Facts at a Glance Full country name: Republic of Cyprus/Turkish Republic of Northern  Cyprus Area: 9251 sq km Population: 885,800 Capital  city: Lefkosia (Nicosia) (pop 48,220) People: Greek 78%, Turkish  18% Language: Greek, Turkish Religion: Greek Orthodox,  Muslim Government: Democracy President: Glafkos  Clerides Economic Profile (numbers given are for south/north) GDP: US$6.3 billion/US$600  million World GDP ranking:92 Annual growth: 6.5%/5.9% Inflation: 5.1%/69.4% Major industries: Agriculture, cement, clothing, shoes Major trading partners: UK,  Greece, Japan, Turkey       If you could sneak your way past the UN guards and local toughs patrolling the  green line, Cyprus would be two countries for the price of one. Unfortunately,  this really is a country divided - since the island was cut in half in 1974,  visitors have had to choose between the Turkish experience of the north and the  Greek experience of the south. Most have chosen the southern Republic, and as a  consequence the country's posterior has broken out in a nasty rash of pastel  hotels and chips-with-everything tavernas.      With a bit of effort, however, it's possible to escape the hordes and immerse  yourself in a culture which draws on Mediterranean Europe, the Middle East, and  9000 years of constant invasion. Crusader castles rub shoulders with ancient  vineyards, frescoed monasteries overlook citrus orchards, and sandy, sun-soaked  feet tread Roman mosaic floors. Environment      Cyprus is an island in the far eastern Mediterranean Sea,  below Turkey and to the west of Syria. The country is actually two countries -  the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey) and the  southern Republic of Cyprus. There are two large mountain ranges on the island:  the Kyrenian Mountains in North Cyprus and the Troodos Massif in the centre of  the Republic. The northern mountains are mainly limestone, the southern are  volcanic rock. These ranges are separated by the Mesaoria Plain.      Cyprus has always been an island, and many Cypriot species, particularly  plants, are found nowhere else in the world. There are three main habitat types  in Cyprus: the mountain ranges, the coastal plains and the cultivated lands. The  coastal plains are irrigated by seasonal streams, and some support citrus  orchards, but native flora and fauna has been largely displaced by tourism. The  best areas to see wildlife are the mountainous areas of the island and the  Akamas Peninsula (which, although not a national park, has been managed for  conservation). The north, being less touristed, also has a larger population of  native flora and fauna. Keep an eye out for griffon vultures, foxes,  fruit-eating bats, sea turtles and moufflon, a wild sheep endemic to Cyprus.      The Cypriot climate is typically Mediterranean, with very hot summers in July  and August. Most of the year is dry, with unpredictable rains falling in  December, January and February. Cyprus often suffers drought years. Money & Costs Currency: Cyprus pound/Turkish lira Relative costs: Budget meal: US$5-7 Restaurant meal: US$12-20 Budget room: US$8-15 Mid-range hotel: US$15-30      Compared to Europe, southern Cyprus is moderately cheap; compared to the  Middle East, you'll find it expensive. You'll probably need to budget around $35  a day if you're going to stick to public transport, stay in very cheap rooms and  live mostly on food from shops rather than eating out. Around $70 a day will let  you stay in a mid-range place, eat out twice a day, and get about in a hire car.  In the north it's a different story. It's harder to travel on a budget here  because there really aren't many budget-travel facilities. If you can find them,  though, rooms are cheaper (good places will cost you around $15 a night), you  can get a decent feed for $12 and car rental is cheap. For $50 a day you should  be able to live in relative luxury. All over the country, things are cheaper in  winter.      Banks throughout Cyprus will exchange all major currencies in either cash or  travellers' cheques. Most places in the north will accept Cyprus pounds and  other hard currencies as well as Turkish lira. In the Republic you can get a  cash advance on Visa at most banks, and in the north a couple of banks will do  one for you. You cannot get cash on Amex anywhere on the island.      A 10% charge is tacked on to most restaurant bills in the south, so you  needn't bother tipping unless the service is something special. In the north  service is only added in flasher places, so think more seriously about leaving a  tip. Taxi drivers also expect a tip. Culture Cypriots are very proud of their cultural heritage, which  stretches back more than 9000 years. However, you'll probably find that Cyprus  today is more concerned with the events of the last 20 years than those of a  millennium ago. The north of the island is busy recreating itself in the image  of Turkey, changing English names to Turkish and embracing the life and culture  of its northern neighbour. The Republic is also trying to create an independent  identity, and many places in the south have recently been renamed as well.      Whatever the present-day situation may be, Cyprus is littered with reminders  of the island's cultural history. Relics from every era - Greek temples, Roman  mosaics and 15th century religious frescoes - influence the artists of today.  Many villages specialise in a particular artform, and as you travel around  Cyprus you'll see pottery, silver and copperware, basket weaving, tapestry and  Lefkara's famous lacework.      Like everything else in Cyprus, religion is split along the green line. The  northerners are mostly Sunni Muslim, the southerners Greek Orthodox. Food, too,  reflects the divide: in the north you'll find mostly Turkish cuisine, in the  south Greek. But wherever you are in Cyprus you'll come across kleftikó or küp kebab - lamb or goat barbecued with vegetables in an outdoor oven.  Cyprus is also famous for its fruit, which the government protects with a ban on  imported products. You'll find strawberries, stone fruit, melons, prickly pear,  citrus and grapes. History      Cyprus has always been an important trading post between the  empires of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and throughout history someone  has always wanted to take it off someone else. First the Mycenaeans grabbed it,  then the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians and Persians. Alexander the Great  took it off them, then Ptolemy snatched it from him. Rome took over in 58 BC and  kept the place in relative peace and security until the 7th century, when the  Byzantine and Islamic empires started three centuries of bickering over it. In  1191, Richard the Lionheart, on his way to the Crusades, dropped into Cyprus for  a spot of conquering, but the Cypriots caused him too much trouble (one of them  killed his hawk and he was forced to massacre a few villages in retaliation), so  he sold them to the Knights Templar. The Templars sold the island to Guy de  Lusignan, whose heirs hung in for three centuries, repressing the culture but  doing wonders for the economy.      The Venetians took over in 1489, but were quickly booted out by the expanding  Ottoman Empire, which kept Cyprus for 300 years before handing over to Britain.  In 1925 Cyprus became a Crown colony of the UK, but by then the Cypriots had had  just about enough of being a pawn for empire-builders, and agitation for  self-determination began. This agitation laid the foundations for today's  Greek/Turkish conflicts: while many Greek Cypriots wanted to form a union with  Greece (a movement known as enosis), the 18% Turkish population were not  so keen. By 1950, the Cypriot Orthodox Church and 96% of Greek Cypriots wanted  enosis. In response, the British drafted a new constitution, which was accepted  by the Turkish population but opposed by the National Organisation of Cypriot  Freedom Fighters, who wanted enosis or nothing. They began a guerilla war  against the British.     In August 1960 Britain granted Cyprus its independence. A Greek, Makarios,  became president, while a Turk, Kukuk, was made vice-president. By 1964 Makarios  was moving towards stronger links with Greece, and intercommunal violence was on  the rise. The United Nations sent in a peace-keeping force. In 1967 a military  junta took over the Greek government and enosis was out the window - even the  most fervent Greece-lovers didn't want union with such a repressive regime.  Greece wasn't giving up, though: on 15 July 1974 they overthrew Makarios and  replaced him with a puppet leader. Turkey responded by invading and Greece  quickly pulled out, but the Turks weren't placated and took the northern third  of the island, forcing 180,000 Greek Cypriots to flee their homes.      Peace talks have been held sporadically, but Cyprus remains divided. The  Republic is now making moves towards full membership of the European Union  (which would put Turkey in an awkward position as the occupiers of an EU member  state), while Turkey has responded by threatening to annexe the north. The  United Nations has been scaling down its presence in Cyprus, and small-scale  border scuffles are on the increase. In August 1996, Greek Cypriots and Turks  clashed during the worst violence since 1974. The south is being armed by  France, Russia and the Czech Republic, while the north is building up arms from  Turkish supplies, and full-scale war is a definite possibility.