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Cyprus, a lovely island set in the midst of the Mediterranean Sea, is a country of Gothic mosques and Byzantine architecture, white sanded sea shores and frescoed monasteries, wine making villages and much more. The country however is slashed in two by a turbulent history and a troubled past. In 1974, the country was divided into Northern Cyprus with a predominant Turkish population and South Cyprus – which houses the Greek Cypriotes. Cyprus is yet to resolve its conflicts but still offers the visitor a moving and unique experience. From a capital which has the unfortunate distinction of being the only divided city in the world, to breathtaking beaches along the Mediterranean, Cyprus should not only prove a pleasant and enjoyable holiday, but also an education in itself

While in Cyprus, don’t forget to sip the intoxicating red wine- Commandaria, which is produced here and is also said to be one of the oldest wines in the world.

Historically Speaking

Cyprus is a country divided. Sandwiched between Africa in the south, Europe in the North and the Middle East on the other side, Cyprus has been prone to regular invasions. Tossed from the Pheonicians to the Egyptians to Alexander the Great, Cyprus finally landed in the lap of the Romans around 58 BC and stayed there for about half a century – perhaps one of the longest periods of stability the region enjoyed in that era. In the 7th century BC, Cyprus became the bone of contention between the Byzantines and the Moors. By the 15th century centuries the Venetians had Cyprus safely under their belt or so they thought. Not so, for the cantankerous Ottomans overthrew them, and ruled over this Mediterranean land for the next 300 years. But by the 19th century, the colonizing British were busy amassing an empire, and they thought Cyprus would make a good addition to the colony club comprising India and much of Africa and in 1925, made it a crown colony of theirs. Their plans didn’t go as smoothly as they had hoped, for the long subdued Cypriots revolted against foreign domination. But domestic divisions – namely the conflict between the Turkish population and the Greek – saw to it that peace would not come easy. The Greek people wanted that Cyprus should append itself to Greece after independence – something they called "enosis". But the Turks opposed this vehemently. It was as late as 1960 that Cyprus got independence from the British, and a rickety government was formed with a Greek as president and a Turk as vice president. Stability was far from achieved. Inter communal violence increased, divisions intensified and secessionist voices became louder and louder. In 1974, the Turkish national army invaded Cyprus and ultimately occupied the northern third of the island. There have been ineffectual peace talks now and then. Cyprus became a member of the European Union in 2004. Legally as the northern area is not recognized by the EU, the whole of Cyprus is part of the EU, though the fact of the matter is that the government is unable to control the northern occupied part of the country. To date efforts to reunite the island are continuing.

Habitat

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. There are two large mountain ranges on the island: the Kyrenian Mountains in North with their rocky, unbroken character and the abrupt Troodos Massif in the centre of the Republic. These are intercepted by the Mesaoria Plain – meaning "between the mountain" in Greek. Being the parched, dry land that it is Cyprus has no permanent rivers. The island has a couple of freshwater lakes and two major saltwater lakes. The plant life in Cyprus is wildly exotic, and some of its species are found nowhere else in the world. Cypress, cedar, juniper and pine cover vast expanses of land. Citrus fruit trees typify the Cypriot landscape. Much of the animal wild life has dwindled following development.