Cyprus

The republic of Cyprus is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean, located 90km south of Turkey and 100km west of Syria. Measuring 225km from northeast to southwest and 85km from northwest to southeast, it has an area of 9251 km² and a population of 1.1 million inhabitants. Cyprus has been inhabited since the the 10th millennium BC and was first settled by Greeks in the 2nd millenium BC. It was subsequently ruled by the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, French, Venetians, Ottomans and finally became a British colony in the 20th century. After independence in 1960, the northern section of the island was occupied by the Turks in 1974 and a separate state of Northern Cyprus was carved out. Nowadays Cyprus is a member state of the European Union with a wealthy economy. Due to its natural and historical attractions it receives a large number of tourists every year (2.6 million in 2015). The capital of Cyprus and its largest city is Nicosia.