Cyprus Villas and Apartments

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Cyprus is the largest island in the Mediterranean and has an area of 3,572 square miles (9,251 square kilometres) the climate with hot, dry in the summer and rainy in the winter, In the capital city of Nicosia, average daytime temperatures reach a maximum of 97o F (36o C), and the sun shines for more than 11 hours a day in the summer. During the winter, freezing temperatures can occur.

The average yearly rainfall is only 19 inches (48 centimetres) and every river is dry for at least part of the year the majority of Cypriots are of Greek descent.

Cyprus is deservedly called the "Island of Love"

Cyprus is an island of legends that basks year-round in the light of the warm Mediterranean sun. Everyone from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra stake their claim here - but then, people do tend to get  possessive when faced with such beauty. Aphrodite made her home on Cyprus, and travellers throughout antiquity came here just to pay her tribute. The people of Cyprus owe their individuality and warmth to the fact that they are the product of an amazingly colourful history. This sun drenched island a delight in having a good time is at the heart of the Cypriot personality. Observe the fun Cypriots have when they go out - perhaps in large family groups - to eat and drink, and you will see how important a lust for life is on this enchanted island. Get to know the people, and you will probably be invited back to a Cypriot home to enjoy a meal of meze. Then, you'll truly learn the meaning of the word hospitality. The north of the island is busy re-creating itself in the image of Turkey, changing names to Turkish and embracing the life and culture of its northern neighbour. The Republic is also trying to create an independent identity, and many places in the Republic have recently been renamed as well. Like everything else in Cyprus, religion is split along the Green Line. The northerners are mostly Sunni  Muslim, the southerners Greek Orthodox. Food, too, reflects the divide: in the North you'll find mostly Turkish cuisine; in the Republic, Greek. But wherever you are in Cyprus, you'll come across kleftiko (oven-baked lamb) and meze (dips, salads and other appetisers). Cyprus is also famous for its fruit. You'll find strawberries, stone fruit, melons, prickly pear, citrus and grapes. Many villages specialise in a particular art form, and as you travel around Cyprus you'll see pottery, silver and copperware, basket weaving, tapestry and Lefkara's famous lacework.

The main language is Greek, population is mainly Cypriot Orthodox Christians, and make up approximately 95 percent of the total population. Those of Turkish descent, a legacy from the Ottoman period, speak Turkish and are mostly Muslims. As a result of the Turkish invasion of 1974, most Greek Cypriots fled the northern part of the island and now live in the south. The island is primarily rural with Both Greek and Turkish being the official language.

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