LOCATION
Cyprus, at the crossroads of the continents of Europe, Africa and Asia is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily and Sardinia with an area of 9.251 sq. m.

POPULATION
According to official data the total population of Cyprus at the end of 2002 was 802500 of whom 80% of the Christian Greek community and speak Greek, 11% belong to the Moslem Turkish Cypriot community and speak Turkish and 9% are foreign workers and expatriates residing in Cyprus. English is widely spoken in Cyprus and regular used in commerce and government.

CYPRUS IN THE WORLD
The Republic of Cyprus became an independent sovereign state on 16 August 1960, with a democratic presidential system of government. Human rights, political pluralism and private property are safeguarded in the constitution. Cyprus is a member of EU since 1 st May 2004.

It’s also a member state of the United Nations and other international organizations, including the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

CLIMATE
The island is renowned for its climate, a mild winter, superb spring and autumn and pleasant summer. The mean daily temperature in July and August ranges between 30C on the central plain and 22C on the Troodos mountains, while the average maximum temperature for these months ranges between 35C and 27C respectively.

Winters are mild. The island, on average enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine every year, and the rainy season is confined to the period between November and March. Snow occurs rarely in the lowland but falls every winter on ground over 1.000 meters on the Troodos range

LANGUAGE
The mother tongue is Greek with English tracing just behind while other international languages as German, French and Russian are widely spoken.

HEALTH
The island enjoys a high standard health system with hospitals and clinics in every town offering very high standard of medical treatment.

The cost of health treatment is much lower than on the European mainland while for almost al medical cases including open heart surgery, kidney transplants and cancer treatment , there are specialized centers on the island.

EDUCATION
In each town there are primary schools for the thousands of expatriate English and other European families living permanently or working with offshore companies on the island. English is used as a second language

UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE EDUCATION
The University of Cyprus and reputable colleges associated to British Universities offer higher educational opportunities to Cypriot and international students. The colleges that are associated to British Universities use English as the teaching language.

BANKING IN CYPRUS
Based on the British system, Cyprus offers large range of banking services for businesses and individual alike.

Transfers of pensions, salaries and investment income from abroad are straightforward via the modern and efficient Cypriot banking system. The domestic and Foreign Banks operating here are: Bank of Cyprus, Cyprus Popular bank, Hellenic Bank Alpha Bank , Arab Bank Universal Bank, that also have branches in the UK , as well as a number of offshore banks.

TRANSPORTATION IN CYPRUS
The islands two international airports are situated in Larnaka and Paphos. Scheduled flights link Cyprus to most major cities in Europe , Africa and Asia .

Cyprus is a major regional maritime center. Residents and visitors alike can easily enjoy luxury cruises to the Greek Islands , mainland Greece , Italy , Egypt , Israel and Lebanon.

Driving in Cyprus on the left and distances between towns are relatively short and joined by a good network of roads and motorways.

Visitors holding a valid driving license from their country or an international driver’s

license can drive in Cyprus

QUALITY OF LIFE AND COST OF LIVING IN CYPRUS
The standard of living and the quality of life in Cyprus are excellent. A virtually pollution free environment, enviably low crime rates and areas of untouched natural beauty make the island a comfortable tax free and magnificent place to reside.

The relatively low cost of leaving is just another reason why Cyprus is so appealing to many foreigners wishing to buy a home abroad. A couple for example, can live comfortably on CYP 8,000.00 p.a. Eating out, everyday groceries and general services compare favorably to the price in the UK and other European countries.