Cyprus 2019
Yearbook 2019
Cyprus. For the first time since 2017, a decision was made to initiate talks led by UN chief Ant車nio Guterres between Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı. The goal is to arrive at a solution to the long-standing conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
The conflict between both parts of the island became less strained when the EU decided in October to impose sanctions on Turkey if the country does not cease its drilling for natural gas inside Cyprus’ economic sea zone. Turkey, for its part, claims that it only protects the interests of its and the island’s Cypriots through the drilling. In addition, the Turkish Cypriot part is not covered by Cyprus’s rights as an EU country.
At the EU elections in May, the ruling Democratic Assembly (DISY) won by a narrow margin (29%). In second place came the left party AKEL (27%). Both parties retain their two seats each in the European Parliament.
- ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG: Click to see the meanings of 3-letter acronym and abbreviation of CYP in general and in geography as Cyprus in particular.
In the Turkish Cypriot part of the island, Tufan Erh邦rman’s government resigned in early May after the coalition partner the People’s Party withdrew. Ersin Tatar of the Opposition National Unity Party (UBP) was commissioned by President Akıncı to form government, which happened a few weeks later.
In June, 35-year-old former army officer Nikos Metaxas was sentenced to a seven-year life sentence for the murder of five foreign women and two children. According to CountryAAH, Metaxas admitted the crimes as early as April. When he got his verdict, he said: ※The Cypriot community will wonder how one of their own could end up so wrong. I also asked myself why, but failed to find any answer […] to these heinous crimes. ” Metaxas goes to history as “Cyprus’s first serial killer”. Police Chief Zachariah Chrysostomou and Justice Minister Ionas Nicolau were forced to resign in May because of the murders. The reason is the authorities’ lack of interest in foreign citizens (read refugees) because of racism and prejudice. Three of the women and one six-year-old child came from the Philippines; a woman and a child came from Romania.
Population 2019
According to CountryAAH, the population of Cyprus in 2019 was 1,198,464, ranking number 158 in the world. The population growth rate was 0.780% yearly, and the population density was 129.7159 people per km2.
