CYPRUS
A divided island

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Cyprus, officially Republic of Cyprus, island pop. 800,000, 9,267 sq km, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, c.60 km south of Turkey and c.100 km west of Syria. The capital and largest city is Nicosia. In addition to the capital, other important cities are Famagusta, Larnaca, Limassol and as a tourist centre Paphos.

Two mountain ranges traverse the island from east to west; the highest point is Mount Olympus (1,953 m), in the southwest. Between the ranges lies a wide plain, the chief agricultural region.

The island has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the northern part. Over three quarters of the population is Greek, generally occupies the southern sector of the country, and belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church. Less than 20% of the people are Turkish Muslims, mainly living in the northern region. In addition to Greek and Turkish, English is also widely spoken.