CYPRUS

Tassos Papadopoulos
President

(pronounced "TAH-sose pah-pah-DAH-poe-luss")

"I want to express sadness and disappointment at the fact that the efforts of many months as well as the intensive negotiations [over relations with Turkey] we have had here in The Hague…have ended in failure."

The Republic of Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is located south of Turkey and west of the coast of Syria and Lebanon. It has a total area of 9,250 sq km (3,571 sq mi).

The population was estimated at 767,314 in 2002, of which approximately 85% are Greek Cypriot (including Maronites, Armenians, and Latins) and 12% Turkish Cypriot. The religious composition reflects the ethnic division of the Republic. The Greek Cypriots are predominantly Eastern Orthodox, while the Turkish Cypriots are Sunni Muslim. In addition to Greek and Turkish, English is widely spoken.

The unit of currency is the Cypriot pound . The per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of the Republic of Cyprus has been estimated at US $15,000, while the per capita GDP of the Turkish-Cypriot northern part of the island has been estimated at US $7,000. Most Cypriot exports are directed toward the European Union (EU) and the Middle East. They consist of fruits, beverages, cement, clothing, footwear, and minerals. Major imports come from the EU, Japan, and the Middle East. They include petroleum and petroleum products, consumer goods, and other agricultural and industrial products.