Today Cyprus is an independent sovereign republic with a presidential form of government. The capital of Cyprus for the past ten centuries, is the largest city of the island - Nicosia. As a former British colony of Cyprus is part of the Commonwealth. The population of Cyprus is 730 thousand people annually to this number added to one million tourists.
The ethnic composition of the population - the Greek Cypriots including Maronites, Armenians and Latins (85%), Turkish-Cypriots (13%) and others (2%). The official languages of the island - Greek and Turkish. Almost every Cypriot speaks English, many - in French and German.
Cyprus - the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (area - 9251 square meters. Miles, the maximum length from east to west - 241 km from north to south - 100 km). The whole of Cyprus can drive around in a car for one day - so any tour of the island seems a cakewalk, moderate prices of excursions (15 to 40 dollars), making them more accessible. The island is located in the north-eastern Mediterranean basin, at a distance of 380 miles from Egypt, 105 km from Syria and 75 km from Turkey. The Greek mainland is 800 km to the west. The nearest Greek islands - Rhodes and Karpasos.
Cyprus bizarre silhouette, it looks like a frozen lizard in the sun. Cypriots compare the contours of the island from falling into the sea of golden-emerald leaves of the tree. The coastal line of the north island is indented and rocky, and in the south is covered with long sandy coasts. When approaching the island by plane can be seen numerous coves and bays, the dark green of the valleys in the mountains brown frame.
Mountains (resembling mountains of the Crimea), covered almost half of the island. The northern coastal plain with olive and carob trees are limited to a steep and narrow mountain range of limestone ridges of the North, in which five sharp peaks Mount Pentadaktylos released (translated from Greek means "five-fingered"), at a height of 1024 m above sea level.
In the south-west is an extensive Troodos mountain range, covered with pine, dwarf oak, cypress and cedar. It is the top of Olympus, the height of 1952 m above sea level. This is the highest mountain of the island. Between the two mountain ranges lies the fertile valley of Mesaoorii (east) and more fertile basin Morphou (west). The island has two saltwater lakes. The total forest area is about 20% of the territory of Cyprus, the total area of arable land - about 47%.
According to doctors, the world is not too many places with such a healthy Mediterranean climate, as in Cyprus. The island has 330 sunny days a year, but the holiday season - from May to November. The sun is particularly abundant in the period from April to September, when the duration of bright sunshine up to 11 hours a day. With the onset of "winter" resort life fades. The authorities carefully monitor the environment, and therefore the air and the sea is extremely clean.
Spring comes to Cyprus in February. The mountain slopes are covered with bright yellow-green carpet of grass with red, white, blue and purple speckled flowers. In the valleys of green fields, vineyards and gardens come alive. The air is saturated with the fragrance of lemon trees and jasmine. Turbulent flow of the river pulled out of the mountain gorges and overflow their banks.
Hot, dry summers starting in mid-May and lasts until October. Summer in Cyprus - it is time to painful heat, the thermometer in the shade are often rising to 40 ° C. All nature fades: fade and burn the grass, almost all the rivers dry up. Under the Cyprus sun, even in October, burn more easily than under the Crimean in July. Back on smearing yogurt international resorts are not accepted, but to sculpt the nose to the fig leaf - reception is quite international. If you dive into the sea with a mask - most of all burns in the sun that part of the body, which comes into contact with rubber. You can suffer, and from sea urchins - the wounds of their sharp needles for a long time does not heal.
The first rains (they are in Cyprus, waiting with great impatience) notify the onset of autumn. Autumn on this wonderful island is quite different from ours. The slopes of the mountains once again put on a lush green landscape, flowering cyclamen, hyacinths, carnations and buttercups. Winter in Cyprus is also unusual: the air temperature rarely drops below 15 ° C. The coldest month of the year - January. Nature in Cyprus winter rainy and changeable - sunny days interspersed with heavy rains and overcast skies. Rivers overflow with water and overflows.
Snow falls only in Cyprus, in the mountains of Troodos and stays in December and April, it is enough for skiing. Ironically, on the island are many skiers, ice skates, hockey and other winter sports. And just a dozen kilometers from Troodos snow caps on the coast, fringed with shady palm trees and eucalyptus trees, is a dry sunny weather - Cyprus "Indian Summer"! Not warm spoiled inhabitants of northern countries, are swimming in the sea, and in this time of year, although the water temperature does not exceed 17-18 ° C.
History
Ancient history of the island dates back to VII century BC. From the first settlers in Cyprus stayed boulders mysterious inscription, which has not yet been deciphered. At the beginning of the II millennium BC, the Greeks appeared on the island. They founded the Cyprus-rich cities of the kingdom on the model of the ancient Greek city of Mycenae, bringing with them Greek religion and Greek life. The Greek state form of the device existed in Cyprus before the era of the Romans.
The name of the island comes from the Latin root «cuprum» - copper. Untold natural riches - deposits of copper and iron reserves emerald cypress and pine forests, groves of olive trees and sugar cane plantations, strange fruits and vegetables have always done Cyprus lure for foreigners. BC, the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Assyrians and Persians successively established their rule in Cyprus, the poetic calling it a "country of the setting sun." Alexander of Macedonia finally liberated the island from invaders, but after the collapse of his empire Cyprus became a province of the Empire, Ptolemaic Egypt, and later, from 58 BC came to the Romans. In 330 AD, after the collapse of the Roman Empire, the island became part of Byzantium. Since then, Cyprus shared the fate of the Greek Orthodox world.
During the Crusades Cyprus was conquered by Richard the Lionheart on the way to the Holy Land. Richard gave the Knights Templar it, and they, in turn, - Luizinyanam from France, who founded the kingdom in the island on the western feudal model (1192-1489). The last queen of this kingdom gave ownership of the island of the Venetian Republic. In 1571 the island was conquered by the Turks and went into the power of the Ottoman Empire. Under the authority of the Turkish Cyprus was more than three centuries.
In 1878, Cyprus, Turkey granted the United Kingdom in exchange for the promise of her aid in case of war with Russia. Prior to 1959, Cyprus was a British colony. August 16, 1960, after the liberation struggle of the Greek-Cypriots, Cyprus was proclaimed an independent state - the Republic. The first president of the island republic was Archbishop Makarios.
In July 1974 the Greek military junta raised an armed rebellion against the Government of Makarios. Turkey took advantage of the moment. Under the pretext of protecting the Turkish Cypriots, it occupied 37% of the territory of Cyprus, who illegally holds to this day. More than twenty years of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkish troops divided: in the north live the Turks, and in the south - the Greeks. Between the territories of 180 kilometers stretching the "green line" along which the UN troops are deployed.
Come to Cyprus in February and May! A great variety of wild flowers enlivens meadows and fields: tulips, gladioli, irises, orchids. In the thickets of grass you can find lilies in the mountains - alpine violets. In the heat of summer holiday floral dress will disappear and turn into dry meadows of yellow-brown area only oleander and bluebell will bloom until fall. Cyprus - a country of enchanting natural beauty and great variety of climates and landscapes. The geomorphology of the island helped to create a wide range of climatic zones, from polualpiyskoy zone at the top of Troodos to humid climate coasts.
On Mount Olympus offering magnificent views of Cyprus: the picturesque valley of bright green, emerald forests and vineyards on the slopes of the mountains, city blocks, terraces sloping down to small coves, wild gorges of the rocks, winding shore fast mountain rivers. In Cedar Grove foot of one of the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus's oldest cedar grows: he more than 800 years. Cyprus lies at the crossroads of routes between three continents, so it has a very rich flora and fauna with elements of all three continents that surround it. Thanks to the isolation of the island of Cyprus here and there are many endemic species of plants and animals.
One of the main natural resources of the island - the famous Cypriot forests. In ancient times, Cyprus was covered with impenetrable forests. Ships built of Cyprus pine and cedar, considered the best in the Mediterranean. Now forests are mainly on the slopes of the mountains and framed by a narrow strip of coastline. In Cyprus - several species of pines (Aleppo and the Troodos, which covers the highest peaks of the Troodos), oaks (golden oak, dwarf, and even the stone with small spiny leaves), outlandish strawberry trees, giant cactus, endemic species of cypress, juniper, sycamore, alder and cedar.
The flora of Cyprus is particularly rich in endemic species of shrubs and seasonal flowers, which form a unique botanical, natural, and aesthetic heritage of the island and make the island a kind of "botanical paradise". From the very beginning of education, 20 million years ago, Cyprus was an island. Arrival of animals on the island has been studied by experts for many years. According to information gathered, first arrived on the island of hippos and elephants, as well swim. They came to Cyprus 1.5 million years ago and, except shrews and mice, were the only mammals who live on the island until its settlement by man (9000 years ago).
In Cyprus - about 350 species of birds. The birds use the island as a base migrating from Europe to Africa and back, as there is evidence from the time of Homer. At Salt Lake, near the town of Larnaca, you can admire the pink flamingos that arrive here each year from the distant Caspian Sea. Of marine animals the most fun - seals and turtles. The once-common type of sea lions - Monk Seal is no longer breeds in the coastal zone and in the caves of the island. Two species of sea turtles - Cheloniz mydas (pelenaya turtle) and Caretta caretta breeding freely on the sandy beaches of the island under the protection of the law not only tourists, but they themselves Cypriots dream of seeing the graceful mountain sheep - the Cypriot mouflon. This very rare species of animals inhabit the high mountains and rarely catches the eye of the people.
In Cyprus, you can always enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables at every step of growing lemons, tangerines and oranges. Harvest is harvested several times a year. In the autumn ripening apples, pears, plums, apricots, peaches, figs, grapes, olives, sweet fruits of the carob tree. Harvested in early spring vegetables. In the summer of mature watermelons, melons and bananas. As winter begins collecting oranges, grapefruit, almonds and vegetables again.
Culture
Due to complex historical fate of Cyprus became a focal point of various cultures and civilizations, each of them contributed to the formation of distinctive national identity in Cyprus. Here you can see the remains of Stone Age settlements, Greek gymnasia and temples, Roman villas, and theaters, Byzantine churches and monasteries, Crusader castles and Venetian fortresses, Gothic churches and Turkish mosques.
Past studies of archaeologists in Cyprus have opened a number of settlements of the first inhabitants of the island during the Neolithic. The oldest of them (6800 BC) is located 60 km southwest of Nicosia near the modern village Hirokitiya. The abundance of finds the settlement is the most unique monuments of the Neolithic. It found more than one hundred uleobraznyh dwellings with conical roofs.
Rich material for the study of life in Cyprus in the Bronze Age (2600-1000 years BC) discovered during the excavation of numerous cemeteries. The most interesting monument of the Bronze Age - a necropolis Vunus (III millennium BC) near the village of Bellapays in northern Cyprus. Graves cemetery are carved into the rock around the camera. By the time of the Late Bronze Age (1600-1000 years BC) finds include a number of the modern village of Engomi, near Famagusta. It excavated a large part of the settlement Engomi, which was the capital of Cyprus in the XVI-XII centuries BC, and bore the name Alas.
Near the modern village of Vouni in the northwestern part of the island was excavated one of the most interesting architectural complexes of ancient Cyprus - the palace of the middle of I millennium BC, the period of struggle against the Cypriots of the Persian kings. The palace consists of a parade, and living quarters, lobby groups, sanctuaries, kitchens, baths, pantries and a large courtyard, surrounded on three sides by colonnaded porticoes.
In the south-west of the island, near the village of Kukla, where there was a Old Paphos - the capital of Cyprus in the V century BC - found the famous sanctuary of Aphrodite. However, from the monument of sacral architecture Cyprus remained only the ruins of the foundations and some architectural fragments. The wealth of Paphos, which reached the highest peak in the Roman period, demonstrates the "Villa of Dionysos» (III century AD). This is a large complex of Roman urban villa. Name villa was discovered thanks to her wonderful floor mosaics depicting scenes from the life of the Greek god Dionysus. Not far from the port of Paphos was found "the house of Theseus" - the remains of the foundations of a large palace, which had the suite, spacious living and ceremonial rooms, the floors were decorated with mosaic panels from pieces of colored stone. The house is named for the widely known magnificent mosaic depicting the battle of Theseus with the Minotaur.
A few kilometers east of Paphos, the remnants of the old sanctuary of Apollo Gilat (VIII century BC). There were framed by colonnades religious buildings, facilities for the pilgrims and the palaestra, in which the sports were held in honor of Apollo. Two kilometers east of the sanctuary of Apollo on the coast of excavated ruins of Kourion, one of the oldest cities of Cyprus. Life began here in the Mycenaean era, but the town reached in the Roman period. Preserved theater of Kourion, which could hold 3500 spectators. Here every summer are organized presentation of ancient tragedies and comedies.
Numerous monuments of ancient art discovered at Salamis, which in IV-VII centuries AD was the capital of Cyprus, as in the I century BC - a major center of Cyprus trade with the East. Some buildings at Salamis, scientists have attributed to the early Christian times. Here, in particular, the excavated foundations of the oldest in Cyprus basilica of IV century and "the tomb of St. Catherine" in the necropolis of Salamis.
National characteristics
Cypriots are distinguished hospitality and good location for people. Russian tourists in Cyprus feel particularly comfortable. This is due, apparently, historical ties that exist between our two peoples, and last but not least, common roots of Orthodox Christianity. Indeed, Cyprus has become one of the first states that have adopted the religion. Christian pilgrims island attracts an abundance of extant Christian shrines. The majority of Cypriots profess Orthodox Christianity, the smaller part - Islam.
For Cyprus traditional siesta (afternoon rest during the hottest time of day), which is observed in May and September. The main routes on the island - cars and buses. The average cost of travel by bus to a distance of 25 miles - 55 cents. Traffic here drive on the left. Recognized international and foreign driver's license. There are plenty of rental cars.
Cypriots widely ekportiruyut clothing, footwear, leather goods, a variety of vegetables, potatoes, citrus fruits, grapes and famous wines. Cyprus wines are considered the oldest in the world, they are mentioned already in the "Iliad" of Homer. A bottle of wine of 0.75 liters is 0.8-2.5 lbs. According to historical chronicles, the Cyprus wines favored by the ancient Romans.