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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 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.

• Cyprus is known as 'the playground of the gods', and for good reason too! Aphrodite is said to have risen out of the water near Paphos.
• Archaeological evidence suggests that people first lived on the island of Cyprus 10,000 years ago.
• Cyprus was once the wealthiest nation in the known world. It was during the Copper and Bronze Ages when the island's rich natural copper resources were exported to other countries.
• The English crusader king - King Richard the Lionheart - wed Queen Joanna at Limassol Castle on May 12, 1191. To this day it is the only foreign venue at which an English Royal Wedding has been hosted.
• Famagusta was once the richest city in the known world during the reign of the Franks and the Venetians.
• There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cyprus - Paphos, the Painted Churches in the Troodos Region and Choirokoitia.
• The Neolithic settlement of Choirkoitia is one of the most important Neolithic sites in Europe.
• Cyprus is a divided country. A UN buffer zone (known as the Green Line) separates the self-declared Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Greek controlled South.
• There are two British military zones in Cyprus. Known as Sovereign Base Areas, the two zones are a legacy of the British occupation of Cyprus which ended in 1960.
• Cyprus Independence Day is celebrated on 1st October.
• The Byzantine Museum in Nicosia holds the largest collection of Byzantine Art in Cyprus.
• Stavrouvouni Monastery in the Troodos Mountains is the oldest monastic site in Cyprus. It was founded in the 4th century by St Helena.
• The Sanctuary of Apollo Ylatis near Kourion, which was built in the 5th Century BC, is the largest & one of the most important historic religious sites in Cyprus.
• Cyprus became a province of the Roman Empire in 45AD, and was the first country to be governed by a Christian. GEOGRAPHY / GEOLOGY / NATURE
• Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is now the only capital in the world to be divided between two nations - North Cyprus & South Cyprus.
• Cyprus is one of Europe's most southerly ski resorts.
• 371 species of bird can be seen on the island of Cyprus. Most are migratory birds and are seen during spring and autumn.
• In geological term Cyprus is an ophiolite. It rose out of the sea around 20 million years ago.
• Cyprus is home to 20 rare species of orchid.
• There are more than 1950 species of flowering plant in Cyprus, 140 of which are found nowhere else in the world.
• 260 species of fish circle the warm Mediterranean waters around Cyprus.
• Cyprus is one of only a few places in the world where Green Turtles & Loggerhead Turtles nest.
• Cyprus is the easternmost island in the Mediterranean Sea.
• The Cyprus Mufflon is a wild sheep that is found in the Troodos & Paphos mountains. It exists nowhere else in the world.
• More than 45 beaches on Cyprus have been awarded the EU Blue Flag for cleanliness & safety.
• The highest peak in the Troodos Mountain Range is Mount Olympus, which reaches up to 6402ft above sea level.
• Around 10,000 Greater Flamingos temporarily stop over to feed at the salt lakes near Larnaca Airport every autumn during their migration south to warmer climes. ECONOMY
• Southern Cyprus joined the European Union on May 1st 2004.
• The major industries that contribute to the Cypriot economy are tourism, fruit & vegetables, wine, cement, clothing and shoes
• The population of Cyprus is around 807,000. This includes around 141,000 Turkish Cypriots in the North.
• The standard rate of VAT in Cyprus is 8% PEOPLE / CULTURE & FOOD
• Lefkara Lace is produced in Cyprus.
• Kolokasi is a speciality root vegetable grown on Cyprus. It is a type of sweet potato.
• Commandaria is a sweet red wine produced in Cyprus. It is reputed to be the oldest wine in the world.
• During August every year the villages in Cyprus host the August Village Festivals. At least 20 villages take part.
• George Michael (musician/pop singer), Fatima Whitbread (Olympic athlete) and Muzzy Izzet (English premiership soccer player) were all born in Cyprus. SPORTS/ART & ENTERTAINMENT
• Marcos Baghdatis, one of the most talented junior tennis players in the world, comes from Cyprus. See Tennis in Cyprus.
• The first sporting contact between Turkey and Cyprus since the 1974 Turkish invasion was a Champions League 2nd round qualifying match between Famagusta Anothosis and Trabzonspor on July 26th 2005. Famagusta won 3-1.
• There are only 4 golf courses in Cyprus.
• A round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) has taken place in Cyprus every year since 2000.
• The largest freshwater fish caught in Cyprus was a 31lb 4oz Mirror Carp. It was caught in the Dhypotamos reservoir between Larnaka and Limassol.
• Ayia Napa in Eastern Cyprus is one of the most popular nightclub districts in Europe.
• The Cyprus International Opera Festival is held every July. It takes place in a number of venues across the island.
• The only horse racetrack in Cyprus can be found in Nicosia. Approximately 60 race meets are held here throughout the year. OTHER FACTS
• One of the world's most famous shipwrecks lies off the Cypriot coast near Limassol Harbour. The Zenobia, with its cargo of vehicles, sunk in 1980.
• Traffic in Cyprus drives on the left-side of the road.
• For international calls, the telephone dialling code for Cyprus is 357.
• Cyprus has two international airports - one at Larnaca and the other at Paphos.
• Life expectancy of men in Cyprus is 76; life expectancy of women in Cyprus is 80.
• Crime rate is very low in Cyprus, making it one of the safest places in the world to live.

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