Cyprus Island
Cyprus
COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: Cyprus is a developed Mediterranean island nation divided de facto into two areas. Facilities for tourism in the Republic of Cyprus are highly developed. The Republic of Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004. Read the Department of State Background Notes on Cyprus at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5376.htm for additional information. ... [Read More]
Cyprus (07/05)
Cypriot culture is among the oldest in the Mediterranean. By 3700 BC, the island was well inhabited, a crossroads between East and West. The island fell successively under Assyrian, Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Roman domination. For 800 years, beginning in 364 AD, Cyprus was ruled by Byzantium. After brief possession by King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted) of England during the Crusades, the island came under Frankish control in the late 12th century. It was ceded to the Venetian Republic in 1489 and conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1571. The Ottomans applied the millet system to Cyprus, which allowed religious authorities to govern their own non-Muslim minorities. This system reinforced the position of the Orthodox Church and the cohesion of the ethnic Greek population. Most of the Turks who settled on the island during the 3 centuries of Ottoman rule remained when control of Cyprus--although not sovereignty--was ceded to Great Britain in 1878. Many left for Turkey during the 1920s, ho ... [Read More]
Cyprus Archaeological Materials Information Page
Cypriot culture is among the oldest in the Mediterranean. Its rich archaeological heritage illustrates the interaction of the island's inhabitants with neighboring societies, while maintaining a uniquely Cypriot character. Much of the history of the island from the 8th millennium B.C. to approximately 330 A.D. can be understood only from archaeological remains, as historical texts are very rare. There is a long history of documented pillage of archaeological sites in Cyprus, including evidence of current pillage; such activity jeopardizes the ability of archaeologists and historians to reconstruct Cypriot culture. The MOU offers the opportunity for the U.S. and Cyprus to cooperate in reducing the incentive for further pillage thereby protecting the context of intact sites for scientific study. [Read More]
Cyprus Ethnological Materials Information Page
Icon of Christ Arakiotis, from the Church of Panagia tou Araka at Lagoudera. Photo courtesy of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus Materials produced during the Byzantine period illustrate the high degree of artistic achievement on Cyprus and include some of the finest pieces of Byzantine art ever produced. International recognition of certain Byzantine monuments on the island is exemplified by their inscription on the World Heritage List. Due to their great value on the U.S. and international art market, Byzantine ecclesiastical material and items of ritual significance such as icons are subject to pillage throughout Cyprus. ... [Read More]
Cyprus
Prior to 1974, Cyprus experienced a long period of intercommunal strife between its Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. In response the U.N. Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) began operations in March 1964. The island has been divided since the Turkish military intervention of 1974, following a coup d'etat directed from Greece. Since 1974 the southern part of the island has been under the control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. The northern part is ruled by a Turkish Cypriot administration. In 1983 that administration proclaimed itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"). The "TRNC" is not recognized by the United States or any other country except Turkey. The two parts are separated by a buffer zone patrolled by the UNFICYP. A substantial number of Turkish troops remain on the island. In both the government-controlled areas and in the Turkish Cypriot community, democratic principles gener ... [Read More]
Cyprus
Prior to 1974, Cyprus experienced a long period of intercommunal strife between its Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. In response the U.N. Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) began operations in March 1964. The island has been divided since the Turkish military intervention of 1974, following a coup d'etat directed from Greece. Since 1974 the southern part of the island has been under the control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. The northern part is ruled by a Turkish Cypriot administration. In 1983 that administration proclaimed itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"). The "TRNC" is not recognized by the United States or any country except Turkey. A buffer zone patrolled by the UNFICYP separates the two parts. A substantial number of Turkish troops remained on the island. Glafcos Clerides was reelected President of the Republic of Cyprus in 1998. In April 2000, following the first round of Turkish Cypriot e ... [Read More]
Cyprus Federal Register Notice, 2002
The restrictions imposed in this document apply to objects from throughout the island of Cyprus. ... the Mediterranean. While Cypriot culture derives from interactions with neighboring societies, it is uniquely Cypriotic in character and represents the history and development of the island about which important information continues to be found through in situ ... [Read More]
Cyprus
The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. The basic law in the Turkish Cypriot community also provides for freedom of religion, and the Turkish Cypriot authorities generally respect this right in practice. However, the politically divisive environment on Cyprus occasionally affected aspects of religious freedom. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion. [Read More]
Cyprus
The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. The basic law governing the Turkish Cypriot community refers specifically to a "secular republic" and provides for freedom of religion, and the Turkish Cypriot authorities generally respect this right in practice. However, the politically divisive environment on Cyprus occasionally affected aspects of religious freedom. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion. After the Turkish Cypriot authorities' decision to relax crossing restrictions on April 23, 2003, Greek Cypriots reported relatively easy access to religious sites in the north, including Apostolos Andreas monastery; Turkish Cypriots equally were ... [Read More]
Cyprus Referendum
Culminating years of UN sponsored negotiations, which the U.S. strongly supported, Greek and Turkish Cypriots voted in parallel referenda on a comprehensive UN plan to end the tragic division of their island. We commend Secretary General Annan, Special UN Advisor on Cyprus Alvaro De Soto, and their UN team for their outstanding work. We also welcome the support that the Turkish and Greek governments gave to the UN plan. ... We commend all who voted to approve the plan -- particularly a large majority of Turkish Cypriots -- for their courage and their vote for peace and reconciliation. We are disappointed that a majority of Greek Cypriots voted against the settlement plan. Failure of the referenda in the Greek Cypriot community is a setback to the hopes of those on the island who voted for the settlement and to the international community. We look forward to the Secretary General's report to the UN Security Council on his Good Offices Mission. ... [Read More]
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