Everything you need to know about Cyprus: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Cyprus: Mediterranean Vacation Spot with Greek History
Cyprus, the birthplace of the Greece love goddess Aphrodite is one of the oldest Mediterranean civilisations. Cyprus Island was subjected to the rule of Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans successively. The Cypriot capital Nicosia has many marvellous beaches with white sands, no wonder Cyprus is one of biggest Mediterranean tourist hot spot. The country was colonised by Britain in 1914 till 1960 when it gained freedom. However ethnic conflict between the Greek-speaking and Turkish-speaking people is rife right from independence that finally led to the partition of Cyprus into the Turkish Cyprus and the Greek Cyprus in 1974. Although many reunification attempts have been since made, they have turned out to be futile.
Cyprus Facts and Stats:
Cypriots enjoy warm, dry Mediterranean climate with rainfall between November and March. The mountainous areas are cooler and more moisture laden than the rest of the island. Cyprus witnesses a mild winter with temperatures falling to 10 °C in January.
Cyprus Economy and Culture:
The Cypriot culture is a balanced fusion of Greek and Turkish cultures. Both languages are officially recognised, although most people communicate in Greek. Vegetables are preferred in the Cypriot cuisine accompanied by fresh salad and plain yoghurt. When the people eat out they go for the meze, a big collection of dishes that ends with grilled meat or fish.
The Greek Cyprus is a booming economy as compared to the Turkish Cyprus owing to official recognition from international bodies. Although tourism is a major foreign exchange earner, the service sector has made its mark thanks to the open economy model pursued by the Cypriot dispensation. While the Turkish Cyprus is mostly dependent on grants from Turkey, the Greek Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 and adopted the Euro as its currency in 2008. These developments have given a boost to the Cypriot economy.
Tourist Attractions of Cyprus:
Cyprus being a Island country offers many resplendent beaches surrounded by enchanting scenery in all its coastal towns, whether Nicosia, Paphos or Limassol. Mount Olympus offers a not-to-be-missed opportunity for mountain biking and hiking. The ancient Greek heritage can be experienced in the temples, medieval frescoes and the Roman mosaics.
Other Cyprus Places to Visit include:
Washington, May 21 (ANI): Researchers from the University of Southampton have shown that blind and visually impaired people have the potential to use echolocation, similar to that used by bats and dolphins, to determine the location of an object.
Ankara, May 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Four Turkish nationals were sentenced Monday to 90 years in prison after they were found guilty of lethal poisoning a group of Russian tourists in 2011, a lawyer said.
Moscow, May 18 (IANS) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed regret over the inability of experts, investigating the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria, to visit the country.
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Indian boxers are set to begin their 2013 season with a couple of international exposure tours leading up to the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in June, where the participation of the Indian team has been sanctioned by the International Boxing Association (AIBA).
London, May 6 (ANI): An injured British soldier is on his way to set a record by travelling the length and breadth of Britain on his mobility scooter.
Madrid, April 24 (IANS/EFE) The Spanish economy contracted 0.50 percent in the first quarter, the Bank of Spain said.
Brussels, April 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Any reports of the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict must be carefully investigated to avoid the repetition of the "Iraqi scenario", Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) International telecom services provider and a unit of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group, Reliance Globalcom, Monday said that Saudi Arabia-based mobile communications and technology provider Mobily has become its first customer to activate the newly launched 'Hawk' submarine cable system in the Mediterranean Sea.
Karachi, April 22 (ANI): An aeronautical engineer has turned his back on his profession and set out across Europe to learn 33 more trades instead.
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Gold prices, which have crashed almost 20 percent from the record high of Rs.32,500 ($602) per 10 gram last September, are likely to stabilise in the range of Rs.25,000 to Rs.26,000 in the medium term, analysts say.
Washington, April 21 (ANI): Addressing the International Monetary Finance Committee here, visiting Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has said the global economy can bounce back if the advanced economies remove policy uncertainties.
Washington, April 19 (ANI): A new research has refuted the idea that all children under the age of ten have the same taste in food and highlighted the importance of the country of residence, culture and age in these preferences.
Astana/New Delhi, April 16 (ANI):Kazakhstan will host the 11th Eurasian Media Forum (EAMF) in Astana on April 25 and 26.
Moscow, April 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A Russian billionaire has bought a piece of romantic history for his family. He purchased the island where Aristotle Onassis wedded Jacqueline Kennedy, the former American first lady, in 1968.
London, Apr 12 (ANI): Internet search engine Google has invited a new feature that would let people to contribute to its Map service.
Hanover, April 9 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia has decided to restructure its multi-billion euro loan to Cyprus to help the island nation resolve its financial crisis, President Vladimir Putin said Monday.
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Olympic bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh, who has been accused of consuming drugs, was Saturday dropped from the India squad which is to tour Cyprus and Cuba.
Mumbai, April 4 (IANS) International telecom services provider Reliance Globalcom Thursday activated its 'Hawk' submarine cable system in Egypt and integrated it with the company's network to meet the growing customer requirements for high-speed, reliable and cost-effective solutions in the Middle East and India.
London, Mar. 31 (ANI): Bank of Cyprus depositors with more than 100,000 euros could lose up to 60 percent of their savings as part of an EU-IMF bailout restructuring move, according to officials.
Nicosia, March 29 (IANS/EFE) Banks reopened in Cyprus Thursday after being closed for nearly two weeks, with officials saying there were no problems at branches across the Mediterranean island.
Washington, March 28 (ANI): A Spanish entrepreneur has invented 'My Mattress Safe, a bed outfitted with a safety deposit box.
Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) A benchmark index for Indian equities markets was trading flat in the afternoon trade Thursday owing to negative global cues.
Mumbai, Mar 25 (ANI): The stock market here opened with profits of over one percent on Monday, in response to Cyprus shutting down its second largest bank and inflicting heavy losses on uninsured depositors, including wealthy Russians, in return for a 10 billion euro bailout.
Brussels, March 25 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The finance ministers of the 17-nation eurozone agreed early Monday on a 10 billion euros (about $13 billion) bailout deal for Cyprus to prevent the country's banking system from collapsing and bankruptcy.
Brussels, March 25 (Xinhua-ANI): Eurozone finance ministers had approved a new bailout plan for Cyprus, putting an end to uncertainties over the fate of the Mediterranean island country in the euro area, the Eurogroup head said early Monday.
Nicosia, March 22 (Xinhua-ANI): The Cypriot parliaments on Friday passed emergency bills aimed at clinching a bailout deal with international lenders, but left until Saturday to vote on the contentious deposit tax.
Frankfurt, March 22 (IANS/EFE) The European Central Bank, or ECB, said Thursday it would guarantee the liquidity of banks in Cyprus until March 25.
London, Mar 22 (ANI): Cyprus' largest bank has warned that the Cypriot economy is 'on the brink' and immediately needs a liquidity lifeline from Europe.
Moscow, March 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev Wednesday slammed the European Union and Cyprus for what he described as their dismal management of the island nation's debt woes.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday said that the government was stable despite the withdrawal of support by the DMK, and it will continue to push for legislations.
New Delhi, Mar 20 (ANI): Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday said that yesterday's market nosedive was due to what happened in Cyprus and to the Reserve Bank of India's 25 BPS rate cut announcement, and not because of the DMK's decision to withdraw its support from the UPA-II Government.
Athens, March 20 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The parliament of Cyprus Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a bill aimed at charging steep levies on bank deposits, jeopardising the country's chances of securing a desperately needed international bailout.
Moscow, Mar 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A proposed Russian permanent naval task force in the Mediterranean Sea may consist of up to 10 combat and auxiliary ships, a high-ranking military source said.
New Delhi, Mar 1 (IANS) Just a day after presenting the national budget, the government Friday sought to assure overseas investors that their fear of losing benefits over the Tax Residency Certificate (TRC) will be addressed during discussion on the Finance Bill in parliament.
Dubai, Feb 26 (IANS/WAM) The UAE has lifted a ban on importing live cows from some European countries including Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Estonia, Malta and Hungary.
New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Major trade unions Thursday warned the central government of bigger agitation in the country, describing the two-day national strike as "the beginning of the chapter".
Nicosia, Feb 17 (IANS) Nicos Anastasiades, a Cypriot right-wing party leader, won the presidential election Sunday with 51.1 percent of the ballot tickets in his favour, a survey by state broadcaster said.
Nicosia, Feb 14 (IANS) Over 16 tonnes of hamburgers have been destroyed in Cyprus following the horsemeat scandal in Europe, Xinhua reported.
Washington, Feb 14 (IANS/RIA Novosti) More than $750 billion in illicit funds have streamed in and out of Russia since 1994, fuelling an "underground" economy that accounts for nearly half of the country's gross domestic product, says a report by a US group.
London, Feb. 11 (ANI): A law banning horses from Romanian roads could have led to the surge in the illegal sale of horse meat on the European beef market, a French politician has said.
Kampala, Feb 8 (IANS) Sri Lankan player Niluka Karunaratne will defend his men's singles title at the Uganda International Badminton Open Championship scheduled Feb 21-24 here.
London, Feb 3 (IANS) Britain has launched a tiny, palm-sized remote-controlled aircraft with three cameras as its latest weapon in the fight against the Taliban.
London, Feb 3 (ANI): The British Army has demonstrated a new spy drone at Camp Bastion, which is their latest weapon against the Taliban.
Dubai, Jan 29 (IANS/WAM) The ninth edition of the International Property Show (IPS) will begin here in the UAE in April. India, Pakistan and China will take part in the event.
Moscow, Jan 17 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A Russian who falsely claimed he was a military general managed to dupe a group of Chinese businessmen of nearly $600,000, the interior ministry said Thursday.
Brussels, Dec 14 (IANS/EFE) The European Union's economy and finance ministers agreed Thursday on the legal framework under which the European Central Bank will supervise eurozone financial institutions starting in 2014.
London, Dec. 7 (ANI): A pair of twins from the UK, aged just nine months, can swim the entire length of a 25 metre pool unaided on their backs, even before they can crawl.
London, Dec. 6 (ANI): Seven sailors went missing in the North Sea after a cargo ship collided with another vessel and sank off the Dutch coast are almost certainly dead, rescuers have said.
The Hague, Nov 29 (IANS) Former Dutch football player and coach Ab Fafie died at the age of 71 Tuesday night, Dutch media reported Thursday.
London, Nov 22 (IANS) A Turkish stalker of a British woman whom he met seven years ago in Cyprus was arrested after he sailed over 2,500 miles to Britain searching for her.
London, Nov 22 (ANI): A lovestruck yachtsman from Turkey sailed 2,500 miles to be reunited with the beautiful British waitress who stole his heart.
Geneva, Nov 21 (IANS) FIFA suspended Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for two matches for his insulting gesture to the referee after his side's World Cup qualifier against Norway last month.
Jerusalem, Nov 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem has threatened to close its doors to pilgrims and tourists as its bank account has been frozen over an accumulated debt for water supplies.
Stockholm, Oct 20 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Second seed Tomas Berdych completed a straight-set win over Russia's Mikhail Youzhny in the quarterfinal of the Stockholm Open tennis Saturday.
Shanghai, Oct 11 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Novak Djokovic reached the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters here Thursday after beating Spain's Feliciano Lopez in straight sets.
Shanghai, Oct 10 (IANS/RIA Novosti) World No.2 Novak Djokovic breezed past Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria into the third round of the Shanghai Masters tennis event Wednesday.
United Nations, Sep 29 (IANS UN Secretary -General Ban Ki-moon Saturday met Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu and the two discussed how to find "a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem".
Washington, September 18 (ANI): Children who grow up without siblings have a more than 50 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese than children with siblings, according to a new study.
Stockholm, Sep 18 (IANS) A single child has a more than 50 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese than those with siblings, as borne out by a study of 12,700 children in eight European countries, including Sweden.
Paris, Aug 23 (IANS) Spanish football club Malaga defeated Greek side Panathinaikos 2-0, while minnows BATE also prospered in the UEFA Champions League.
London, Aug 20 (ANI): British intelligence on Syrian troop movements is playing a major role in helping the country's rebel groups in their fight against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, it has emerged.
Tehran, Aug 19 (IANS) Spies from Britain and Germany are providing rebels in Syria with intelligence about the movements of Syrian troops, Iran's state-run Press TV reported Sunday.
Los Angeles, Aug 14 (IANS) Singer Peter Andre enjoyed a romantic trip with girlfriend Emily MacDonagh at his holiday home in Cyprus.
London, Aug 13 (IANS) The following is the final medal table at the 2012 London Olympic Games which concluded here Sunday. India finished 55th.
Moscow, Aug 12 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The Syrian ambassador to Mauritania has rejected an offer of $1 million to defect in exchange for permanent residence in Qatar, Iran's Press TV reported.
London, Aug 12 (IANS) The following is the medals tally of the 2012 London Games here Saturday.
London, Aug 11 (IANS) The following is the medals tally of the 2012 London Games here Saturday.
London, Aug 9 (IANS) The latest meda's tally of the 2012 London Olympics here Thursday.
London, Aug 9 (IANS) The following is the latest medal standings of the 2012 London Games here Thursday.
London, Aug 8 (IANS) The following is the latest medal standings of the 2012 London
London, August 7 (IANS) From being non-existent at the first modern Olympics to being nearly half of the total competitors in current edition, women athletes have come a long way and the London Games are surely abuzz with women power.
London, August 5 (ANI): Britain has been found to be the laziest country in the world, where more than 63 percent of the population falls into the category of 'inactive', a new study has suggested.
London, July 31 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Second seed Novak Djokovic demolished Andy Roddick of the US to reach the third round at the London Olympics here Tuesday.
London, July 31 (IANS/RIA Novosti) British No.1 Andy Murray ousted Finland's Jarkko Nieminen in the second round of the Olympic tournament here Tuesday.
London, July 31 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Venus Williams continued her confident performance in the Olympics tennis competitions with a second-round win over Aleksandra Wozniak here Tuesday.
Damascus, July 26 (Xinhua-ANI): Syrian Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the Syrian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates ( UAE) has been off-duty since June 4.
Dubai, July 25 (IANS/AKI) Syria's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) defected Wednesday, a day after his wife, the Syrian envoy to Cyprus, announced she was joining the rebels.
Abu Dhabi, July 25 (Xinhua-ANI): Syrian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Abdul-Latif Al Dabbagh has defected, al- Jazeera TV reported Wednesday.
London, July 17 (ANI): British holidaymakers are worst hit on the waistline during Greek and Turkish holidays, where they tend to gain a lot of weight, a survey has revealed.
Nicosia, July 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Cyprus is assuming the European Union's rotating presidency for the first time Sunday, amid concerns about the country's ability to cope with its own economic problems and help steer Europe out of its financial crisis.
Mumbai, June 26 (IANS) A benchmark index for Indian equities markets Tuesday closed flat amid choppy trade ahead of the expiry of the June Futures and & Options series Thursday.
London, June 20 (ANI): Peter Crouch's brother-in-law John has just landed a 4000-pound Gibson guitar after the footie star lost a bet with him over a swimming race on holiday.
US president Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have agreed to work together for strengthening of resilience of global economy.
Washington, June 15 (IANS) US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have agreed to work together for strengthening the "resilience of the global economy" to deal with the Eurozone shocks and boost global growth.
London, June 15 (ANI): A couple from the UK had to hold their beach wedding twice, as the bride hadn't said "I do".
London, June 9 (ANI): On June 7, thousands of people in Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Cyprus and Lebanon got the shock of their lives, as they watched a spinning 'UFO' performing cartwheels in the sky.
New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) A 37-year-old man was arrested for cheating several people on the pretext of giving them jobs in merchant navy, police said here Friday.
Istanbul, June 7 (IANS) Turkey and the European Union (EU) will engage in a political dialogue in Istanbul Thursday. The meet will be part of Turkey's accession negotiation for the EU membership.
New York, May 27 (IANS) Three Indians who were killed during UN peacekeeping operations will be among over 100 security personnel to be honoured at a ceremony at the UN Headquarters here.
Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) Actress Madhuri Dixit will begin shooting in September for "Dedh Ishqiya", her first film since her return to India.
Mumbai, May 8 (IANS) The Bombay High Court Tuesday permitted the Indian Navy to decommission and destroy a frigate which had partially sunk after a collision with a foreign ship almost one-and-a-half years ago, an official said.
Mumbai, May 8 (IANS) He must be a millionaire, but now filmmaker Karan Johar is also a 'twittillionaire'! He has crossed the million followers mark on micro-blogging site Twitter, and is overjoyed with the growing list.
London, April 30 (ANI): A daredevil centenarian from Scotland has set a new record for the oldest person to take part in paragliding after taking to the sky aged 104.
London, April 27 (IANS) Migrants from the Mediterranean region brought agriculture to northern Europe some 5,000 years ago when its original inhabitants were nomadic hunter-gatherers living off plants and animals, says a new research.
New York, Apr 26 (ANI): The place that Holly Golighty (Audrey Hepburn) called home in 1961 classic 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' has finally found a buyer.
London, April 25 (IANS) A mosquito from Asia that spreads tropical diseases, including dengue fever, may soon hit the shores of Britain because of climate change, experts have said.
New Delhi, Apr 24 (ANI): Envoys of twelve nations presented their credentials to the President Pratibha Devisingh Patil at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Tuesday.
New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) Welcoming the envoys of 12 countries, President Pratibha Patil Tuesday said it was very important to work together and have institutions in which the voices from developing countries find expression owing to the global financial crisis and developments in the Euro zone.
Mumbai, April 11 (IANS) Director duo Abbas-Mustan's multi-starrer thriller "Race 2" will be released Jan 25 next year. The makers promise more grandeur and thrill in the movie, a sequel to the 2008 movie "Race".
New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) President Pratibha Patil is undertaking what could possibly be her last foreign trip before she ends her five-year tenure in July - a 12-day trip to two African countries, Seychelles and South Africa.
