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Cyprus
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The Island of Love and Romance!
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The Birthplace of Aphrodite,the Greek goddess of love
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Strategic location on the crossroads of 3 continents (Europe, Asia and Africa)
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Member of the EU and the Eurozone
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Sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, green valleys, mountainous villages, 340 days of sunshine
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It has the world's oldest wine label - the famous Koumantaria
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Cyprus haloumi is the real deal
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Low Coast Living
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Good roads/highways
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One of the most beneficial tax regimes
Geography
Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean (after the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia) and the world's 80th largest island by area. It is located south of Asia Minor, the Anatolian peninsula of the Asian (or Eurasian) mainland (part of Turkey), so it may be included in Western Asia or the Middle East. Cyprus is close to Southern Europe, and Northern Africa, and has had lengthy periods of mainly Greek and intermittent Anatolian, Levantine, Byzantine, Turkish, and Western European influence.
The island is dominated by two mountain ranges, the Troodos Mountains and the Kyrenia Mountains or Pentadaktylos, and the central plain, the Mesaoria, between them.
Area: Total: 9,250 km2 / Land: 9,240 km2 / Water: 10 km2 Coastline: 648 km
Climate
The Mediterranean climate, warm and rather dry, with rainfall mainly between November and March, favors agriculture. In general, the island experiences mild wet winters and dry hot summers. Variations in temperature and rainfall are governed by altitude and, to a lesser extent, distance from the coast. Hot, dry summers from mid-May to mid-September and rainy, rather changeable winters from November to mid-March are separated by short autumn and spring seasons.
Cyprus Economy
The economy of Cyprus is classified by the World Bank as a high-income economy, and was included by the International Monetary Fund in its list of advanced economies in 2001.Erratic growth rates in the 1990s reflected the economy's vulnerability to swings in tourist arrivals, caused by political instability on the island and fluctuations in economic conditions in Western Europe.
On 1 January 2008, the country adopted the euro as its official currency, replacing the Cypriot pound at an irrevocable fixed exchange rate of CYP 0.585274 per EUR 1.00.
Nicosia is the island's financial hub
Currency1 euro (ευρώ) = 100 cents (σεντ)
Trade organisations: European Union, WTO
Culture & Traditions
A lot of the traditions are celebrated on religious holidays and seasonal festivals.
EASTER (PASCHA): The biggest festival on the Greek Orthodox calendar, Easter is taken very seriously in Cyprus
CHRISTMAS: Greek Orthodox Cypriots celebrate the birth of Christ on the 25th December unlike the Russians who consider Christmas 2 weeks later due to the use of the Julian calendar.
KATAKLISMOS: At the beginning of June every year the festival of Kataklismos or the Water Festival is celebrated. This results in a long weekend and it is celebrated 50 days after the Greek Orthodox Easter.
CARNIVAL: The origin of the carnival dates back to ancient Greece and it is said that carnivals were organize in honor of the Greek god Dionysus.
GREEN MONDAY: Green Monday "Kathara Deftera" is another public holiday were the Greek Cypriots celebrate the start of the 50 days fast before Easter. Families get together and usually organize picnics in the beautiful forests or on the beach were they eat only vegetarian dishes.
WINE FESTIVAL
The wine festival has been held from ancient times in honor of Dionysus who was the god of Wine and Aphrodite or Venus the goddess of love.
FOOD
Food is at the centre of many customs and traditions in Cyprus, starting with the regular family meals. These are centred around the Souvla (σούβλα) a Cypriot style barbecue, where large pieces of pork are slowly cooked on a rotating spit for up to 3 hours. Souvla is often eaten on a Sunday.
There are many foods which are traditional made and eaten at certain times of the year. At Easter, Cypriots make a specific type of bread or pastry called Flaouna (φλαούνα) which is made to celebrate the breaking of fasting period during lent.