The coast close to Paphos.

Cyprus is a Eurasian island nation in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea south of the Anatolian peninsula (Asia Minor). It is heir to the heritages of classical Greece, the Byzantine Empire and centuries of Frankish, Venetian and Ottoman rule.

The Republic of Cyprus is divided into six districts: Nicosia (the capital, Greek: Lefkosia, Anglicised: Nicosia), Ammochostos (Famagusta), Keryneia (Kyrenia), Larnaka (Larnaca), Lemesos (Limassol), and Pafos. A former British colony, the Republic of Cyprus gained independence in 1960 while the United Kingdom retained two Sovereign Base Areas.