Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus
conventional short form: Cyprus
local long form: Kypriaki Dimokratia/Kibris Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Kypros/Kibris
note: the Turkish Cypriot community, which administers the northern part of the island, refers to itself as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" or "TRNC" ("Kuzey Kibris Turk Cumhuriyeti" or "KKTC")
etymology: the etymology of the name "Cyprus" is unknown, but the extensive mining of copper metal on the island in antiquity gave rise to the Latin word for copper "cuprum"

Government type:
republic
note: a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in July 1974, following a Greek military-junta-supported coup attempt that gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 then Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTAS declared independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), which is recognized only by Turkey

Capital:
name: Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa)
geographic coordinates: 35 10 N, 33 22 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
6 districts; Ammochostos (Famagusta; all but a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Keryneia (Kyrenia; the only district completely administered by Turkish Cypriots), Larnaka (Larnaca; a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Lefkosia (Nicosia; a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Lemesos (Limassol), Pafos (Paphos); note - the 5 districts of Turkish Cypriot-administered part of Cyprus are Gazimagusa (Famagusta), Girne (Kyrenia), Guzelyurt (Morphou), Iskele (Trikomo), Lefkosia (Nicosia)

Independence:
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

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots celebrate 15 November (1983) as "Republic Day"

Constitution:
ratified 16 August 1960; amended 1996, 2013; note - in 1963, the constitution was partly suspended as Turkish Cypriots withdrew from the government; Turkish-held territory in 1983 was declared the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"); in 1985, the "TRNC" approved its own constitution (2015)

Legal system:
mixed legal system of English common law and civil law with European law supremacy

International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship:
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cyprus
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nicos ANASTASIADIES (since 28 February 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; vice president (vacant); note - vice presidency reserved for Turkish Cypriot
head of government: President Nicos ANASTASIADIES (since 28 February 2013)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - under the 1960 constitution, 3 of the ministerial posts reserved for Turkish Cypriots, appointed by the vice president; positions currently filled by Greek Cypriots
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term; election last held on 17 and 24 February 2013 (next to be held in February 2018)
election results: Nicos ANASTASIADIES elected president; percent of vote in first round - Nicos ANASTASIADES (DISY) 45.5%, Stavros MALAS(AKEL) 26.9%, Giorgos LILLIKAS (SP) 24.9%, other 2.7%; percent of vote in second round - Nicos ANASTASIADIES 57.5%, Savros MALAS 42.5%
note: Mustafa AKINCI elected "president" of the "TRNC" on 30 April 2015; percent of vote in first round (19 April 2015) - Dervis EROGLU (UBP) 28.2%, Mustafa AKINCI (TDP) 26.9%, other 44.9%; percent of vote in runoff (26 April 2015) - AKINCI 60.5%, EROGLU 39.5%; Omer KALYONCU is "TRNC prime minister" since 4 July 2015

Legislative branch:
description: area under government control: unicameral House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to Greek Cypriots, 24 to Turkish Cypriots, but only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled; members directly elected by both proportional representation and preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)
elections: area under government control: last held on 22 May 2011 (next to be held in May 2016); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: last held on 28 July 2013 (next to be held on July 2018)
election results: area under government control: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - DISY 34.3%, AKEL 32.7%, DIKO 15.8%, KS-EDEK 8.9%, EVROKO 3.9%, other 4.4%; seats by party - DISY 20, AKEL 19, DIKO 9, KS-EDEK 5, EVROKO 2, KOP 1; note - according to the website of the Cypriot House of Representatives there were 59 members on 4 November 2015 including KS EDEK 5, AKEL 19, DIKO 8, DISY 20, Maronite 1, Member of Famagusta constituency, European Party 1, Armenian 1, Latin 1, Cyprus Green Party 1; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: "Assembly of the Republic" - percent of vote by party - CTP-BG 38.4%, UBP 27.3%, DP-UG 23.2%, TDP 7.4%, other 3.7%; seats by party - CTP-BG 21, UBP 14, DP-UG 12, TDP 3

Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Cyprus (consists of 13 judges including the court president); note - the highest court in the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)" is the "Supreme Court" (consists of 8 "judges" including the "court president")
judge selection and term of office: Republic of Cyprus Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the Supreme Court judges; judges tenure is until the age of 68; "TRNC Supreme Court" judges appointed by the "Supreme Council of Judicature", a 12-member body of "judges", the "attorney general", "appointees" - 1 each by the "president" of the "TRNC" and by the "Legislative Assembly" and 1 member elected by the Bar Association; "judge" tenure NA
subordinate courts: Republic of Cyprus district courts; Assize Courts; specialized courts for issues relating to family, industrial disputes, military, and rent control; "TRNC Assize Courts"; "district and family courts"

Political parties and leaders:
area under government control: Citizens' Alliance or SP [Giorgos LILLIKAS] Democratic Party or DIKO [Nikolas PAPADOPOULOS] Democratic Rally or DISY [Averof NEOPHYTOU (of Neofytou)] Ecological and Environmental Movement or KOP (Green Party) [Giorgos PERDIKIS] European Party or EVROKO [Dimitris SYLLOURIS] Movement of Social Democrats or KS-EDEK [Marinos SIZOPOULOS] National Popular Front or ELAM [Christos CHRISTOU] Progressive Party of the Working People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Andros KYPRIANOU] United Democrats or EDI [Praxoula ANTONIADOU]
area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Communal Democracy Party or TDP [Cemal OZYIGIT] Cyprus Socialist Party or KSP [Mehmet BIRINCI] Democrat Party- National Forces or DP-UG [Serdar DENKTAS] National Justice Party or UAP [Fatma SOLMAZ] National Unity Party or UBP [Huseyin OZGURGUN] New Cyprus Party or YKP [Murat KANATLI] Republican Turkish Party-United Forces or CTP-BG [Mehmet Ali TALAT] Social Democratic Party or SDP [Tozun TUNALI] United Cyprus Party or BKP [Izzet IZCAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK [Nikos MOYSEOS] (pro-West) Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or PEO (Communist controlled) [Pambis KYRITSIS]
area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen [Asian BICAKLI]

International organization participation:
Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Georgiose CHACALLI (since 30 May 2013)
chancery: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 462-5772, 462-0873
FAX: [1] (202) 483-6710
consulate(s) general: New York
note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the US is Ahmet ERDENGIZ; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1] (202) 887-6198

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kathleen Ann DOHERTY (since 7 October 2015)
embassy: corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, 2407 Engomi, Nicosia
mailing address: P. O. Box 24536, 1385 Nicosia
telephone: [357] (22) 393939
FAX: [357] (22) 780944

Flag description:
white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the island has long been famous for its copper deposits) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities
note: the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" flag retains the white field of the Cyprus national flag but displays narrow horizontal red stripes positioned a small distance from the top and bottom edges between which are centered a red crescent and a red five-pointed star; the banner is modeled after the Turkish national flag but with the colors reversed

National symbol(s):
Cypriot mouflon (wild sheep), white dove; national colors: blue, white

National anthem:
name: "Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)
lyrics/music: Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS
note: adopted 1960; Cyprus adopted the Greek national anthem as its own; the Turkish community in Cyprus uses the anthem of Turkey