The history of Cyprus is one of mixed influence: Phoenicians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Ottomans and finally the British all exercised control over the island at some point in history. While dominated by the British since 1878, its population then was mostly Greek with a significant Turkish and a smaller Arab Maronite population. After independence from the UK was granted in 1960, ethnic tensions grew between the Greek and Turkish communities, the latter fearing annexation by Greece. In 1974, the Turkish army invaded the island, which was then partitioned on a North-South basis, which included significant population relocation, as well as the presence of a corridor between communities that is administered by the United Nations to this day. The Turkish-influenced Republic of North Cyprus declared unilateral independence in 1983. The South, known as the Republic of Cyprus, joined the European Union in 2004. There are also two military bases currently under British sovereignty. This makes Cyprus the only island in the World that is managed by four different powers. More on Cyprus
Cyprus in 2022
