Cyprus at a Glance_EN

History Cyprus’ civilisation, according to archaeological evidence, goes back 12.000 years to the 10th millennium BC (early Neolithic Period or Stone Age). The island acquired its Greek character after it was settled by the Mycenaean-Achaean Greeks between the 13th and 11th century BC. In the mid-9th century BC Phoenician settlers began to arrive, concentrating mainly in the coastal city of Kition. Subsequently, Cyprus came, in turn, under Assyrian, Egyptian and Persian domination (8th - 4th century BC). It became part of the Roman Empire between 30 BC and 330 AD. It was then that Christianity came to Cyprus. However, it retained its Greek identity and, as part of the Ptolemaic dynasty during the Hellenistic period (310-30 BC) and of the Greek-speaking world of Byzantium (330 AD-1191), its ethnic heritage was kept alive. The Greek language and culture also prevailed throughout the centuries that followed even though Cyprus came under the rule of successive foreign powers – King Richard I (the Lionheart) of England and the Knights Templar (1191-1192), the Franks (Lusignans) (1192-1489), Venetians (1489-1571), Ottoman Turks (1571-1878) and British (1878-1960). The Greek Cypriots mounted an anti-colonial liberation struggle against British rule from 1955 to 1959. In 1960 Cyprus gained its independence and became a constitutional Republic. Greece, Turkey and Britain were to stand as guarantors of the country’s independence under the Zurich-London Agreements and Britain would retain two sovereign base areas. The military bases, one at Akrotiri/Episkopi and the other at Dhekelia, cover 2,7% of the island’s territory. Political power was to be shared between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots on a 7:3 ratio. This gave the Turkish Cypriot community (a numerical minority of 18% of the population) 30% representation in the government and state institutions. In addition, the Turkish Cypriot community had veto rights on major issues. Relations between the two communities had for centuries been peaceful and amicable. However, certain provisions of the Zurich-London Agreements and the 1960 Constitution (which were effectively imposed on the people of Cyprus) were to prove conducive to domestic conflict and foreign 16