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CYPRUS

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Originally appearing in Volume V07, Page 697 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CYPRUS , one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean, nominally in the dominion of See also:

Turkey, but under See also:British See also:administration, situated in the easternmost See also:basin of that See also:sea, at roughly equal distance from the coasts of See also:Asia See also:Minor to the See also:north and of See also:Syria to the See also:east. The headland of Cape Kormakiti in Cyprus is distant 44 M. from Cape Anamur in Asia Minor, and its north-east point, Cape St See also:Andrea, is 69 m. from Latakieh in Syria. It lies between 340 33' and 350 41' N., and between 320 20' and 340 35' E., so that it is situated in almost exactly the same See also:latitude as See also:Crete. Its greatest length is about 141 m., from Cape Drepano in the See also:west to Cape St Andrea in the north-east, and its greatest breadth, from Cape Gata in the See also:south to Cape Kormakiti in the north, reaches 6o m.; while it retains an See also:average width of from 35 to 50 M. through the greater See also:part of its extent, but narrows suddenly to less than 10 m. about 340 E., and from thence sends out a See also:long narrow See also:tongue of See also:land towards the E.N.E. for a distance of 46 m., terminating in Cape St Andrea. The See also:coast-See also:line See also:measures 486 m. Cyprus is the largest See also:island in the Mediterranean after See also:Sicily and See also:Sardinia. In 1885 a trigonometrical survey and a See also:map on the See also:scale of 1 in. to 1 m. were made by See also:Captain (afterwards See also:Lord) See also:Kitchener, R.E., who worked out the See also:area of the island at 3584 sq. m., or a little more than the area of See also:Norfolk and See also:Suffolk. Mountains.—Great part of the island is occupied by two See also:mountain ranges, both of which have a See also:general direction from west to east. Of these the most extensive, as well as the most lofty, is that which fills up almost the whole See also:southern portion of the island, and is generally designated by See also:modern geographers as See also:Mount See also:Olympus, though that name appears to have been applied by the ancients only to one particular See also:peak. The highest See also:summit is known at the See also:present See also:day as Mount Troodos, and attains an See also:elevation of 6406 ft. It sends down subordinate ranges or spurs, of considerable See also:altitude, on all sides, one of which extends to Cape Arnauti (the See also:ancient Acamas). which forms the north-west extremity of the island, while others descend on both sides quite to the See also:northern and southern coasts. On the south-eastern slope are governmental and military summer quarters.

The See also:

main range is continued eastward by the lofty summits known as Mount Adelphi (5305 ft.), Papoutsa(5 124) and Machaira or Chionia (4674), until it ends in the somewhat isolated peak called See also:Santa Croce (Stavrovouni or Oros Stavro), the See also:Hill of the See also:Holy See also:Cross (2260 ft.). This mountain, designated by See also:Strabo Mount Olympus, is a conspicuous See also:object from Larnaca, from which it is only 12 M. distant, and is well known from being frequented as a See also:place of See also:pilgrimage. The northern range of mountains begins at Cape Kormakiti (the ancient Crommyon) and is continued from thence in an unbroken See also:ridge to the eastern extremity of the island, Cape St Andrea, a distance of more than roo m. It is not known by any collective name; its western part is called the Kyrenia mountains, while the See also:remainder has the name of Carpas. It is inferior in elevation to the southern range, its highest summit (Buffavento) attaining only 3135 ft., while in the eastern portion the elevation rarely exceeds 2000 ft. But it is remarkable for its continuous and unbroken character—consisting throughout of a narrow but rugged and rocky ridge, descending abruptly to the south into the See also:great See also:plain of Lefkosia, and to the north to a narrow plain bordering the coast. The Mesaoria.—Between the two mountain ranges lies a broad plain, extending across the island from the See also:bay of See also:Famagusta to that of Morphou on the west, a distance of nearly 6o m., with a breadth varying from to to 20 m. It is known by the name of the Mesaoria or Messaria, and is watered by a number of intermittent streams from the mountains on either See also:hand. The See also:chief streams are the Pedias and .the Yalias, which follow roughly parallel courses eastward. The greater part of the plain is open and uncultivated, and presents nothing but barren See also:downs; but See also:corn is grown in considerable quantities in the northern portions of it, and there is no doubt that the whole is readily susceptible of cultivation. It is remarkable that Cyprus was celebrated in antiquityfor its forests, which not only clothed the whole of its mountain ranges, but covered the entire central plain with a dense See also:mass, so that it was with difficulty that the land could be cleared for cultivation. At the present day the whole plain of the Mesaoria is naturally See also:bare and treeless, and it is only the loftiest and central summits of Mount Olympus that still retain their covering of See also:pine See also:woods.

The disappearance of the forests (which has in a measure been artificially remedied) naturally affected the See also:

rivers, which are mostly See also:mere torrents, dry in summer. Even the Pedias (ancient Pediaeus) does not reach the sea in summer, and its stagnant See also:waters See also:form unhealthy marshes. In the marshy localities malarial See also:fever occurs but is rarely (in modern times) of a severe type. The mean See also:annual temperature in Cyprus is about 69° F. (mean maximum 78°, and minimum 570). The mean annual rainfall is about 19 ins. See also:October to See also:March is the cool, wet See also:season. Earthquakes are not uncommon. See also:Geology.—Cyprus lies in the continuation of the folded See also:belt of the See also:Anti-See also:taurus. The northern coast range is formed by the See also:oldest rocks in the island, consisting chiefly of limestones and See also:marbles with occasional masses of igneous See also:rock. These are supposed to be of Cretaceous See also:age, but no fossils have been found in them. On both sides the range is flanked by sandstones and shales (the Kythraean See also:series), supposed to be of Upper See also:Eocene age; and similar rocks occur around the southern mountain mass.

The Oligocene consists of See also:

grey and See also:white marls (known as the Idalian series), which are distributed all over the island and attain their greatest development on the south See also:side of the Troodos. All these rocks have been folded, and take part in the formation of the mountains. The great igneous masses of Troodos, &c., consisting of See also:diabase, See also:basalt and See also:serpentine, , are of later date. See also:Pliocene and later beds See also:cover the central plain and occur at intervals along the coast. The Pliocene is of marine origin, and rests unconformably upon all the older beds, including the See also:Post-oligocene igneous rocks, thus proving that the final folding and the last volcanic outbursts were approximately of See also:Miocene age. The caves of the Kyrenian range contain a See also:Pleistocene mammalian See also:fauna. See also:Population.—The population of Cyprus in 19or was 237,022, an increase of 27,736 since 1891 and of 51,392 since 1881. The See also:people are mainly Greeks and See also:Turks. About 22% of the population are Moslems; nearly all the remainder are Christians of the Orthodox See also:Greek See also:Church. The Moslem religious courts, presided over by cadis, are strictly confined to See also:jurisdiction in religious cases affecting the See also:Mahommedan population. The island is divided into the six districts of Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, See also:Limasol, See also:Nicosia and Papho. The chief towns are Nicosia (pop.

14,752), the See also:

capital, in the north central part of the island, Limasol (8298) and Larnaca (7964) on the south-eastern coast. The other capitals of districts are Famagusta on the east coast, Kyrenia on the north, and Ktima, capital of Papho, on the south-west. Kyrenia, a small See also:port, has a See also:castle built about the beginning of the 13th See also:century, and notable, through the troubled See also:history of the island, as never having been captured. See also:Agriculture, &c.—The most important See also:species of the few trees that remain in the island are the See also:Aleppo pine, the Pinus laricio, See also:cypress, See also:cedar, carob, See also:olive and Quercus alnifolia. See also:Recent additions are the See also:eucalyptus, See also:casuarina, Pinus pinea and See also:ailanthus. Some See also:protection has been afforded to existing plantations, and some See also:attempt made to extend their area; but the progress in both directions is slow. Agriculture is the chief See also:industry in the island, in spite of various disabilities. The See also:soil is extremely fertile, and, with a See also:fair rainfall, say 13 in., between See also:November and See also:April, yields magnificent crops, but the improvements in agriculture are scarcely satisfactory. The methods and appliances used are extremely See also:primitive, and inveterate See also:prejudice debars the average See also:peasant from the use of new implements, fresh See also:seed, or manure; he generally cares nothing for the rotation of crops, or for the cleanliness of his land. Modern improvements and the use of imported machinery have, however, been adopted by some. A director of agriculture was appointed in 1896, and leaflets are issued pointing out improvements within the means of the villager, and how to See also:deal with plant diseases and See also:insect pests. The products of the soil include See also:grain, See also:fruit, including carob, olive, mulberry, See also:cotton, vegetables and oil seeds.

See also:

Vine-yards occupy a considerable area, and the native wines are pure and strong, but not always palatable. The native practice of conveying See also:wine in tarred skins was deleterious to its flavour, and is now for the most part abolished. A See also:company has exploited and improved the industry. Large sums have been expended on the destruction of locusts; they are now practically harmless, but live locusts are diligently collected every See also:year, a See also:reward being paid by the See also:government for their destruction. Under the superintendence of an officer See also:lent by the government of See also:Madras, two great See also:works of See also:irrigation, from the lack of which agriculture had seriously suffered, were undertaken in 1898 and 1899. The smaller includes a See also:reservoir at Syncrasi (Famagusta), with a catchment of 27 sq. m. and a capacity of 70,000,000 cub. ft. It reclaims 36o acres, and was estimated to irrigate 4320. The larger See also:scheme includes three large reservoirs in the Mesaoria to hold up and temporarily See also:store the See also:flood waters of the Pedias and Yalias rivers. The estimate premised a cost of £50,000, the CYPRUS See also:English Mites 5 ?° Capital of Island : ® r ot5 Capitols of Districts o ,,a~Ra Minoan and Mycenennt Mari c`os, sites underlined 1 See also:Rail. ay.. . --+ '1/°!obo4B Reference to Districts 1. Famagusta 2. 1Syrenia 9.

Larnaca 1. Limasol 5. Nicosia 6. Fapho irrigation of 42,000 acres, and the reclamation of 1o,000. These works were completed respectively in 1899 and 1901. The rearing of live stock is of no little importance. A See also:

committee exists " for the improvement of the breeds of Cyprus stock "; stallions of Arab See also:blood have been imported, and prizes are offered for the best donkeys. See also:Cattle, See also:sheep, mules and donkeys are sent in large See also:numbers to See also:Egypt. Cyprus mules have found favour in See also:war in the See also:Crimea, See also:India, See also:Uganda, See also:Eritrea and Egypt. The sea See also:fisheries are not important, with the exception of the sponge See also:fishery, which is under the protection of the administration. The manufactures of the island are insignificant. Minerals.—Next to its forests, which long supplied the Greek monarchs of Egypt with See also:timber for their fleets, Cyprus was celebrated among the ancients for its See also:mineral See also:wealth, especially for its mines of See also:copper, which were worked from a very See also:early See also:period, and continued to enjoy such reputation among both Greeks and See also:Romans that the modern name for the See also:metal is derived from the See also:term of Aes Cyprium or Cuprium by which it was known to the latter.

According to Strabo the most valuable mines were worked at a place called Tamasus, in the centre of the island, on the northern slopes of Mount Olympus, but their exact site has not been identified. An attempt to See also:

work copper towards the See also:close of the 19th century was a failure, but some prospecting was subsequently carried on. Besides copper, according to Strabo, the island produced considerable quantities of See also:silver; and See also:Pliny records it as producing various kinds of See also:precious stones, among which he mentions diamonds and emeralds, but these were doubtless nothing more than rock crystal and See also:beryl. See also:Salt, which was in ancient times one of the productions for which the island was noted, is still made in large quantities, and there are extensive salt works in the See also:neighbour-See also:hood of Larnaca and Limasol, where there are practically inexhaustible salt lakes. Rock crystal and See also:asbestos are still found in the See also:district of See also:Paphos. See also:Gypsum is exported unburnt from the Carpas, and as See also:plaster of See also:Paris from Limasol and Larnaca. Statuary See also:marble has been found on the slopes of Buffavento in the northern range. Excellent See also:building See also:stone exists throughout the island. See also:Commerce.—A See also:disability against the See also:trade of Cyprus has been the want of natural harbours, the ports possessing only open roadsteads; though early in the loth century the construction of a satisfactory commercial See also:harbour was undertaken at Famagusta, and there is a small harbour at Kyrenia. Trade is carried on principally from the ports already indicated among the chief towns. The various agricultural products, cattle and mules, See also:cheese, wines and See also:spirits, See also:silk cocoons and gypsum make up the bulk of the exports. See also:Barley and See also:wheat, carobs and raisins may be specially indicated among the agricultural exports.

The annual value of exports and of imports (which are of a general See also:

character) may be set down as about £300,000 each. See also:Good roads are maintained connecting the more important towns, and when the harbour at Famagusta was undertaken the construction of-a railway from that port to Nicosia was also put in hand. The Eastern See also:Telegraph Co. maintains a See also:cable from See also:Alexandria (Egypt) to Larnaca, and the greater part of the lines on the island. The Imperial See also:Ottoman Telegraph Co. has also some lines. The British See also:sovereign is the current See also:gold See also:coin, the unit of the See also:bronze and silver coinage being the piastre (1I See also:penny). See also:Turkish weights and measures are used. The oke, equalling 2.8 lb See also:avoirdupois, and the donum, about i of an See also:acre, are the chief See also:units. Constitution and Government.—Under a See also:convention signed at See also:Constantinople on the 4th of See also:June 1878, Great See also:Britain engaged to join the See also:sultan of Turkey in defending his See also:Asiatic possessions (in certain contingencies) against See also:Russia, and the sultan, " in See also:order to enable See also:England to make necessary See also:provision for executing her engagement," consented to assign the island of Cyprus to be occupied and administered by England. The British See also:flag was hoisted on the 12th of June, and the conditions of the occupation were explained in an annex to the convention, dated the 1st of See also:July. An order in See also:council of the 14th of See also:September,modified so far as related to legislation by another of the 3oth of November, regulated the government of the island. The administration was placed in the hands of a high See also:commissioner with the usual See also:powers of a colonial See also:governor. Executive and legislative See also:councils were established; and in each of the six districts into which, for administrative and legal purposes, the island was divided, a commissioner was appointed to represent the government.

The executive council consists of the high commissioner, the chief secretary, the See also:

king's See also:advocate, the See also:senior officer in See also:charge of the troops, and the See also:receiver-general, with, as " additional " members, two Christians and one Mussulman. The legislative council consists of six non-elected members, being See also:office-holders, and twelve elected members, three being chosen by the Moslems and nine by the non-Moslem inhabitants. British subjects and foreigners, who have resided five years in Cyprus, can exercise the See also:franchise as well as Ottoman subjects. The qualification otherwise is the See also:payment of any of the taxes classed as Vergi Taxes (see below). The courts in existence at the See also:time of the occupation were superseded by the following, constituted by an order in council dated the 3oth of November 1882:—(1) a supreme See also:court of criminal and See also:civil See also:appeal; (2) six See also:assize courts; (3) six district courts; (4) six magistrates' courts; and (5) See also:village courts. Actions are divided, according to the See also:nationality of the See also:defendant, into " Ottoman " and " See also:Foreign "; in the latter, the See also:president of the court alone exercises jurisdiction as a See also:rule, so also in criminal cases against foreigners. The See also:law administered is that contained in the Ottoman codes, modified by ordinances passed by the legislative council. See also:Finance.—The See also:principal See also:sources of See also:revenue are: (i) Vergi taxes, or taxes on See also:house and land See also:property, and trade profits and incomes (not including salaries) ; (2) military exemption tax, payable by Moslems and Christians alike, but not by foreigners, of 2s. 6d. a See also:head on See also:males between 18 and 6o years of age; (3) See also:tithes. All tithes have been abolished, except those on cereals, carobs, silk cocoons,. and, in the form of ad valorem export duties, those on cotton, See also:linseed, aniseed and raisins (all other export duties and a fishing tax have been abolished); (4) sheep, See also:goat, and See also:pig tax; (5) an See also:excise on wine, spirits and See also:tobacco; (6) import duties; (7) stamps, court fees, royalties, licenses, &c.; (8) salt See also:monopoly. Foreigners are liable to all the above taxes except the military exemption tax. The annual sum of £92,800, payable to Turkey as the average excess (according to the years 1873–1878) of revenue over See also:expenditure, but really appropriated to the See also:interest on the British guaranteed See also:loan of 1855, is a heavy See also:burden.

But if not lightened, See also:

taxation is at least better apportioned than formerly. Instruction.—A general See also:system of grants in aid of elementary See also:schools was established in 1882. There are some 300 connected with the Greek Orthodox Church, and 16o elementary Moslem schools. Aid is also given to a few Armenian and Maronite schools. Among other schools are a Moslem high school (maintained entirely by government), a training See also:college at Nicosia for teachers in the Orthodox Church schools, Greek high schools at Larnaca and Limasol, an English school for boys and a girls' school at Nicosia. By a law of 1895 See also:separate boards of See also:education for Moslem and Greek See also:Christian schools were established, and in each district there are separate committees, presided over by the commissioner. An institution worthy of See also:special See also:notice is the See also:home and See also:farm for lepers near Nicosia, accommodating over a See also:hundred inmates.

End of Article: CYPRUS

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