Cyprus

American  

[sahy-pruhs] / ˈsaɪ prəs /

noun

1. an island republic in the Mediterranean, south of Turkey: formerly a British colony; independent since 1960. 3,572 sq. mi. (9,250 sq. km). Nicosia.

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Cyprus British  

/ ˈsaɪprəs /

noun

1. an island in the E Mediterranean: ceded to Britain by Turkey in 1878 and made a colony in 1925; became an independent republic in 1960 as a member of the Commonwealth; invaded by Turkey in 1974 following a Greek-supported military coup, leading to the partition of the island. In 1983 the Turkish-controlled northern sector declared itself to be an independent state as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus but failed to receive international recognition. Attempts by the UN to broker a reunification agreement have failed. Cyprus joined the EU in 2004. The UK maintains two enclaves as military bases (Akrotiri and Dhekelia Sovereign Base Areas), which are not included in Cyprus politically. Languages: Greek and Turkish. Religions: Greek Orthodox and Muslim. Currency: euro and Turkish lira. Capital: Nicosia. Pop (Greek): 838 897 (2011 est); (Turkish): 265 100 (2006 est). Area: 9251 sq km (3571 sq miles)

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Cyprus Cultural  

1. Island republic in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey and west of Syria. Nicosia is its capital and largest city.

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Discover More

People of Greek origin make up four-fifths of the population, and those of Turkish origin compose the other fifth. Conflict between the two led to a Turkish invasion that divided the island in the 1970s.

Other Word Forms

• anti-Cyprus
  adjective
• pro-Cyprus
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Cyprus

It will continue to train soldiers preparing to be deployed or on deployments - such as units sent to Estonia, the Falklands or Cyprus.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

The incident took place three days after a deadly ferry accident off Northern Cyprus in which eight Turkish nationals died, with rescuers still hunting for another 20 people listed as missing.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

The ferry had departed from the Northern Cyprus port of Kyrenia -- called Girne Kepuveia in Turkish -- heading to the Turkish port of Tasucu.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

“Our immediate focus is on Xavier, Cyprus, and Jasper’s health and wellbeing.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

But Christians did control fertile islands in the Mediterranean, such as Sicily, Cyprus, and Rhodes.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson