Date of independence, or formation date: 1960
Date when current borders were established: 1960
National day: Oct 1
Vehicle country identifying code: CY
Time zone (hours plus or minus from GMT): +2
International telephone dialling code: +357
Internet country identifying code: .cy

The island of Cyprus, which rises from a central plateau to a high point at Mount Olympus, lies south of Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean. It was partitioned in 1974, following an invasion by Turkish troops. The south of the island is the Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus (Cyprus); the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is recognized only by Turkey.

From "The Financial Times World Desk Reference" © Dorling Kindersley 2004