Cyprus, republic, and third-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, located west of Syria and south of Turkey. The island has a maximum length of about 225 km from Cape Andreas in the north-east to the western extremity of the island. Its maximum width, from Cape Gata in the south to Cape Kormakiti in the north, is about 97 km. The total area of the nation is 9,252 sq km. Nicosia is the capital and largest city. Since 1974 the northern third of Cyprus has been occupied by Turkish troops and has formed, de facto, a separate state.
Major attractions include the Cyprus Archaeological Museum, which contains cypriot antiquities and art treasures from the Neolithic Age to the early Byzantine period, the Byzantine Museum and Art Gallery, which has the largest collection of 9th- through 18th-century icons on the island and Kourion, the site of an important city-kingdom whose Greco-Roman amphitheater was built in the 2nd century B.C.

The traditional meze (appetizers) provides a unique sampling of everything that is available that day in the restaurant — as many as 30 dishes, starting with soup and salad; then traditional hot dishes such as haloumi, moussaka, afelia, stifado, souvlaki, sheftalia and calamari; ending with sweets. Good but inexpensive wines accompany this lingering repast, and as a finale try a local brandy with a cup of Cypriot coffee.

Immerse yourself in a culture that draws on Europe, the Middle East, and 9000 years of constant invasion. Crusader castles rub shoulders with ancient vineyards, frescoed monasteries overlook citrus orchards, and sandy, sun-soaked feet tread Roman mosaic floors.

If you could sneak your way past the Green Line, Cyprus would be two countries for the price of one. Unfortunately, this really is a country divided - since 1974, visitors have had to choose between the Turkish experience of the north and the Greek experience of the south.