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Cyprus

Cyprus
	Capital	Nicosia
	Population	796,740
	Area	9,250 sq km
	Language	Greek, Turkish, English
	Currency	Cyprus, Pound (CYP)
		1.000000£C (CYP) = 2.285016$ (USD)

This tiny island in the eastern Mediterranean, cradle of modern civilizations, has been raped and pillaged over the last few thousand years, by the Ancient Greeks, from whom the Cypriot culture was derived, the Romans, the Ottoman Turks and the British. ..who still retain a military presence on the island despite the fact that Cyprus gained its independence in 1960 and became a Constitutional Republic.
 
When the Turks invaded the northern part of the island in 1974, many thousands of the Greek Cypriots living there, were pushed as refugees to the south and the island has remained divided ever since. The Turks still occupy one third of the island in the north, the Greek Cypriots the other two thirds. Nicosia, the capital still has a ‘green line’ and a heavily mined buffer zone,  which makes it the only divided city left in the world today. There are designated border crossing points and there is relatively free movement between north and south, particularly for European Union citizens. However, you should take care about crossing into the south of the island if you flew into northern Cyprus first as the airports and ports here are considered illegal by the Republic; with a northern Cyprus stamp in your passport you are likely to be fined, or refused entry.
 
You cannot fly into northern Cyprus from the south, and visa versa. To fly from southern Cyprus to the north, you would have to first route through Turkey.

Cyprus finally joined the European Union in May 2004; despite a last ditch effort by the United Nations to unify the island, Cyprus entered Europe as a divided island. 

Tourism is the biggest earner, along with banking…and everybody with the exception of some of the older Cypriots in the outlying villages, speaks English, so it is a very easy place to expatriate to. There are currently some 40,000 British expats in southern Cyprus out of a total of 800,000 population
 
Cyprus has a Mediterranean climate….mild wet winters and hot dry summers. On average the sun shines for some 9 months of the year. The rainiest times are November to March when the rain, if it comes, can be torrential and the town streets immediately become flooded. Average temperatures in the winter months are 14deg.C in the summers 20degC. In the winter you don’t often need an overcoat, unless you go up to Troodos which is over 6,000ft above sea level and is several degrees colder, and where you can ski in the winter. It can still be very warm and sunny during the winter months and it is possible to ski up at Troodos in the morning and be on the beach sunbathing in the afternoon of the same day.
 
One of Cyprus’s biggest problems is shortage of water; there are several large reservoirs but if enough rain does not fall in the winter months, there can be severe shortages. In the last couple of years there has been a major problem and water rationing, particularly in the towns, has become the norm. There is one fully functioning de-salination plant, and there are plans for more which are not on stream yet.
 
Where to Live
Paphos, in the west, is where most retired (mostly British) expats live...Paphos is also the second biggest tourist centre, with many hotels and holiday apartments. There is a great deal of construction going on in this area with extravagant villas and housing estates.
 
Limassol is more of a commercial and business centre, with modern shops, cinemas, bowling alley, plenty of good restaurants and theatres including an outdoor theatre where during the summer ballets and musical evenings are hosted. This has a large, mostly young expat with families population.
 
Nicosia is the capital and the main cultural centre with fantastic restaurants, shopping, museums ands theatres. The colonial style architecture in the old town is still apparent although some of the most beautiful buildings are on or near the green line and have been destroyed.
 
Agia Napa is the biggest tourist resort ……with white sandy (imported!) beaches, and lively nightlife…this is where the young tourists like to go for the bars and clubs and is best avoided during the main summer tourist months. You probably would not choose to live here!
 
There are two main British Army bases…Dhekelia, near Agia Napa and Episkopi near Limassol. There is also a very big RAF base..Akrotiri, near Limassol.
 
Purchasing property is fairly straightforward, however, a word of caution; if you buy a property in the North of Cyprus be aware that if it originally belonged to a Greek Cypriot, you may have to hand it back to the original owner when the island is unified. The same applies to buying an older property in the south of the island if it was originally owned by a Turkish Cypriot.
 
Health and Senior Living
The medical services in Cyprus are excellent; it is a private system, and it is advisable to have insurance. There are many very modern, well appointed and well staffed clinics and medical care is still quite cheap compared to the UK and the States. There is a superb cardiac centre at the American Heart Hospital Nicosia. Many of the doctors have trained in the US and/or Europe and all the medical staff speak excellent English.
 
Tourist visas are valid for 90 days. European Nationals can move and live freely in Cyprus, but if you want to work you need a work permit and your employer would need to prove that there was no suitable Cypriot candidate. You can now start a business on the island without the requirement of a Cypriot partner.
 
Retirees can enter the country on a tourist visa and then apply for a Residence Visa from the Immigration Department; these last for a year and have to then be renewed on yearly basis. Proof of a secure monthly income has to be provided. Retirees pay tax at a flat 5% rate.
 
Infrastructure and Safety
Cyprus is a thoroughly 21st century country; there are very few roads as the island is so small…there is one main highway that links all the main cities, which is extremely modern and well maintained. Some more remote villages still have non-asphalt roads but they are gradually being re-surfaced. The Cypriots love their cars and spend a great deal of money on them…you will see many new models. Most transportation is private and there are very few public buses. Hiring a car is very easy…practically every corner shop will hire out a vehicle.
The phone, banking, television and mobile phone systems are superb.
 
One of the great features of Cyprus is the safety….violent crime is unheard of and you can easily leave your car or your house open with little worry of theft. It is quite safe to walk anywhere at night. Since accession to the EU petty crime is increasing due to the influx of other European nationals…and the big tourist areas have more crime than the rest of the island.
 
People and Culture.
The people are generally very friendly; they are a touch racist when it comes to the Sri Lankans and Philippinos who are employed as maids and gardeners etc. and are not well treated in general.
The Cypriots love anything modern and covet the newest, the latest of anything from cars and mobile phones, to washing machines and TVs.
It does help to learn something of the Greek language, although it is not easy to pick up, especially when so many Cypriots speak such good English.
 
However, Cyprus is no longer a cheap destination – since joining the EU and adopting the Euro, prices have increased dramatically and are on a par now certainly with the US and UK.