CYPRUS

Hello! I am Carlos and I am Cypriot. In my country (Cyprus) the official languages are Greek in the south and Turkish in the north part and we use the euro like currency. Our capital city is Nicosia and the population of the country is about 0.8 million. Cyprus is the largest island in the eastern Mediterranean and is situated south of Turkey. The total area of the island is 9 250 km². My government is a republic and we are members of the European Union since 2004.
The island’s main economic activities are tourism, clothing and craft exports and merchant shipping. Traditional local dishes include the meze – a selection of appetizers served as a main dish, halloumi cheese and the zivania schnapps.











ST.SOPHIE( Nicosia)

Cyprus was the site of early Phoenician and Greek colonies. For centuries its rule passed through many hands. It fell to the Turks in 1571, and a large Turkish colony settled on the island. It was declared a Crown colony in 1925. In 1955, a guerrilla war against British rule was launched by the National Organization of Cypriot Combatants (EOKA). In 1958, Greek Cypriot nationalist leader Archbishop Makarios began calling for Cypriot independence rather than union with Greece. During this period, Turkish Cypriots began demanding that the island be partitioned between the Greek and Turkish populations. Cyprus became an independent nation on 1960.

Cyprus is well known as the island of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, who, according to legend, was born here. In modern literature, names such as Costas Montis (poet and writer) and Demetris Gotsis (writer) stand out, while Evagoras Karageorgis and Marios Tokas are well known for their musical compositions.








Evagoras Karageorgis