Location of Cyprus

Cyprus (Greek: Κύπρος), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία), is a Eurasian island nation in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea south of the Anatolian peninsula (Asia Minor) or modern-day Turkey. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Republic of Cyprus is divided into six districts: Lefkosia - Nicosia (the capital), Ammochostos (Famagusta), Keryneia (Kyrenia), Larnaka, Lemesos (Limassol), and Pafos. A former British colony, the Republic of Cyprus gained independence in 1960 while the United Kingdom retained two Sovereign Base Areas.

Following 11 years of alternating intercommunal violence and peaceful attempts at reconciliation, and as a response to an Athens-engineered coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece, Turkey launched a two stage invasion of the island in 1974.

The invasion led to the internal displacement of thousands of Greek and Turkish Cypriots and the subsequent establishment of a separatist regime to govern the invaded area, currently styling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, separated from the south by the United Nations-controlled Green Line and recognised only by Turkey.

The Republic of Cyprus has been a member state of the European Union since 1 May 2004.