1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
temperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters
Coastline
648 km
Comparative area
about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Disputes
1974 hostilities divided the island into two de facto autonomous areas--a Greek area controlled by the Cypriot Government (60% of the island's land area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (35% of the island) that are separated by a narrow UN buffer zone; in addition, there are two UK sovereign base areas (about 5% of the island's land area)
Environment
moderate earthquake activity; water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, and most potable resources concentrated in the Turkish-Cypriot area)
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 40%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and woodland 18%; other 25%; includes irrigated 10% (most irrigated lands are in the Turkish-Cypriot area of the island)
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment
Terrain
central plain with mountains to north and south
Total area
9,250 km2; land area: 9,240 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
18 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Greek 78%; Turkish 18%; other 4%
Infant mortality rate
10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
Greek area--246,100; services 42%, industry 33%, agriculture 22%; Turkish area--NA (1989)
Language
Greek, Turkish, English
Life expectancy at birth
73 years male, 78 years female (1991)
Literacy
90% (male 96%, female 85%) age 10 and over can read and write (1976)
Nationality
noun--Cypriot(s); adjective--Cypriot
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
156,000 (1985 est.)
Population
709,343 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)
Religion
Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian, Apostolic, and other 4%
Total fertility rate
2.4 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos
Capital
Nicosia
Communists
about 12,000
Constitution
16 August 1960; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and to better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently; in 1975 Turkish Cypriots created their own Constitution and governing bodies within the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus, which was renamed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983; a new Constitution for the Turkish area passed by referendum in May 1985
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Michael E. SHERIFIS; Chancery at 2211 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-5772; there is a Cypriot Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Robert E. LAMB; Embassy at the corner of Therissos Street and Dositheos Street, Nicosia (mailing address is FPO New York 09530); telephone [357] (2) 4651511
Elections
President--last held 14 February and 21 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993); results--George VASSILIOU 52%, Glafcos CLERIDES 48%; House of Representatives--last held 8 December 1985 (next to be held 19 May 1991); results--DESY 33.56%, DEKO 27.65%, AKEL (Communist) 27.43%, EDEK 11.07%; seats--(56 total) DESY 19, DEKO 16, AKEL (Communist) 15, EDEK 6; Turkish Area: President--last held 22 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results--Rauf R. DENKTASH 66%, Ismail BOZKURT 32.05%; Turkish Area: Assembly of the Republic--last held 6 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results--UBP (conservative) about 55%, DMP NA%; seats--(50 total) UBP (conservative) 34, CTP (Communist) 7, TKP (center-right) 7, New Dawn Party 2
Executive branch
president, Council of Ministers (cabinet); note--there is a president, prime minister, and Council of Ministers (cabinet) in the Turkish area
Flag
white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities
Independence
16 August 1960 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court; note--there is also a Supreme Court in the Turkish area
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President George VASSILIOU (since February 1988); note--Rauf R. DENKTASH has been president of the Turkish area since 13 February 1975
Legal system
based on common law, with civil law modifications
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Representatives (Vouli Antiprosopon); note--there is a unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Cumhuriyet Meclisi) in the Turkish area
Long-form name
Republic of Cyprus
Member of
C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 October
Other political or pressure groups
United Democratic Youth Organization (EDON; Communist controlled); Union of Cyprus Farmers (EKA; Communist controlled); Cyprus Farmers Union (PEK; pro-West); Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation (PEO; Communist controlled); Confederation of Cypriot Workers (SEK; pro-West); Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions (Turk-Sen); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions (Dev-Is)
Political parties and leaders
Greek Cypriot--Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL; Communist Party), Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS, Democratic Rally (DESY), Glafcos CLERIDES; Democratic Party (DEKO), Spyros KYPRIANOU; United Democratic Union of the Center (EDEK), Vassos LYSSARIDES; Socialist Democratic Renewal Movement (ADESOK), Pavlos DINGLIS, chairman; Liberal Party, Nikos ROLANDIS; Turkish area--National Unity Party (UBP), Dervis EROGLU; Communal Liberation Party (TKP), Mustafa AKINCI; Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Ozker OZGUR; New Cyprus Party (NKP), Alpay DURDURAN; New Dawn Party (YDP), Ali Ozkan ALTINISHIK; Free Democratic Party, Ismet KOTAK; note--CTP, TKP, and YDP joined in the coalition Democratic Struggle Party (DMP) for the 22 April 1990 legislative election
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic; a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began after the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified following the Turkish invasion of the island in July 1974, which gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktash declared independence and the formation of a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which has been recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly call for the resolution of intercommunal differences and creation of a new federal system of government
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 7% of GDP and employs 22% of labor force; major crops--potatoes, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, and citrus fruits; vegetables and fruit provide 25% of export revenues
Budget
revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $178 million (1989 est.)
Currency
Cypriot pound (plural--pounds) and in Turkish area, Turkish lira (plural--liras); 1 Cypriot pound (5C) = 100 cents and 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $292 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $230 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $62 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $24 million
Electricity
620,000 kW capacity; 1,770 million kWh produced, 2,530 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Cypriot pounds (5C) per US$1--0.4325 (December 1990), 0.4572 (1990), 0.4933 (1989), 0.4663 (1988), 0.4807 (1987), 0.5167 (1986), 0.6095 (1985); in Turkish area, Turkish liras (TL) per US$1--2,873.9 (December 1990), 2,608.6 (1990), 2,121.7 (1989), 1,422.3 (1988), 857.2 (1987), 674.5 (1986), 522.0 (1985)
Exports
$770 million (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--citrus, potatoes, grapes, wine, cement, clothing and shoes; partners--UK 23%, Greece 10%, Lebanon 9%, Saudi Arabia 4%
External debt
$2.2 billion (1990)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$5.4 billion, per capita $7,960; real growth rate 5.5% (1990)
Imports
$2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, food and feed grains, machinery; partners--France 12%, UK 11%, Japan 11%, Italy 10%
Industrial production
growth rate 6.5% (1988); accounts for 27% of GDP
Industries
food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood products
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.5% (1990)
Overview
These data are for the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus (information on the northern Turkish-Cypriot area is sparse). The economy is small, diversified, and prosperous. Industry contributes about 25% to GDP and employs 35% of the labor force, while the service sector contributes about 55% to GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Rapid growth in exports of agricultural and manufactured products and in tourism have played important roles in the average 6% rise in GDP in recent years.
Unemployment rate
below 2% (1990)
Communications
Airports
13 total, 13 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
11 major transport aircraft
Highways
10,780 km total; 5,170 km bituminous surface treated; 5,610 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth
Merchant marine
1,169 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,310,063 GRT/34,338,028 DWT; 10 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 435 cargo, 76 refrigerated cargo, 20 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 48 container, 4 multifunction large load carrier, 111 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 8 liquefied gas, 17 chemical tanker, 30 combination ore/oil, 360 bulk, 2 vehicle carrier, 44 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; Cuba owns at least 25 of these ships, USSR owns 52, and Yugoslavia owns 1
Ports
Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos
Telecommunications
excellent in the area controlled by the Cypriot Government (Greek area), moderately good in the Turkish-Cypriot administered area; 210,000 telephones; stations--14 AM, 7 (7 repeaters) FM, 2 (40 repeaters) TV; tropospheric scatter circuits to Greece and Turkey; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations--INTELSAT, 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, and EUTELSAT systems
Military and Security
Branches
Greek area--Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG; includes air and naval elements), Greek Cypriot Police; Turkish area--Turkish Cypriot Security Force
Defense expenditures
$209 million, 5% of GDP (1990 est.) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 182,426; 125,839 fit for military service; 5,169 reach military age (18) annually