Kypros
Cyprus, sometimes spelled Kypros, is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, 70 miles south of Turkey.
(Kypros is a straight transliteration of the Greek name Κυπρος; Cyprus is a Latinized version of the name.)
The Republic of Cyprus is the internationally recognized government of most of the island, but controls only the southern two-thirds of that territory. The northern third was occupied by Turkey in a 1974 invasion, which has since set up the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, though this government is not recognized by any country except Turkey. In the decades since the invasion, the northern third has become almost exclusively Turkish, and the southern two-thirds almost exclusively Greek, so the territories are now sometimes referred to as the "Greek part" and the "Turkish part" of Cyprus.
The other power with territory on Cyprus is the United Kingdom. Under the independence agreement, the UK retained title to two small areas on the southern coast of the island, around Dhekalia and Akrotiri. They are used to host military bases.
Negotiations have been ongoing for years to reunify the island, but have not as of yet seen substantial success. Barring a last-minute breakthrough, the 2004 admittance of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union will thus mean that effectively only the southern, Greek portion of the island will become part of the EU.
See also
Reference
- Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.
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