Cyprus

Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus is a Eurasian island country in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, south of Anatolia and east of the island of Crete in Greece. Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, attracting over 2.4 million tourists per year. A former British colony, it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960 and became a Commonwealth republic in 1961. Since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 Cyprus has been divided by a Turkish military occupation of approximately one-third of the island in the north. Since 1983, the occupied territory has declared itself as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognised by the Republic of Turkey. The government of the Republic of Cyprus remains the only internationally recognised government of the island. The Republic of Cyprus is a fully developed country and has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004.