ABOUT CYPRUS

Cyprus is situated in the eastern Mediterranean, lying at the hub of three continents and close to the busy trade routes linkingWestern Europe with the Arab World and the Far East. Cyprus' total area is 9.25 1 sq kms and is comparable in size to Lebanon in the Middle East or Connecticut in the United States. The bulk of the rain falls during the period from November to March.

The coldest month is January with minimum and maximum mean temperatures of 6 C and 13 C, respectively, while in August, the hottest month, the corresponding minimum and maximum mean temperatures are 21 C and 36 C. Cyprus' estimated population is 730.000 of which 87,5 percent belongs to the Greek Cypriot community and 12,5 percent to the Turkish Cypriot community. Greek and Turkish are the official languages of the Republic but English is widely spoken and understood, and is regularly used in commerce and government. Apart from the capital, Nicosia, with an estimated population of 189.000, all major cities are located on the coast. Limassol is the second largest city and the island's biggest port. Larnaca and Limassol and Famagusta which are popular holiday resorts, are the third and fourth and fifth largest cities, respectively. The island's time zone is exactly 7 hours ahead of New York and 7 hours behind Tokyo. The island enjoys the best type of Mediterranean climate with about 300 days of sunshine per year.

Cyprus has a high standard of living compared with other European countries. Living conditions are very pleasant and the annual per capita income is well over US$14.500. If other socio-economic indicators are considered, such as, infant mortality, life expectancy, housing conditions, air pollution, number of doctors, hospital beds, cars, televisions and telephones, one will definitely justify the high quality of life on the island. The inflation rate since 1990 has been around 3% whilst unemployment

rate is currently about 4%.