Cyprus Travel Podcast with Andreas Georgiou

Location

Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey; note - Cyprus views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both

Terrain

Central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast

Climate

Temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Elevation

Highest point

Mount Olympus 1,951 m

Lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Mean elevation

91 m

Area

Total

9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)

Land

9,241 sq km

Water

10 sq km

Size comparison

About 0.6 times the size of Connecticut

Coastline

648 km

Land borders

Total

156 km

Border sovereign base areas

Akrotiri 48 km; Dhekelia 108 km

Natural resources

Copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment

Land use

Agricultural land

14% (2023 est.)

Arable land

10.6% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

3.1% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

0.2% (2023 est.)

Forest

18.6% (2023 est.)

Other

67.1% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Moderate earthquake activity; droughts

Note

The third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia)

Population

Total

1,332,293 (2025 est.)

Male

681,128

Female

651,165

Nationality

Noun

Cypriot(s)

Adjective

Cypriot

Ethnic groups

Greek 98.8%, other 1% (includes Maronite, Armenian, Turkish-Cypriot), unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)

Languages

Languages

Greek (official) 80.9%, Turkish (official) 0.2%, English 4.1%, Romanian 2.9%, Russian 2.5%, Bulgarian 2.2%, Arabic 1.2%, Filipino 1.1%, other 4.3%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

Το Παγκόσμιο Βιβλίο Δεδομένων, η απαραίτητη πηγή βασικών πληροφοριών. (Greek)

Religions

Eastern Orthodox Christian 89.1%, Roman Catholic 2.9%, Protestant/Anglican 2%, Muslim 1.8%, Buddhist 1%, other (includes Maronite Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Hindu) 1.4%, unknown 1.1%, none/atheist 0.6% (2011 est.)

Median age

Total

39.9 years (2025 est.)

Male

38.2 years

Female

41 years

Life expectancy

Total population

80.2 years (2024 est.)

Male

77.4 years

Female

83.1 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

67% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

0.76% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Population concentrated in central Nicosia and in the major cities of the south: Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca

Largest cities

269,000 NICOSIA (capital) (2018)

Background

A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 after 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 and forced most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot administered area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC), but it is recognized only by Turkey. A UN-mediated agreement to reunite Cyprus, the Annan Plan, failed to win approval from both communities in 2004. The most recent round of reunification negotiations was suspended in 2017 after failure to achieve a breakthrough.

The entire island joined the EU in 2004, although the EU acquis -- the body of common rights and obligations -- applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government and is suspended in the TRNC. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship have the same legal rights accorded to citizens of other EU states.

Government

Republic of Cyprus - presidential republic; self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC) - parliamentary republic with enhanced presidency

Capital

Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa)

Time zone

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Kypriaki Dimokratia (Greek)/ Kibris Cumhuriyeti (Turkish)

Independence

16 August 1960 (from the UK)

National day

Independence Day, 1 October (1960)

Overview

Services-based, high-income EU island economy; heavy tourism; sustained growth between recovery of national banking system and COVID-19 trade restrictions; high living standards; a known financial hub, its stock exchange functions as an investment bridge between EU-and EEU-member countries

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$53,300 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$52,200 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$51,600 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.8% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.5% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

5.7% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

6.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

6.9% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone and clay products

Agriculture

Milk, potatoes, sheep milk, pork, goat milk, wheat, chicken, olives, grapes, barley (2023)

Airports

14 (2025)

Ports

Total ports

6 (2024)

Large

0

Medium

0

Small

3

Very small

3

Ports with oil terminals

4

Key ports

Dhekelia, Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Xeros

Internet domain

.cy

Internet users

Percent of population 91% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

1.51 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

156 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

Scarce water resources; salination; water pollution from sewage, industrial wastes, and pesticides; coastal degradation; erosion; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization

Fresh water

780 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

1

Global geoparks and regional networks

Troodos (2023)