General

The coast of Cyprus is indented and rocky in the north, with long sandy beaches and numerous coves in the south. The northern coastal plains are covered with olive and carob trees and backed by the steep limestone Pentadaktylos mountain range, which rises to a height of 1024 meters. In the south the extensive Troodos massif, covered with pine, dwarf oak, cypress and cedar trees, culminates in the peak of Mount Olympus, 1953 meters above sea level. Between the two ranges lies the fertile Mesaoria plain.

Over the years, Cyprus has succeeded in consolidating its position as one of the European Union’s most advantageous international financial and business centres. Its unique geographical position serves as a natural bridge linking Europe, Africa and Asia and has assumed an even greater importance following the country’s accession to the European Union in 2004 and the European Monetary Union in 2008. Moreover, the fact that Cyprus has traditionally established strong political, economic, trade, investment and cultural ties with Europe and many countries in its region and beyond, sets it apart as a location of choice for entrepreneurs wishing to establish their business on the island or use it as a hub to access the European Market.

The people of Cyprus are highly educated, as well as multilingual. The country has more university graduates per capita than anywhere else in Europe. With one of the youngest populations in Europe the island offers universal education, with primary and secondary education being compulsory for all children.

While Cyprus is a Greek–speaking nation, English is almost universally spoken and written and is the language of international business on the island. German, French and Russian speakers are commonly found due to the high number of Cypriot graduates of overseas universities and the island’s increasing commercial ties with the global business community.

Life is meant to be enjoyed in Cyprus and the island is renowned for its excellent quality of life. Cyprus makes a refreshing change from other busy, chaotic and high-cost locations and offers a diverse range of high-end shopping, cultural and leisure activities.

The Cypriot cuisine is a unique blend of Greek and Arabic food and is famous for its delicious Mediterranean qualities. The island is the home of Halloumi cheese and meze, a multi-course meal designed to be shared, preferably at an open-air taverna at vine-shaded tables. This beautiful island plays host to a wealth of contrasts: it is a country where east meets west; where traditions still play an important role in society but where life is never stuck in the past.

Legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, this beautiful Mediterranean island is blessed with some of the most stunning scenery in the region as well as a warm, sunny climate. From April to September visitors can count on an average of 11 hours of sunshine per day and Cyprus enjoys around 340 days of glorious sunshine a year and a coastline teeming with endless stretches of golden sands, secluded bays and rocky coves, all surrounded by the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Apart from the sun and the sea that attract the vast majority of Cyprus tourists every year, the island is rich in natural resources such as minerals and metals. Today there are some 250 quarries extracting materials such as sand, limestone, gypsum, building stone and clay for the domestic market and bentonite, marble, ochre and umber for export. In the meantime, Cyprus has recently initiated exploration of certain areas off its coastline, after studies showed a high possibility of finding petroleum and natural gas beneath the seabed.

The flora of Cyprus is unique and constitutes a truly outstanding botanical heritage. With an estimated 1800 species of flowering plants, 8% of which are found only on the island, it is a paradise for botanists.

The arrival of animals on the island has long been a subject of fascination for zoologists. Evidence suggests that the first animals were pigmy hippopotami and elephants, which swam to Cyprus some 1.5 million years ago. Apart from certain species of mice and shrew, they remained the only inhabitants of the island until the arrival of man.

The largest wild animal found on the island is the moufflon (Ovis orientalis ophion), a rare type of mountain goat unique to Cyprus.

Each year Cyprus is used as a stopping off point by millions of migrating birds travelling between Europe and Africa, something that has been observed since Homeric times. The island’s two salt lakes at Larnaca and Akrotiri attract the birds.

Other seasonal visitors to the island include the Greek and loggerhead turtles (Chelonia mydas and Caretta - Caretta), which travel to the island’s sandy beaches each year in order to lay their eggs.