The visitor can find the Cyprus practical information useful to plan his visit to this island which was a Greek colony long ago. One third of the Cyprus is under the control of Turkey and it is named the Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Population and Currency

 

The population of Cyprus was 863,624 in 2008.  It had approximately 7.8 million people in 2007. The projected population for the year 2015 in Cyprus is 816,000. The Turkish region is more populated than Greek region. The official currency of the  Cyprus is  the Cypriot Pound (CYP).

Religion

There are many religions in Cyprus but the 2 main religions in number are the Orthodox and Muslim religions. In southern Cyprus, Greek Orthodox represents 77 percent of total population. In northern Cyprus, Sunni Muslims and followers of Islam represents 18 percent of total population. 1 percent represent the Eastern Orthodox religion and the remaining 4 percent represent Maronite, Armenian, Catholic Anglican and protestant, Jews and Greek Evangelic.   

Language

The official languages for Cyprus are Greek and Turkish. Greek is the predominant language for south Cyprus and Turkish is in the north Cyprus language. Greek is the official language which is spoken by approximately 23 million people in Cyprus. English is the second language which is widely spoken by the people. Now Russian is spoken. English is the sign of sophistication and Cypriots try to perfect their English. For Cypriots, it is very essential to learn Greek language.

Visa

When tourists want to visit to Cyprus they first must obtain a visa. The visa can be of short stay as travelers or long stay with the purpose of residence and employment. There is no need for a visa for short stays of 90 days but for long stays, a residence permit is required from the civil registration and migration department.

Safety

Terrorism is very low in Cyprus and tourist’s crimes are very rare in the country. Cyprus is very popular because it is very safe and friendly place. Emergency numbers are available at travel agencies, so that in case of any emergency, they can call an emergency number 112. Cypriots are good drivers and it is suggested to all tourists to take care on roads while traveling by cars.