Cy·prus (s  pr s) An island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea south of Turkey. Site of an ancient Neolithic culture, the island was settled by Phoenicians c. 800 b.c. and thereafter fell successively to the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Macedonian Greeks, Egyptians again, and finally Romans (58 b.c.). The Byzantines controlled it from a.d. 395 until 1191, when it was captured by Richard I of England during the Third Crusade. Venice annexed it in 1489, Turkey conquered it in 1571, and Great Britain proclaimed its sovereignty in 1914. Cyprus became independent in 1960, but large-scale fighting between Greek and Turkish Cypriots led to the installment of a UN peacekeeping force in 1965. In 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus and established a separate Turkish state in the northern part. Nicosia is the capital and the largest city. Population: 788,000. |   |
Cyprus [ˈsaɪprəs]
n
(Placename) 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 virtual 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 U.N. to broker a reunification agreement have failed. Languages: Greek and Turkish. Religions: Greek Orthodox and Muslim. Currency: pound and Turkish lira. Capital: Nicosia. Pop. (Greek): 675 000 (2001 est.); (Turkish): 198 000 (2001 est.). Area: 9251 sq. km (3571 sq. miles)
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Cyprus - a country on the island of Cyprus; 80% of the people are of Greek origin and 20% or Turkish originenosis - the union of Greece and Cyprus (which is the goal of a group of Greek Cypriots) Cyprus - an island in the eastern Mediterranean capital of Cyprus, Nicosia - the capital and largest city of Cyprus |
| 2. | Cyprus - an island in the eastern Mediterranean Cyprus, Republic of Cyprus - a country on the island of Cyprus; 80% of the people are of Greek origin and 20% or Turkish origin Mediterranean, Mediterranean Sea - the largest inland sea; between Europe and Africa and Asia |
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