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Island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey.
Received independence from the British in 1960. Divided between Greeks and Turks. UN peacekeepers arrived in 1964. In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey. Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government. On May 1, 2004, the Greek controlled area, the Republic of Cyprus, joined the European Union. Every Cypriot is to have the status of a European citizen. EU laws, however, will not apply to north Cyprus. The Greek Cypriots have been trying to encourage the Turkish Cypriots to unite the island.
Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.
Estimated per capita GDP
2008: $28,600
2007 $27,800
2006 $26,700
GDP annual growth rate:
2008: 3.6%
2007: 4.4%
2006: 4.1%
Unemployment estimated for 2008: 3.8%
The Greek sector benefits from tourism, which diminishes with eruptions of political conflict between the Greeks and Turks. The Turkish sector has been suffering from water shortages, but a few desalination plants are now online.
Deaths: 7.76. Births: 12.56
Estimated for 2008: 792,604. Growth rate: 0.522 percent per year. Density in 2005: 84.4 persons per square kilometer.
Infant mortality estimated for 2008: 6.75, down from 7.18 in 2005 (eaths per 1,000 for children under one-year old)
Average life expectancy at birth estimated for 2008: 78.15
Living with HIV/AIDS, ages 15 to 49: 0.1 percent (2003)
SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
Copyright © 2008 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.