The 2001 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

mortality rate: 7.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.89 years

      male: 74.6 years

      female: 79.3 years (2001 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 1.93 children born/woman (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (1999 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 400 (1999 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

      Nationality: noun: Cypriot(s)

      adjective: Cypriot

      Ethnic groups: Greek 78% (99.5% of the Greeks live in the Greek Cypriot area; 0.5% of the Greeks live in the Turkish Cypriot area), Turkish 18% (1.3% of the Turks live in the Greek Cypriot area; 98.7% of the Turks live in the Turkish Cypriot area), other 4% (99.2% of the other ethnic groups live in the Greek Cypriot area; 0.8% of the other ethnic groups live in the Turkish Cypriot area)

      Religions: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian

       Apostolic, and other 4%

      Languages: Greek, Turkish, English

      Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

      total population: 94%

      male: 98%

      female: 91% (1987 est.)

      Cyprus Government

      Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus

      conventional short form: Cyprus

      note: the Turkish Cypriot area refers to itself as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC)

      Government type: republic

      note: a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in July 1974 after a Greek junta-based coup attempt gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC), recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly support a settlement based on a federation (Greek Cypriot position) or confederation (Turkish Cypriot position)

      Capital: Nicosia

      Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca,

       Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos; note - Turkish Cypriot area's

       administrative divisions include Kyrenia, all but a small part of

       Famagusta, and small parts of Lefkosa (Nicosia) and Larnaca

      Independence: 16 August 1960 (from UK); note - Turkish Cypriot area proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975

      National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish

       Cypriot area celebrates 15 November (1983) as Independence Day

      Constitution: 16 August 1960; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and to better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently; in 1975 Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated State of Cyprus," which was renamed the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in 1983; a new constitution for the Turkish Cypriot area passed by referendum on 5 May 1985

      Legal system: based on common law, with civil law modifications

      Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch: chief of state: President Glafcos CLERIDES (since 28 February 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the 1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot

      head of government: President Glafcos CLERIDES (since 28 February 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the 1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot

      cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed jointly by the president and vice president

      elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 15 February 1998 (next to be held NA February 2003)

      election results: Glafcos CLERIDES reelected president; percent of vote - Glafcos CLERIDES 50.8%, George IAKOVOU 49.2%

      note: Rauf R. DENKTASH has been "president" of the Turkish Cypriot area since 13 February 1975 ("president" elected by popular vote for a five-year term); elections last held 15 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2005); results - Rauf R. DENKTASH reelected president after the other contender withdrew; Dervis EROGLU has been "prime minister" of the Turkish Cypriot area since 16 August 1996; there is a Council of Ministers (cabinet) in the Turkish Cypriot area

      Legislative branch: unicameral - Greek Cypriot area: House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to the Greek Cypriots, 24 to Turkish Cypriots; note - only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); Turkish Cypriot area: Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

      elections: Greek Cypriot area: last held 27 May 2001 (next to be held NA May 2006); Turkish Cypriot area: last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2003)

      election results: Greek Cypriot area: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - AKEL (Communist) 20, DISY 19, DIKO 9, KISOS 4, others 4; Turkish Cypriot area: Assembly of the Republic - percent of vote by party - UBP 40.3%, DP 22.6%, TKP 15.4%, CTP 13.4%, UDP 4.6%, YBH 2.5%, BP 1.2%; seats by party - UBP 24, DP 13, TKP 7, CTP 6

      Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the Supreme

       Council of Judicature)

      note: there is also a Supreme Court in the Turkish Cypriot area

      Political parties and leaders: Greek Cypriot area: Democratic Party

       or DIKO [Tassos PAPADOPOULOS]; Democratic Rally or DISY [Nikos

       ANASTASIADHIS]; Restorative Party of the Working People or AKEL

       (Communist Party) [Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS]; Social Democrats Movement

       or KISOS (formerly United Democratic Union of Cyprus or EDEK)

       [Vassos LYSSARIDIS]; United Democrats Movement or EDE (formerly Free

       Democrats Movement or KED) [George VASSILIOU]; Turkish Cypriot area:

       Communal Liberation Party or TKP [Mustafa AKINCI]; Democratic Party

       or DP [Salih COSAR]; National Birth Party or UDP [Enver EMIN];

       National Unity Party or UBP [Dervis EROGLU]; Our Party or BP [Okyay

       SADIKOGLU]; Patriotic Unity Movement or YBH [Izzet IZCAN];

       Republican Turkish Party or CTP [Mehmet ALI TALAT]

      Political pressure groups and leaders: Confederation of Cypriot

       Workers or SEK (pro-West); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor

       Unions or Dev-Is; Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or

       Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or PEO (Communist controlled)

      International organization participation: Australia Group, C, CCC,

       CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,

       ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,

       Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, NSG, OAS

       (observer), OPCW, OSCE,