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Due to ethnic tension, the island was invaded by Turkey in 1974 who occupied the northern part of the island. Presently, the island is divided into four main parts namely:
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The administrative area under the Republic of Cyprus .
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The administrative area under the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus .
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The buffer zone separating the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus called the “Green Line”. This region is under the control of the United Nation.
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The British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotri and Dhekelia, acquired by the British under the Treaty of Establishment of the Republic.
In addition, Greek Cypriot has three de-jure exclaves. They are the villages of Xylotymvou, Ormidhia, and the Dhekelia Power Station. All these exclaves lie within the British Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia. Although Cyprus was admitted into the EU in 2004, only the Greek controlled region is recognised internationally.
The island has a rich ancient history dating back as far as 10,000 BC. Archeological remains from the Neolithic era have been found at Shillourokambos, Khirokita, and Kastros confirming the existence of these early settlers in Cyprus . By 1600 BC, the Mycenaean Greeks began settling in Cyprus . The second wave of Greek settlement took place 500 years later around 1100 BC. Because of its strategic location, Cyprus had been ruled in succession by the Assyrians, the Egyptians, and the Persians since 709 BC. After the Persians, the island was brought under the rule of Alexander the Great. For a short spell, the island achieved a measure of political stability which lasted until Alexander's death.
From 58 BC, the Romans controlled Cyprus until 966 AD, with a brief period under the Arabs. The island also played a part in the missionary journey of Paul the Apostle as one of his first stops. In 1191, the crusader king, Richard the Lion Hearted, captured Cyprus . He later presented it to the titular King of Jerusalem, Guy of Lusignan in 1192. By 1492, the Republic of Venice annexed Cyprus and fortified the capital, Nicosia , with the Venetian Walls. Due to continuous attacks by the Ottoman Empire, Cyprus finally felled in 1570.
Under the terms of the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, Cyprus became a British colony. And in 1960, Cyprus achieved its independence from the British. In 1963, due to the ethnic tension which arose after the abolition of minority rights, Cyprus became a divided country. Tensions between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots reached such a highpoint that in 1974 it climaxed with the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus . Since then repeated efforts by the UN to reunify the country had failed. By 2004, with increased international pressure on Turkey , Cyprus was allowed to join the European Union. Since then, political tensions between Cyprus and Turkey had subsided substantially. This was evident by the demolition of the iconic wall of division at Ledra Street in the heart of the capital by the Greek Cypriots in early 2008. Today, with the Green Line open, it is possible to travel relatively unhindered between the two ends of Cyprus .
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