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Terms and Conditions Kings Palace Apartment - Paphos
A PRIVATELY OWNED, HIGH QUALITY, ONE
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GEOGRAPHY - LOCATIONS - CLIMATECyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily and Sardinia, with an area of 3.572 sq. miles (9.251 sq. kms). It is situated at the north-eastern corner of the Mediterranean, at a distance of 300 km north of Egypt, 90 km west of Syria, and 60 km south of Turkey. Greece lies 360 km north-west (Rhodes - Crete). Cyprus lies at a latitude of 34 33'-35 34' North and longitude 32 -16'-34 37' East. The 35th latitudinal parallel traverses it. The country has two mountain ranges: the Pentadaktylos range which runs along almost the entire northern coast, and the Troodos massif in the central and south-western parts of the island. Cyprus' coastal line is indented and rocky in the north with long sandy beaches in numerous coves in the south. The north coastal plain, covered with olive and carob trees, is backed by the steep and narrow Pentadaktylos mountain range of limestone, rising to a height of 1.042 m. In the south the extensive mountain massif of Troodos, covered with pine, dwarf oak, cypress and cedar, culminates in the peak of Mount Olympus, 1.953 m above sea level. Between the two ranges lies the fertile plain of Mesaoria. Cyprus has a Mediterranean climate, with its typical seasonal rhythm strongly marked in respect of temperature, rainfall and weather generally. Hot, dry summers from June to September and changeable winters from November to March are separated by short Autumn and Spring seasons of rapid change in weather patterns in October, April and May. Summer is a season of high temperatures and cloudless skies. The average annual rainfall is 500 mm, the fall from December to February being nearly two-thirds of the yearly total. Autumn and winter rainfall on which agriculture and water supplies generally depend is variable from year to year. What is abundant, however, is sunshine during the whole year, particularly from April to September when the daily average exceeds 11 hours. Winds are on the whole light to moderate. Gales are very infrequent and storms rare. Snow hardly falls in the lowlands and on the Northern range, but is a frequent feature every winter on ground above 1.000 meters in the Troodos range. From December till April snow is usually in evidence there, but hardly continuous. Yet during the coldest months it lies in considerable depth for several weeks, attracting skiers. Flora and FaunaWith its approximately 1.800 species and subspecies of flowering plants, Cyprus, is an extremely interesting place for nature lovers and has all the attributes which make it a botanist's paradise. Being an island, it is sufficiently isolated to allow the evolution of a strong endemic flowering element. At the same time being surrounded by big continents, it incorporates botanological elements of the neighbouring land masses. About 8% of the indigenous plants of the island, 125 different species and subspecies, are endemic. The island's great variety of habitats, attributed to a varied microclimate and geology, is the main reason which contributed to this high number of endemics. The arrival of animals in Cyprus has been a subject of interest to zoologists, since it has always been an island. According to existing evidence, the first arrivals were hippopotami and elephants, both excellent swimmers. They arrived 1,5 mil. years ago and apart from some shrews and mice, were the only land mammals roaming the island prior to Man's arrival 9.000 years ago. The present-day fauna of Cyprus includes some 7 species of land mammals, 26 species of amphibians and reptiles, 357 species of birds, a great variety of insects and mites, while the coastal waters of the island give shelter to 197 fish species and various species of crabs, sponges and echinoderm. The largest wild animal that still lives on the island is the Cyprus moufflon (Ovis orientalis ophion), a rare type of wild sheep that can only be found in Cyprus.
Cyprus is used by millions of birds as a stepping-stone during their migration from Europe to Africa and back, something that has been observed since Homeric times. The main reason for that is the occurrence on the island of two wetlands, with unique and international importance, namely Larnaca and Akrotiri salt lakes. From the numerous wild birds of Cyprus, birds of prey are the most fascinating and amongst them the Eleonora's falcon (Falcon eleonorae) and the imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) are the jewel on the crown. Eleonora's falcon Our sea creatures include seals and turtles, though unfortunately the Monk seal no longer breeds in the coastal sea caves of the island. On the other hand two marine turtles, the Green turtle (Chelona mydas) and the Loggerhead turtle (Caretta ) have been found to breed regularly on the island's sandy beaches and are strictly protected. Green turtle POPULATIONThe present population of Cyprus is estimated at 725.000 of whom 580.500 belong to the Greek Cypriot community (81,6%) and 135.800 (18,4%) to the Turkish Cypriot community. The language of the Greek Cypriot community is Greek and it adheres to the Autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus. According to the Constitution of 1960, the religious minorities of Armenians, Maronites and Latins opted to belong to the Greek Cypriot community. The language of the Turkish Cypriot community is Turkish and the community adheres to Islam. DEMOGRAPHY1. Population of Cyprus The population of Cyprus by ethnic group at independence in 1960 and in 1973, the last year before the Turkish invasion, was as follows:
(1) According to the 1960 Constitution, the small religious minorities of Maronites, Armenians and Latins opted to be classified demographically within the Greek Cypriot Community. They are hence presented as one total. Sources: Census of Population and Agriculture 1961, Vo. 1, Population by Location, Race and Sex, and Demographic Report 1987, Department of Statistics and Research. The Census of 1973 showed the population of Cyprus to be 631,778, giving an average rate of growth of 0.8% between 1960 and 1973. The ethnic distribution of the population did not really change over this period and the proportion of each community remained stable whilst birth rates declined and Cyprus lost a part of the natural increase of its population through emigration. The impact of the Turkish invasion on the population was devastating. As a result the total population declined and for a number of years remained below the figure for 1974. Gradually with birth and death rates and migration becoming more normal, population picked up and started growing again. Even so, it was in 1982 that finally the total population of Cyprus exceeded the highest figure reached in mid-1974 as shown in Table 2, which gives a summary of developments in population and other demographic variables after 1974. These are based on the assumption that Turkish Cypriot demographic variables have gone through the same changes as that of the population in the Government controlled areas, as shown in Table 3. However, on the basis of data available from Turkish Cypriot sources the number of Turkish Cypriots must be much smaller as a result of high emigration.
Source: Demographic Report 1992, Department of Statistics and Research.
Source: Demographic Report 1992, Department of Statistics and Research. 2. Population of Turkish Cypriots and of Turkish Mainland Settlers in the Occupied Areas. The population statistics given by the Turkish occupation authorities for the occupied area of Cyprus are shown in Table 4 below. The first figures given for March 1975 are clearly the true figures which agree with those available to the Government of Cyprus at the time. From then on they diverge considerably as the table below clearly shows.
Source: Turkish Cypriot sources The higher figures of the Turkish occupation authorities as compared to those of the Cyprus Government indicate the illegal introduction of settlers from Turkey to the occupied area of Cyprus with the aim of altering the demographic structure of the country. While published data on such demographic variables as crude birth and death rates are similar to those in the Government-controlled areas, Turkish Cypriots do not publish any information regarding migration. They do not give any data in this field, because it will clearly show the loss of indigenous Turkish Cypriots emigrating, being replaced by an even greater number of mainland Turkish settlers, in what is a clear attempt by the occupation authorities to alter the demographic structure of Cyprus. Indeed, according to press reports and comments by Turkish Cypriot politicians, Turkish Cypriots faced with the problems of unemployment, economic uncertainty and the pressures from Turkish settlers who are given many privileges, continue to emigrate. It is estimated that over 30,000 Turkish Cypriots have emigrated since 1974. Given the continuing reports of emigration of Turkish Cypriots and the fact that the population in the occupied areas increases every year by more than the birth and death rates justify, it is obvious that the number of illegal Turkish mainland settlers is much higher. According to the Turkish Cypriot daily Yeniduzen of 14.2.1990 and statements by Turkish Cypriot politicians, the number of settlers from Turkey must have by now reached 80,000 while the Turkish Cypriot population is not more than 100,000. Nevertheless, the crucial issue is the illegal presence of Turkish mainland settlers in the occupied areas and its extremely negative impact on the search for a Cyprus solution - much more than the exact number of settlers. 3. Displaced Population When in 1974 Turkish troops occupied about 37% of the area of Cyprus they evicted all but about 12,000 of the Greek Cypriot population of that area. Since then, most of the Greek Cypriots remaining in the occupied area were also forced to leave their homes and move to the Government-controlled area. The latest count in June 1992 showed that only a handful of Greek Cypriots remain in the occupied area reinforcing the claim of the forced change of the demographic structure of the country in general and of the occupied areas in particular. The number of Greek Cypriot refugees and the number of Greek Cypriots remaining in the occupied area since 1974 are given in Table 5. The estimates for the size of the refugee population take into account the natural increase of the population that has taken place since 1974.
(1) In 1974 the actual number of refugees was 201,000. But about 40,000 people who became refugees in 1974 because they lived in dangerous areas close to the line of occupation but within the Government Controlled Area returned to their homes in 1977. Source: Service for Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Justice and Public Order. THE CYPRUS PROBLEM
Some text and photographs have been shared with various web sites on the internet, all are those without copyright symbols or mentions. If I have shared any of your text and photographs I thank you and if you wish me not to use them please let me know and I will remove them. As a teachers in a secondary school I see the web as a source of freely available knowledge as such if you wish to use any of my web site then feel free to do so. Attention : I have tried to do my best, to give a brief analysis of Cyprus Geographical and and history, but this web page does not officially represent the Cyprus government in any way, so any mistakes that maybe contained on my site or any omission is my fault only (if there are any I apologize), and has nothing to do with Cyprus Government.
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Imperial
eagle 
