Cyprus

Cyprus, the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, lies south of Türkiye and west of Syria and Lebanon. Two mountain ranges frame it: the Troodos massif in the south-west, where Mount Olympus rises above pine forests and small churches painted with Byzantine frescoes, and the narrow Kyrenia range along the north coast. Between them lies the broad Mesaoria plain. The south coast runs past Limassol and Paphos to the wild Akamas peninsula, and summers are long and dry.

Copper made ancient Cyprus rich, and the metal is named after the island. Mycenaean Greeks, Phoenicians, Persians and Romans came in turn, and legend places the birth of Aphrodite on its south-west coast. Richard I of England seized the island in 1191; Lusignan kings and then Venice ruled until the Ottomans arrived in 1571, and Britain took over in 1878. Independence came in 1960. In 1974 a coup backed by the military government in Athens was followed by the arrival of Turkish forces, and the island has been divided since. Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004.

Halloumi grilled until it squeaks, meze spreads of a dozen small dishes and Commandaria, a sweet wine made in the Troodos foothills since the Middle Ages, belong to every celebration. Lefkara lace, embroidered by village women, has a place on UNESCO’s list. Tourism along the south coast, shipping companies that manage fleets from Limassol, financial and professional services, and potatoes and citrus from the plains make up most of the economy.