[1 october] Happy Independence Day Cyprus !

Day 3,602, 22:43 • Published in Cyprus Romania • by VampireA
Cyprus


General information


*While Cyprus is not geographically a part of Europe, their culture and diplomacy is heavily associated with Europe. Thus, I have decided to add the demographic and area ranks as well. After all, they are even a part of EU !


Population : 1.17 milion people (158th in the World,40th in Europe)
Total Area : 9.251km^2 (162th in the World,41th in Europe)
Official languages : Greek, Turkish
Official currency : Euro(EUR)
Capital : Nicosia
Population density : 123.4 people/km^2 (82th in the World,23rd in Europe)
Top 5 biggest cities : Nicosia,Limassol,Larnaca,Famagusta,Paphos

The Republic of Cyprus is divided into six districts: Nicosia,Famagusta,Kyrenia,Larnaca,Limassol,Paphos. Additionally, Cyprus also has 4 exclaves, all of them in territory belonging to the British Sovereign Base Area of Dekhelia, on the east side of the Island. There is another such base in the west of the island, called the British Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri. To add to this complicated mess, there is also a UN-administered buffer zone that separates the northern half from the southern half of Cyprus.The reason for this separation is somewhat controversial, as it has to do with the fact that while the Republic of Cyprus has de jure sovereignty over the entire island, except for those two British bases, in reality, Cyprus is de facto partitioned into the northern half, administered by the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the southern half administered by the Republic of Cyprus.The occupation of the northern half is viewed as illegal under international law.




National sport : *Football (although not by much, and other sports like basketball and tennis are also popular)



National animal : Cypriot Mouflonl (Ovis orientalis ophion)

National instrument : Laouto(Lute)



The significance of the 1st of October

While this may seem counter-intuitive, the 1st of October in Cyprus celebrates independence gained from the British Empire on August 16, 1960.This independence was gained as a result of the London and Zürich Agreement between Cyprus,UK and Turkey.This agreement also established the two British sovereign bases on Cyprus, at Akrotiri and Dekhelia.This agreement came about after a period of inter-ethnic conflicts between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, known as the Cyprus crisis or EOKA period.

*Coat of arms




Ah, Cyprus, a country that you definitely heard about, but you probably didn’t care much about what is going on in it(unless you are Greek or Turkish, but even then there are plenty of exceptions), since it is so far away from mainland Europe.Well, despite this, Cyprus is doing pretty well for itself.It is a major tourist destination of the Mediterranean, with an advanced,high-income economy and a very high HDI(Human Development Index).It is part of the European Union,as you may already know, but what you may not know, is that Cyprus is also part of the British Commonwealth.


Myths and legends

Perhaps, unsurprisingly, the mythology and legends of Cyprus are heavily Hellenic in origin, with the foremost legends regarding this island as being the birthplace of the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite.


As Hesiod tells us in his Theogony, Aphrodite was born from the sea foam created by the genitals of Uranus,which had been severed by Kronos.Being the goddess of beauty and love, many gods feared that she might indirectly cause conflict between rivals wanting to gain her favour.As such,Zeus marries her to Hephaestus, the god of smithing and crafting.Despite this predicament, Aphrodite follows her own path, having many lovers, including the god of war, Ares, and even men, such as Anchises

The myth of Adonis

Another famous myth is that of Adonis, a name synonymous with masculinity and fertility.The most common origin of Adonis(as told by Ovid in Metamorphoses) is that he is a product of an incestuous relationship between princess Myrhha and her father, king Cinyras.This is made possible with the intervention of Aphrodite, who makes the princess fall in love with her father,as punishment for the queen boasting that her daughters were more beautiful than the goddess of beauty.Myrhha’s nurse also plays a part in this trickery by giving the king too much to drink. After getting his senses back, the king vows to kill Myrhha, but she is saved by the gods by being turned into a myrrh tree.Out of this tree,Adonis is born.

When Aphrodite sees him, she falls in love with him and safeguards him by trusting him to Persephone.However, she also falls for the boy, and refuses to give him back to the goddess of beauty. Zeus settles this dispute by having Adonis spend ⅓ of a year with each, and then the last third of the year with whom he chooses. Adonis always chooses Aphrodite to spend ⅔ of a year with.

Regarding Cyprus, the king of the myth, Cinyras, was a famous hero and king of Cyprus.Despite this, his cult is replaced with that of his son, Adonis.




Places to visit


Othello Castle

Situated in Famagusta, this castle was originally built as a moated citadel by the french noble House of Lusignan , in order to protect Famagusta harbour.

Church of St. Lazarus

Situated in Larnaca, this church dates back to the 9th century AD

Ayia Napa

This resort not only has a waterpark, beaches and nightlife, but also places like the Aiya Napa Monastery(2nd image) and Thalassa Museum(3rd image).

Limassol

Second largest urban area in Cyprus, home to Limassol Castle.(3rd image)

Paphos


Also called the birthplace of Aphrodite, this town has many interesting ruins to explore such as the Odeon(2nd image), Paphos Fort(3rd image) and the Tombs of Kings(4th image).



Locations suggested by the locals

Agia Anna





Located 7 km from the capital, following Agios Prokopios, there is the beautiful beach of Agia Anna. It is the group of several sandy beaches, interrupted only by a small fishing port and some rocky formations. Some parts of the beach are fully organized and some are not.

Polis Chrysochou







A small town at the north-west end of the island of Cyprus, at the centre of Chrysochous Bay, and on the edge of the Akamas peninsula nature reserve. It is a quiet tourist resort, the inhabitants' income being supplemented by agriculture and fishing.

Athienou







Famous Cypriots

Archbishop Makarios III (1913-1977) - archbishop of the autocephalous Church of Cyprus, first president of Cyprus (1960-1977)

Marcos Baghdatis (born in 1985) - tennis player, highest ATP rank was 8th in 2006

Marios Tokas (1954-200😎 - composer of traditional music

George Michael(1963-2016) - birth name:Geórgios Kiriákos Panagiótou , his father was a Greek Cypriot who emigrated to the UK in the 50s. Famous singer, frontman of the band Wham! ,followed up by a very successful solo career. Sold more than 115 million records worldwide


Traditional food

Halloumi

Semi-hard, unripened,brined cheese,made from a mixture of goat and sheep’s milk.

Commandaria Wine

Oldest wine in the world (800 BC) that is still being produced.

Ofto Kleftiko

A type of slow cooked meat.

Foukou



A type of kebab cooked on a special type of grill.


Interesting facts about Cyprus:

1.The town of Paphos , and its surrounding ruins is a UNESCO World Heritage Site..
2.Cyprus has one of the top 10 wreck diving sites in the world, in the form of the wreck of the Zenobia, off the coast of Larnaca.
3.Cyprus is the 3rd largest island in the Mediterranea Sea, behind Sicily and Sardinia.
4.The capital, Nicosia is divided by “The Green Line”, similar to how Berlin was separated during the Cold War..
5.Nicosia has been continously inhabited since 2500 BC.


My 5 words when I hear about Cyprus:
#Island,#Halloumi,#Beaches,#Antiquity,#Tourism


What are your 5?


Special thanks to Mithrantir , and message for the comunity:

"Cyprus in eRepublik is a multi cultural nation. We have people from different countries so my message will be only in english. We all love this community. Let's continue enjoying the game as much as we can."

Waiting for feedback , comments , opinions and if there is anyone that thinks I missed something , I could do something better or just wants to help me with this project , PM me !

Special thanks to Kariky for the spacers !!



Hope you enjoyed and see you next time!

P.S. Article 15/74!


P.S.2. Don't forget to push the flags !