Cyprus Capitals

The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia, found on the Mesaoria plain. It is also the country’s largest city. With inhabitants dating back to the Bronze Age, it is also the oldest settlement in the country. It became the capital in 1960 when the nation gained independence, and Archbishop Makarios was elected president of the country. The country is currently divided into two: the Republic of Cyprus, which is governed by Greek Cypriots, and Northern Cyprus, also known as the Turkish Republic of Cyprus which is governed by Turkish Cypriots. Both governments have a divided Nicosia as their capital.

After the confrontation between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots broke out in 1963, the country was divided by a buffer zone that runs through the capital, dividing it into Greek quarters to the south and Turkish quarters to the north. The Metropolitan in the South has a population of about 239,227 of which 55,014 are from the urban area. The North has a population of 82,539 with 61,378 inhabitants coming from the urban area.

Thanks to its rich and tumultuous history dating back to the Bronze Age, Nicosia has a lot of tourist attractions. For example, the Venetian walls, which still surround the city, were built in the 16th Century and are regarded as an example of the military defense architecture of the time. One could also take a walk through Laiki Geitonia, a restored neighborhood with buildings from the 18th Century. There are also many museums, like the Cyprus Museum, which is the country’s main museum of archaeology. It preserves the island’s history right from the prehistoric period thanks to the many archaeological digs carried out.

Nicosia’s climate is classified as a sub-tropical semi-arid climate, which means that it gets little precipitation. The summers are long, dry, and hot while the winters are cool and sometimes wet. Average annual temperature is 66.0°F with July being the warmest month with an average temperature of 83.0 ⁰F. January’s average temperature of 50.0 ^°F makes it the coolest month. On average, Nicosia gets annual precipitation of 14.4 inches. December gets the most precipitation at an average of 3.0 inches while July gets the least with an average precipitation of 0.0 inches.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Nicosia
Languages	Greek (official) 80.9%, Turkish (official) 0.2%, English 4.1%, Romanian 2.9%, Russian 2.5%, Bulgarian 2.2%, Arabic 1.2%, Filipino 1.1%, other 4.3%, unspecified 0.6%
Ethnic Groups	Greek 98.8%, other 1% (includes Maronite, Armenian, Turkish-Cypriot), unspecified 0.2%
Religion	Orthodox Christian 89.1%, Roman Catholic 2.9%, Protestant/Anglican 2%, Muslim 1.8%, Buddhist 1%, other (includes Maronite, Armenian Church, Hindu) 1.4%, unknown 1.1%, none/atheist 0.6%
Government	Republic of Cyprus - presidential democracy; Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (self-declared) - semi-presidential democracy
Independance	16 August 1960 (from the UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these proclamations are recognized only by Turkey
Area	9,251.00 km²
Water Area	10.00 km²
Land Area	9,241.00 km²
Population	1,205,575.00 Population concentrated in central Nicosia and in the major cities of the south: Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca
Location	Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey; note - Cyprus views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both
Bordering Countries	border sovereign base areas: Akrotiri 48 km, Dhekelia 108 km
GDP(PPP)	$29,260,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$34,400.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Greece, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, and cement.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Greece, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include consumer goods, petroleum, and machinery.
Climate	Temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Terrain	Central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast
Learn More	Cyprus

Cyprus Capitals

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