

What to See #

• Nicosia: Nicosia is the island's capital and only divided capital city, with a UN buffer zone separating the southern Republic of Cyprus administration from the northern administration.
• Paphos: Paphos is a coastal city on the southwestern coast known for archaeological remains from the Hellenistic and Roman periods and an inscribed UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site area.
• Limassol: Limassol on the southern coast is a major port and commercial center with a long maritime and modern urban waterfront.