Cyprus

The island of Cyprus lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, some 100 kilometres south of Turkey, 100 kilometres west of Syria and 320 kilometres north of the island of Rhodes. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations, with very lively resorts such as Ayia Napa, quiet small inland villages and the massive Troodos mountains in the south west.

Cyprus has a history going back some 10,000 years, and has been occupied by many different cultures over the years. It has been occupied by Alexander the Great, Richard Lionheart and was a gift to Cleopatra by Marc Anthony. In legend it is the birthplace of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. In consequence it has an abundance of historic sites.

In 1878, the island came under British rule, and this lasted until Cyprus gained its independence in1960. Since then there has been conflict between the Turkish Cypriots in the north of the island and the Greek Cypriots in the south. Today the island can be divided into four main regions. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the UN Green Line dividing the two factions, the Republic of Cyprus in the south and two UK sovereign bases at Akrotiri and Dhehelia. The Green Line has recently been opened to tourists, allowing them to visit all of the islands beaches and resorts in the north and south. Now a member of the EU, the British influence is still felt in many areas, such as driving on the left of the road.

Please select a region of Cyprus from the list on the left.