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

British sources also point out that aircraft carriers provide a runway where there otherwise wouldn't be one, but the UK has exactly that on land nearby - at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

From BBC

Online package holiday provider On The Beach said it has experienced a significant slowdown in demand following the onset of conflict in the Middle East, particularly to destinations such as Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt.

From BBC

Anti-jamming mechanisms were found in the wreckage of an Iranian-made drone that struck Cyprus in the opening days of the Middle East war, a European industry source told AFP.

From Barron's

And on Tuesday, a UK warship left port in southern England en route to the eastern Mediterranean to "bolster British defences in the region" after a drone attack on Britain's Akrotiri base in southern Cyprus.

From Barron's

They agreed, and Cyprus was born by emergency C-section.

From BBC