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Κυπριακή
Ολυμπιακή Επιτροπή
Created: 1974 - Recognised: 1978
www.olympic.org.cy |
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Population: |
802,000 |
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Area: |
9,251 sq.km. |
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Latest update:
08/06/2009 18:17 +0300
 Cyprus:
ANDORRA
| CYPRUS
| ICELAND
|
LIECHTENSTEIN |
LUXEMBOURG
| MONACO
| MALTA
| SAN MARINO
Cyprus is an island nation
situated in the eastern Mediterranean. The country's
capital, located centrally on the island, is Nicosia. Since
1974, the northern part of the country has been occupied by
Turkish troops and Nicosia remains, to this day, the last
divided city in Europe.
Much of the land is a flat,
treeless but fertile plain located in the interior and
extending from coast to coast. Called the Mesaoria, from
"between the mountains" in Greek, it is bordered on the
north and south by mountain ranges, the Troodos and Kyrenia.
The Kyrenia Range, in the north, parallels the coastline,
extending into the Karpas Peninsula to the east. Its highest
elevation is 1,019m. The rugged Troödos Mountains cover most
of the south-western area of the island. Parts of this range
are thickly forested. Mount Olympus, its highest peak, rises
1,952 meters, the highest point on the island.
Cyprus has a typical
Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and a cool,
rainy season extending from October to March. The mean
annual temperature is 21°C, but temperatures can sometimes
exceed 38°C on the Mesaoria Plain in the summer. The annual
rainfall averages less than 500mm. Snow may falls high in
the Troodos Mountains.
Cyprus joined the European
Union on 1 May 2004 and joined the eurozone on 1 January
2008, making the euro national currency. The official languages of
Cyprus are Greek and Turkish.
 Since first taking part in
the Olympic Games as an independent nation in 1980, Cyprus
has never won an Olympic medal. However, Ioannis Phrangoudis,
competing for Greece, Phrangoudis won the Rapid-Fire Pistol
competition at the first modern Olympic Games, in Athens in
1896. Later in the competition, Phrangoudis added a silver
in the Free Rifle Three Positions event, plus a bronze in
the Free Pistol competition.
To this day Phrangoudis
(seated, in the photo, between the other 1896 shooting
medallists of Greece, Karassevdhas and Orphanidhis) is the only Cypriot to have ever won an Olympic
medal.
Several Cypriot athletes are
included on inscriptions of winners of the Ancient Olympic
Games, when participation was limited to athletes of
Hellenic origin.
Cyprus is hosting the Games
of the Small States of Europe for the second time in 2009,
following the very successful 1989 edition. Throughout the
history of the competition, Cyprus has been amongst the top
contenders for medals, topping the rankings four times in 12
editions--including the last three events of 2003, 2005 and
2007.
Andorra |
Cyprus |
Iceland |
Liechtenstein |
Luxembourg |
Monaco |
Malta |
San Marino |
