Capital: Nicosia

Area: 9,251 sq km (combined)

Population: 1.2 million (combined)

Languages: Greek, Turkish

Life expectancy: 79 years (men) 83 years (women)

Cyprus is a pearl of culture and experiences. Enchanted by the island's endless stretches of golden sands, secluded bays and rocky coves, today's tourists are also drawn to Cyprus for its fascinating history and culture, its exquisite Mediterranean cuisine and its glorious mountains and verdant countryside that prove that Cyprus is much more than just "sun and fun".

Cyprus with a population of 946.000 (End 2013) is a modern island nation that retains as essentially Mediterranean character.

Relaxing and openhearted Island culture. A relaxing island lifestyle, stunning coastal views, endless sunshine, and vibrant culture make living in Cyprus highly appealing.

On average, Cyprus has only 40 rainy days a year and the sun shines 320 days a year.

The country has a very low crime rate, so Cyprus is one of the most peaceful places on Earth.

A member of the European Union. Cyprus has historically followed a non-aligned foreign policy, although it increasingly identifies with the West in its cultural affinities and trade patterns, and maintains close relations with the European Union, Greece, Armenia, Israel and the United States.

The currency of Cyprus is the Euro. Credit cards are widely accepted and there are ATMs in all major towns and many villages.

Cyprus is a multinational, multilingual and multicultural country. The inhabitants of the island speak a mixture of Greek, Turkish and English. While Greek is an official language in the Republic of Cyprus, English is spoken by nearly everyone (Cyprus was under British dominion from 1878 until independence in 1960).

The road network is modern and extensive. Road signs are usually in Greek and English, and driving is on the left.

Of the 40 schools in Cyprus, 28 teach in English. Children at the age of 5 go to kindergarten, and this is a mandatory requirement for all preschoolers.

Clean environment. Cyprus has the cleanest beaches in all of Europe. It's official, the beaches of Cyprus are the cleanest in all of Europe and have held this title for over a decade. 99.1% of all bathing waters on the island have been classed as 'excellent quality'.

It's home to one of the world's best wreck diving sites. Located off the coast of Larnaca, the Zenobia is a cargo ship that capsized and sank to the sea bed in 1980. Miraculously it's still mostly intact, complete with carpets and vending machines. You can even see the 108 lorries that sank alongside it.. At 42-meters deep and few currents, it's a great dive for more experienced divers.

Cyprus is home to the oldest manufactured wine in the world. According to the Guinness World Records, Commandaria wine traces its origins back to 2000 B.C.. The sweet wine also holds the record for the oldest 'Appelation d'Origine'. In 1223, King Phillipe of France named it 'The Apostle of Wines'. It quickly became famous all over Europe as 'Commandaria', the region where it is produced.The island's 9.251 square kilometres (3.572 square miles) encompass citrus and olive groves, pine forested mountains reaching heights of 1.950 meters (6.400 feet) and some of Europe's cleanest beaches. Cyprus can be traveled in a couple of hours: the length of the island from east to west is only 240 km, and the maximum width from north to south is 100 km.

Cyprus has its own Olympus. Mount Olympos (not to be confused with Olympus, located in Greece) is the highest peak of the island, located at an altitude of 1952 meters above sea level. Cyprus has a mini-version of the American Grand Canyon - the Avakas Gorge. A special marked trail was made there for tourists. 

You can ski in the mountains in Cyprus. There are ski resorts in the Troodos mountains.

Rivers in Cyprus originate in the Troodos mountains and are filled with water only due to the melting of mountain snow. In summer, all rivers dry up completely.

On the island you can see 20 rare species of orchids and 371 species of migratory birds. About 10,000 flamingos flying south stop temporarily every fall to feed at Larnaca Salt Lake.Of the 1950 species of flowering plants growing all over the world, 140 are found only in Cyprus.

Cyprus was once the richest country in the world. It was during the Copper and Bronze Ages when copper from the island was exported to other countries.