Background:
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| A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to seize control of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. The election of a new Cypriot president in 2008 served as the impetus for the UN to encourage both the Turkish and Cypriot Governments to reopen unification negotiations. In September 2008, the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities started negotiations under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under direct government control, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states. |
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Location:
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| Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey
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Geographic coordinates:
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35 00 N, 33 00 E
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)
country comparison to the world: 177
land:
9,241 sq km
water:
10 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut
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Land boundaries:
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total: 150.4 km (approximately)
border sovereign base areas:
Akrotiri 47.4 km, Dhekelia 103 km (approximately)
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Coastline:
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648 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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Climate:
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temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
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Terrain:
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central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Mount Olympus 1,951 m
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Natural resources:
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copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment
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Land use:
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arable land: 10.81%
permanent crops:
4.32%
other:
84.87% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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400 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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0.4 cu km (2005)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.21 cu km/yr (27%/1%/71%)
per capita:
250 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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moderate earthquake activity; droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's largest aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution from sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia) |
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Population:
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| 796,740 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.1% (male 77,959/female 74,591)
15-64 years:
68.5% (male 276,890/female 269,267)
65 years and over:
12.3% (male 42,961/female 55,072) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 35.5 years
male:
34.5 years
female:
36.6 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.519% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
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Birth rate:
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12.57 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
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Death rate:
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7.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
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Net migration rate:
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0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 70% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.78 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 174
male:
8.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
4.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.33 years
country comparison to the world: 45
male:
75.91 years
female:
80.86 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.77 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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fewer than 1,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Cypriot(s)
adjective:
Cypriot
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Ethnic groups:
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Greek 77%, Turkish 18%, other 5% (2001)
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Religions:
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Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, other (includes Maronite and Armenian Apostolic) 4%
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Languages:
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Greek, Turkish, English
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
97.6%
male:
98.9%
female:
96.3% (2001 census)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 14 years
male:
13 years
female:
14 years (2006)
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Education expenditures:
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6.3% of GDP (2004)
country comparison to the world: 35
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