Cyprus is now an independent Eastern Mediterranean island State that joined the European Union in 2004 and entered the euro zone in 2008.

Cyprus has always been an integral part of ellinism. Elinist culture has reached the island immediately after the Trojan war, when the Akheis, assimilation of autochthons, so-called " Etheokirots " , landed here. Since then, the island has been saturated by Greeks.

Cyprus is located east of Greece (from the border with Turkey on the island of Castellorizo), south of Turkey and west of Syria. That's it. Third largest island of the Mediterranean Sea after Sicilia and Sardinia. Geographically, Cyprus can be considered as an island belonging to South-Eastern Europe or South-West Asia. But because Cyprus is historically, culturally and economically linked to Europe and, in particular, Greece (the Republic of Cyprus is the second Greek State), it belongs to the West and Europe, respectively. It is now a south-east end not only of the European Union but of Europe as a whole.

The official languages are Greek and Turkish. Moreover, as Cyprus has long been a British colony, the use of English is widespread on the island.

The inhabitants of Cyprus, by descent, language, culture and religion, belong to one of the two communities referred to in article 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, Greek or Turkish.

Most of the island ' s population, including three recognized religious groups - Maronites, Armenians and Latins (Catholics), per 75.5 per cent belongs to the Greek Cypriot community♪ The number of people under the control of the Republic of Cyprus, according to the end of 2011, reached 838.897 inhabitants, 21.4 per cent of whom are foreign nationals.

Ethnic Greeks profess Orthodox Christianity. There are over 500 temples and 9 monasteries on the island.

As a result of the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the continuing illegal occupation of the northern part of the island, 200,000 Greek Cypriots were forced to leave their homes, become refugees in their own country and settled in the south of the island. At the same time, Turkish Cypriots, as well as large numbers of settlers, were settled in the northern part of the island occupied by Turkey, which was unilaterally declared in 1983 by an independent State called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRC).

The TRNC is not recognized by an independent State by any UN Member State other than Turkey itself.

The capital of Cyprus and the largest city of Levkosia, Nigeria, are located at the centre of the island. The city is divided by the so-called Green Line: the town blocks north of it are controlled by the Republic of Turkey Northern Cyprus♪