The island of Cyprus is situated in the eastern Mediterranean sea, at the crossroads of three continents linking Europe with the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean. By air it is only one hour away from Athens, Egypt and Israel, two hours from Kuwait, three hours from Moscow and four hours away from London and most European destinations. The strategic location of the island has played an important role in its development into an international business centre.
The estimated population of Cyprus is about 870,000, of which 85.7% consists of the Greek Cypriot community, including Armenians, Maronites and Latins, 11.1% of the Turkish Cypriot community whilst the remaining 3.2% is made up of foreign residents. The official languages of the Republic are Greek and Turkish while English is widely spoken.
The one hundred years rule of the island by Britain, with the influence of the people visiting for tourism or for business, has helped to create a unique blend of Greek and European culture in Cyprus. The structure of the government is similar to other western democracies where human rights, political pluralism and private property are safeguarded. Under the 1960 Constitution, executive power is vested in a President elected for a five-year term of office by universal suffrage and exercised through a Council of Ministers appointed by him. The House of Representatives is the legislative organ of the Republic. The administration of justice is exercised by the Judiciary, which is a separate and independent body. Cyprus has an open free market; the economy is driven by the service and tourism sectors and an export-oriented industry.
The success of Cyprus as a stable, economically strong country is demonstrated by the socio-economic indicators. Inflation has remained relatively low over the years, as have unemployment rates, whereas GNP growth rate and income per capita has remained relatively high. The economy has been growing at an annual rate of over 3.8% per cent, and the per capita is one of the highest in the EU region.
To find out more, please visit www.cyprus.gov.cy for government related information and www.visitcyprus.com for information about tourism.