Area:
9251 sq. km, it is the third largest island in the Mediterranean.
Length:
from west to east – 224 km, from north to south – 96 km.
Population:
737 thousand people, of which 83.5% are Greeks, 12.5% are Turks, 1% are national minorities – Armenians who settled here at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries and Arabs fleeing the Middle East armed conflict. 3% – foreign citizens, mostly British; in recent years a Russian colony has formed.
Population density:
77 people. per 1 sq. km.
Language:
Greek (Cypriot dialect), Turkish, English.
Religion:
Orthodoxy – 77%, Islam – 18%.
Highest point:
Mount Olympos (which the Cypriots themselves call Khionistra) with a height of 1951 m above sea level.
By form of government, Cyprus is a republic. The head of state is the president.
Capital:
Nicosia. Greek Cypriots call their capital Lefkosia (Lefcosia).
Largest cities:
Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta.
The currency of Cyprus is the Cypriot pound (C). (In the Turkish sector, the Turkish lira is in circulation). 1 pound = 100 cents. One Cypriot pound is approximately equal to $2.
Insurance:
The Cypriot authorities do not require an insurance policy when entering the country. First aid in emergencies will be provided to you free of charge in public clinics in Cyprus, but all other services (hospitalization, surgery, medical care) and medicines in the absence of insurance will have to be paid from your own funds, and even a regular visit to a private doctor will cost at least 10 pounds. An insurance policy can be issued at the travel agency where you buy the tour, or directly at the insurance company.
Climate:
According to FASHIONISSUPREME, Cyprus has over 300 sunny days a year and the island’s climate is considered the most favorable for health. Summer is hot, lasts from mid-May to mid-October, the temperature can rise to 35°C in the shade, but due to low humidity it is easily tolerated. On the island, two mountain ranges stretch from west to east – Troodos (Troodos) and Kyrenia (Keryneia), it is also called Pentadaktylos (Pentadaktylos) – “five fingers”, between them lay the fertile valley of Mesaoria (Mesaoria). The highest point in Cyprus – Mount Olympos – is located in Troodos. In the Troodos mountains, the temperature is always lower than in the plains. After Troodos, the Paphos area is considered the coolest part of the island. Winters are warm and mild with daily temperatures of 10 – 15°C; it is in winter in Cyprus that most of the annual precipitation falls. Snow falls in the Troodos mountains in winter,
Cyprus beaches
The beaches in the resort areas of Cyprus are mostly sandy, in some places picturesque rocks form cozy coves. Wild, urban and hotel-owned beaches differ in the degree of equipment and well-groomed. Local beach customs allow the appearance of women in the guise of “topless” (without the top of the swimsuit).
Wild beaches are good for the lack of people and all kinds of amenities.
The local population and “unorganized” tourists rest on the city beaches. City beaches themselves are free, but you have to pay for a sunbed or sun umbrella (about 1 C each).
The most thorough care and wide service is provided on the beaches belonging to the hotels. You can sunbathe on them for free, but any equipment and services require payment. Guests are offered water skiing, windsurfing, scuba diving with full equipment, water attractions.
The hotel beaches are separated from each other, but the division does not mean a ban on sunbathing or dining on a neighboring beach if you do not like the beach of your hotel.
There are restaurants and taverns almost everywhere. In addition, fruit and drink vendors constantly ply the beaches.
We strongly recommend that you overcome your own skepticism and stock up on sunscreen before heading to the beach. It will protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays and at the same time will not prevent you from sunbathing. Sunscreens from “Nivea”, “Garnier” and others are sold in all souvenir shops, which are called “supermarkets” in Cyprus, and cost 3 – 5 C for a 200 ml bottle. A cream is intended for face protection, and milk for the body (the bottle says “Sun Milk”). Please note: the number on the bottle (from 2 to 20) characterizes the degree of skin protection and corresponds to the protection factor. It shows how much longer you can stay in the sun while using milk without the risk of sunburn. If, under normal conditions, you, suppose, burn in the sun in 10 minutes,
For those who have already managed to tan well, milk with a protection factor of 2 may be suitable, and for those who have completely white skin and going to the beach for the first time this year, it is better to purchase milk with a factor close to 20. Usually tourists from our latitudes, who have just arrived in Cyprus, are recommended milk with a protection factor of 12 to 16.
Apply cream or milk evenly over the entire surface of the body, without rubbing. At one time, 30-40 g of the product is enough. Remember that bathing can reduce the protective properties of the drug, especially if the vial does not say “Water resistant” or “Waterproof”. In this case, after going ashore after swimming, apply the product to the skin again.
After a few days of a beach holiday, covered with the first tan, you can use a milk with a lower value of the protective factor. So, if you used a product with a factor of 16, change it to a milk with a factor of 12. And so on.
If you still burned out, then, just as in any conditions, you will be saved from suffering by folk remedies (kefir, sour cream or alcohol) or medicines (“Pantenol”) applied to the affected areas.
You should be aware of other, more rare, but still dangers. At the end of summer, a large number of jellyfish appear in the sea and some of them are able to “burn” the skin. Burn medication, baking soda, or ammonia can help with these injuries.
On wild beaches at any time of the year, you can stumble upon a sea urchin. They cling to rocks and stones. If this happens, the spines must be removed with a sterilized needle, after lubricating the skin with olive oil.
Fortunately, very rarely, but still there are sea dragons. They tend to burrow into the sand in intertidal areas so that only the spines on their backs and gills stick out. If someone happens to be pricked with such a needle, it is necessary to lower the affected limb into very hot water before rendering professional medical help. The venom of the sea dragon acts quickly and is very dangerous. If you do not take urgent measures, paralysis may occur.
Souvenirs of Cyprus
I want to bring a piece of culture and spirit from each country. In this article, 10 Cypriot souvenirs are selected (information from the Cyprus Tourism Organization itself). So:
- ” Lefkaritika “. Double-sided handmade embroidery with a traditional geometric pattern from the village of Lefkara. There are only three colors: white, pistachio and ecru. Napkins and tablecloths from Lefkara will be a great gift brought from Cyprus. Prices for Lefkarian lacemakers are high: a large tablecloth costs about 500 pounds, an embroidered napkin – about 8-10 pounds.
- ” Commandaria “. Thick sweet dessert wine. The best variety is “St. John” with a black label. Formerly produced in monasteries. The first producers of this nectar were the Knights Templar and King Richard the Lionheart. Price – from 4.5 pounds
- Ceramics. Quite inexpensive – 2-5 pounds – vases and cups, painted with scenes from ancient mythology: wall plates with a map of the island, jugs of traditional Cypriot shapes and colors.
- Statuette of the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite. Can be made from alabaster, clay or plastic. Most often in Cypriot souvenir stalls there is a copy of Venus from the famous painting by Botticelli. Prices – from 1 pound
- Replica of a terracotta figurine. A decoration resembling a cross. It has nothing to do with existing religions. The original, dating back to the 3rd millennium BC, is kept in the National Museum of Cyprus. According to scientists, the figurine is one of the pagan idols of the first inhabitants of the island. 3 to 10 pounds depending on size.
- Bottle gourd. Dried and hand painted with archaic ornament. And although such a pumpkin has no applied value, it can be a great addition to the interior of a kitchen or dining room. Prices – from 2 pounds.
- ” Pafitika “. Clothes, bedspreads, pillowcases, curtains, tablecloths and napkins with bright geometric designs, woven in the Paphos area. Prices from 2 pounds
- Zivania. Traditional alcoholic drink. This Cypriot vodka is also sold in gift boxes or in original design bottles. The strongest – 49-degree – is produced in the Kykkos monastery.
- Donkey figurine. One of the most popular symbols of Cyprus. A wide variety of figurines of these funny animals can be made of soft fabric and plastic, carved from wood or cast from steel. Prices from 3 pounds.
- Souvenir chess. Made in the form of bronze figures of characters from Greek mythology. Prices from 20 to 70 pounds.
