Archaeological evidence suggests that people first lived on the island of Cyprus 10,000 years ago.
Cyprus was once the wealthiest nation in the known world. It was during the Copper and Bronze Ages when the island's rich natural copper resources were exported to other countries.
The English crusader king - King Richard the Lionheart - wed Queen Joanna at Limassol Castle on May 12, 1191. To this day it is the only foreign venue at which an English Royal Wedding has been hosted. Famagusta was once the richest city in the known world during the reign of the Franks and the Venetians.
There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cyprus - Paphos, the Painted Churches in the Troodos Region and Choirokoitia.
The Neolithic settlement of Choirkoitia is one of the most important Neolithic sites in Europe.
Cyprus is a divided country. A UN buffer zone (known as the Green Line) separates the Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Greek controlled South.
There are two British military zones in Cyprus. Known as Sovereign Base Areas, the two zones are a legacy of the British occupation of Cyprus which ended in 1960.
Cyprus became a province of the Roman Empire in 45AD, and was the first country to be governed by a Christian.Aphrodite is said to have risen out of the water near Paphos.
GEOGRAPHY / GEOLOGY / NATURE
Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is now the only capital in the world to be divided between two nations - North Cyprus & South Cyprus.
371 species of bird can be seen on the island of Cyprus. Most are migratory birds and are seen during spring and autumn.
In geological term Cyprus rose out of the sea around 20 million years ago.Cyprus is home to 20 rare species of orchid.
There are more than 1950 species of flowering plant in Cyprus, 140 of which are found nowhere else in the world.
260 species of fish circle the warm Mediterranean waters around Cyprus.
Cyprus is one of only a few places in the world where Green Turtles & Loggerhead Turtles nest.Cyprus is the easternmost island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Cyprus Mufflon is a wild sheep that is found in the Troodos & Paphos mountains. It exists nowhere else in the world.
ECONOMY
The major industries that contribute to the Cypriot economy are tourism, fruit & vegetables, Universities.
The population of 4Cyprus is around 112,000. This includes around 141,000 Turkish Cypriots in the North.
PEOPLE / CULTURE & FOOD
Lefkara Lace is produced in Cyprus.
Kolokasi is a speciality root vegetable grown on Cyprus. It is a type of sweet potato.
George Michael (musician/pop singer), Fatima Whitbread (Olympic athlete) and Muzzy Izzet (English premiership soccer player) were all born in Cyprus.
OTHER FACTS
One of the world's famous shipwrecks lies off the Cypriot coast. The ship exhibited in the shipwreck museum is the oldest ship recovered so far. It belongs to the period of the Hellenistic kingdoms founded after the death of Alexander.
Traffic in Cyprus drives on the left-side of the road.
Cyprus has three international airports - one at Larnaca one at Paphos and one at Ercan.
Life expectancy of men in Cyprus is 76; life expectancy of women in Cyprus is 80.
Crime rate is very low in Cyprus, making it one of the safest places in the world to live.