Cyprus Background

Cyprus was a British colony, until Cyprus became an independent nation in 1960.

During its Independence Cyprus has seen its fair share of instability.

Not long after its independence in December 1963 violence between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots broke out in the capital, Nicosia. United Nations (UN) peacekeepers were deployed to the area in 1964 to enforce the peace.

Trouble again flared in July 1974 with a Greek government sponsored coup to seize control of Cyprus, by a group known as EOKA. EOKA wanted Cyprus be become part of mainland Greece in a plan known as Enosis - meaning to become one.

This coup was met by a military invasion by Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the North of the island; the UN were powerless to this Turkish invasion and the British and Americans did nothing to meet this, it was not in their interest it is believed.

In October 1974 the fighting stopped and an imaginary 'Green Line' was formed dividing the island, with the Greek Cypriot majority in the South and the Turkish Cypriots in the North.

In 1983, the Turkish Cypriots declared the invaded area the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," but the TRNC is recognised only by Turkey, and is condemned by the international community.

UN talks between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reach an agreement to reunite the divided island - ended when the Greek Cypriots rejected the UN settlement plan (The Annan Plan) in an April 2004 referendum.

The Republic of Cyprus entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU rights apply only to the areas under direct Republic of Cyprus control.

Every Cypriot carrying a Cyprus passport has the status of a European citizen.