Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus)

Cyprus Republic of Cyprus
Status	Independent State
Capital	Nicosia
Land Area	9 240km21
Location	Asia, Europe, Mediterranean, Middle East
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	1.1m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	80.33yrs (2017)3
GNI	$29 459 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	CY, CYP, 1965
Internet Domain	.cy6
Currency	Euro (EUR)7
Telephone	+3578

1. Overview
2. Cyprus National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Politics and Freedom
5. Gender Equality
6. Religion and Beliefs
7. The Internet
8. Public Health Issues
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

#cyprus #eu #greece #human_rights #turkey #UK

“A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to seize control of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. The election of a new Cypriot president in 2008 served as the impetus for the UN to encourage both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reopen unification negotiations. In September 2008, the leaders of the two communities began discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“This island country possesses a fractured identity, a passionate people, and a culture, landscape and lifestyle that capture the imagination and produce plenty of surprises. ... Cyprus reflects its proximity to Asia and the Middle East in its culture, cuisine and history. Similarly evocative is the contrast between old and new, particularly evident in the capital, Nicosia (Lefkosia), where dilapidated buildings sit round the corner from smart boutiques and arty bars.

And yet with a stunning landscape and overall mild climate outside is where it´s at. From the varied beaches to the pine-clad interior, you can swim, dive, hike, bike, wine and dine, and, in winter, even ski.

Digging into the island´s past has unearthed extraordinary relics, including Neolithic dwellings, Bronze Age and Phoenician tombs and exquisite Roman mosaics. And while on the streets, keep your eyes peeled for Venetian walls, Byzantine castles and churches, Roman monasteries and Islamic mosques.

Experiencing the intrinsically different Greek and Turkish societies of the island´s present is increasingly easy for visitors - and will give a fuller picture of the complex and fractured Cypriot identity.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

The EU has acted on behalf of its member states on many occasions to support, foster, fund and encourage human rights protections in every region of the world, with agreement of its member states through the European Parliament. According to Human Rights Watch's comprehensive review for the year 2017, in addition to vocal and public pronouncements on poor human rights records of many countries, the EU has also acted through economic sanctions, political pressure and used other means to incentivize the adoption of human rights protections, even if these measures harm EU trading₁₁. It is to Cyprus's credit that it supports the EU in these actions.

2. Cyprus National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)12
Pos.		Lower is better Rank12
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
32	Andorra	32
33	Malta	33
34	Qatar	33
35	Cyprus	33
36	Poland	36
37	Lithuania	37
38	Chile	38
39	Saudi Arabia	38
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index13
Pos.		Higher is better Points13
1	Denmark	84.0
2	Sweden	83.9
3	Finland	83.5
	...
29	Slovenia	69.6
30	Hungary	69.4
31	Poland	67.2
32	Cyprus	66.9
33	Malta	66.7
34	Uruguay	66.0
35	Israel	65.9
36	Latvia	65.6
	World Avg	53.8
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#Cyprus #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #overpopulation #population

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)14
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10014
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
130	China	25.3
131	Mauritius	25.9
132	Uruguay	26.8
133	Cyprus	26.9
134	Chile	27.0
135	Macedonia	27.7
136	Luxembourg	28.3
137	Armenia	28.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)15
Pos.		%15
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
33	Eritrea	18.0
34	Croatia	17.1
35	Liechtenstein	17.1
36	Cyprus	17.0
37	Marshall Islands	16.6
38	Ireland	16.1
39	Belize	16.1
40	Azerbaijan	16.0
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)16
Pos.		2.0 is best16
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
87	Belarus	1.47
88	Slovenia	1.47
89	Italy	1.47
90	Cyprus	1.46
91	Moldova	1.46
92	Cuba	1.45
93	India	2.55
94	Germany	1.44
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010)15
Pos.		%15
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
25	Kazakhstan	19.5
26	Gabon	18.9
27	Lebanon	17.8
28	Cyprus	17.5
29	Gambia	16.6
30	Croatia	15.9
31	Austria	15.6
32	Spain	15.2
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)17
Pos.		Higher is better Years17
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
28	Malta	80.73
29	Slovenia	80.58
30	Denmark	80.41
31	Cyprus	80.33
32	Liechtenstein	80.16
33	Costa Rica	79.61
34	Cuba	79.57
35	Lebanon	79.54
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)18
Pos.		The Overpopulation of the Earth18
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
153	Mauritius	1.3m
154	Swaziland	1.2m
155	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.2m
156	Cyprus	1.1m
157	Djibouti	0.9m
158	Fiji	0.9m
159	Comoros	0.8m
160	Guyana	0.8m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Cyprus's population is predicted to rise to 1.301 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.46. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Politics and Freedom

#burundi #corruption #Cyprus #eritrea #france #freedom #human_development #human_rights #indonesia #mass_media #peace #politics #slavery

Corruption (2012-2016)19
Pos.		Higher is better Avg Score19
1	Denmark	90.8
2	New Zealand	90.6
3	Finland	89.4
	...
30	Bhutan	64.2
31	Botswana	63.0
32	Portugal	62.8
33	Cyprus	61.6
34	St Vincent & Grenadines	61.5
35	Israel	61.2
36	Taiwan	61.2
37	Poland	60.8
	World Avg	43.05
q=176.

Global Peace Index (2012)20
Pos.		Lower is better20
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
70	Cuba	1.95
71	Ukraine	1.95
72	Tunisia	1.96
73	Cyprus	1.96
74	Gambia	1.96
75	Gabon	1.97
76	Paraguay	1.97
77	Greece	1.98
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

Human Rights Watch Comments (2017)21
Pos.		Higher is better Score21
1	UK	9
2	France	9
3	Germany	9
	...
9	Luxembourg	6
10	Belgium	6
11	Greece	5
12	Cyprus	5
13	Czechia	5
14	Denmark	5
15	Romania	5
16	Estonia	5
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)22
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties22
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
30	Czechia	20
31	Georgia	20
32	Albania	20
33	Cyprus	20
34	Namibia	20
35	Ukraine	20
36	Macedonia	20
37	Slovakia	20
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)23
Pos.		Lower is better Rank23
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
30	Romania	30
31	France	31
32	Japan	32
33	Cyprus	33
34	Mauritius	34
35	S. Korea	35
36	Spain	36
37	Hungary	37
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013)24
Pos.		Lower is better24
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
21	Belgium	1294
22	Poland	1311
23	Slovakia	1325
24	Cyprus	1383
25	Cape Verde	1433
26	Australia	1524
27	Uruguay	1592
28	Portugal	1675
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery (2018)25
Pos.		Lower is better % Victims25
1	Japan	0.03
2	Canada	0.05
3	Taiwan	0.05
	...
81	Kosovo	0.40
82	Cape Verde	0.41
83	Kyrgyzstan	0.41
84	Cyprus	0.42
85	Kazakhstan	0.42
86	Lesotho	0.42
87	Georgia	0.43
88	Romania	0.43
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory₂₆. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends₂₇. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life₂₈. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves₂₉.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery₃₀. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity₃₁. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.₃₂. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₅, Eritrea₂₅, Indonesia₃₃) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery₃₄.

5. Gender Equality

#Cyprus #gender #misogyny #politics #women

Gender Inequality (2015)35
Pos.		Lower is better35
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
19	France	0.10
20	Israel	0.10
21	Japan	0.12
22	Cyprus	0.12
23	Greece	0.12
24	Australia	0.12
25	Lithuania	0.12
26	Ireland	0.13
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchialism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

Year Women Can Vote36
Pos.		Lower is better Year36
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
123	Tunisia	1959
124	Tanzania	1959
125	Tonga	1960
126	Cyprus	1960
127	Gambia	1960
128	El Salvador	1961
129	Rwanda	1961
130	Mauritania	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Cyprus is on the way towards ending gender inequality.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

6. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Religiosity (2009)37
Pos.		Lower is better %37
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
40	Armenia	73
41	Mexico	73
42	Poland	75
43	Cyprus	75
44	Macedonia	76
45	Bosnia & Herzegovina	77
46	Venezuela	79
47	Costa Rica	79
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₈:

Christian	73.2%
Muslim	25.3%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.2%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	1.2%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 99% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 75% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, other (includes Maronite and Armenian Apostolic) 4%₃₉.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems

7. The Internet

#Cyprus #internet #the_internet

Internet Users (2016)40
Pos.		Higher is better40
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
51	Poland	72%
52	Brunei	72%
53	Slovenia	72%
54	Cyprus	72%
55	Russia	71%
56	Oman	71%
57	New Caledonia	70%
58	Macedonia	69%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)41
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio41
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
78	Costa Rica	0.1
79	Serbia	0.1
80	Liechtenstein	0.0
81	Cyprus	0.0
82	Philippines	0.0
83	Macedonia	0.0
84	Pakistan	0.0
85	Paraguay	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

8. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #Cyprus #health #mental_health #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)35
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100035
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
7	Netherlands	4.0
8	Denmark	4.0
9	Japan	4.1
10	Cyprus	5.0
11	Sweden	5.7
12	Norway	5.9
13	Luxembourg	5.9
14	Italy	6.0
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010)42
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita42
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
141	Venezuela	8.9
142	USA	9.2
143	Sweden	9.2
144	Cyprus	9.2
145	Burundi	9.3
146	Argentina	9.3
147	Chile	9.6
148	Rwanda	9.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)43
Pos.		Lower is better Rank43
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
56	S. Africa	56
57	Slovenia	57
58	Morocco	58
59	Cyprus	59
60	Guinea	60
61	Sierra Leone	61
62	Honduras	62
63	Lebanon	63
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)44
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %44
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
61	Malta	95.5
62	Botswana	95.4
63	Gambia	95.4
64	Cyprus	95.3
65	Switzerland	95.3
66	Israel	95.2
67	Grenada	95.2
68	Slovenia	95.2
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014)45
Pos.		Lower is better45
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
157	Tunisia	1 628
158	Switzerland	1 634
159	Serbia	1 644
160	Cyprus	1 688
161	Croatia	1 709
162	Japan	1 713
163	Hungary	1 759
164	Estonia	1 775
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)46
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100k46
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
26	Israel	8.5
27	Georgia	8.8
28	Seychelles	8.9
29	Cyprus	9.1
30	Uzbekistan	9.3
31	Brazil	9.7
32	Colombia	9.9
33	Panama	10.9
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries