Cyprus is a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea. Located east of Greece and south of Turkey, it is only slightly smaller than Sicily and Sardinia, making it the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus includes central plains as well as southern coastal plains. There are also mountains to the north and south. Cypriots suffer from hot, dry summers and cool, mild winters. The island itself covers approximately 9,251 km², which is approximately 0.6 of the area of ​​the state of Connecticut. Cyprus has a population of 1,120,489, of which 97.6% are literate. The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia and has around 240,000 inhabitants. It is made up of 77% Greeks, 18% Turks and 5% others (“CIA – The World Factbook”). The country of Cyprus started as a British colony in 1878 but gained its independence on August 16, 1960 and is celebrating its independence. Independence Day on October 1st. The newly independent country is known locally as Kypriaki Dimokratia or Kibris Cumhuriyeti, meaning Republic of Cyprus. Soon after becoming their own country, real Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots began fighting due to national tensions and the separation of the two ethnic groups. This feud was continuous and Turkey invaded the country in 1974. During this invasion, the Turks, mostly Muslims, persecuted Christians and killed many people. The Turks later withdrew, knowing that if they continued to invade other European nations, they would come to the aid of Cyprus and defeat Turkey as a whole ("CIA - The World Factbook"). Cyprus is under a republican government and Greek Cypriots head the sole government. internationally recognized government. The flag of the Republic of Cyprus features a copper image of the island with two green olive branches crossing beneath...... middle of paper ...... ah? Works Cited "CIA - The World Factbook". Welcome to the CIA – Central Intelligence Agency website. April 10, 2007. The web. December 14, 2011. Garcia, Blanca. “Cypriot people and culture – Cyprus.com”. Cyprus - Find businesses, hotels, holidays, restaurants and travel information - Cyprus.com. 2008. Internet. December 14, 2011. “Saint Barnabas.” CATHOLIC SAINTS. Internet. December 16, 2011. “Saint Lazarus”. New Nostos homepage. 1998. Internet. December 16, 2011. “The icons of the Orthodox Church”. Orthodox photos, relics, monasteries, fathers, elders. 2003-2010. Internet. December 16. 2011. .