There are but small traces of the Stone Age, but the Bronze Age was characterized by a well-developed and clearly marked civilization. The people quickly learned to work the rich copper mines of the island. The Mycenean civilization seems to have reached Cyprus at around 1600 B.C. and several Greek and Phoenician settlements that belong to the Iron Age can be found on the island.

In the 6th century B.C., Amasis of Egypt conquered Cyprus, which soon fell under the rule of the Persians when Cambyses conquered Egypt. In the Persian Empire, Cyprus formed part of the fifth satrapy and in addition to tribute it had to supply the Persians with ships and crews.

Cyprus became part of the Byzantine Empire after the partitioning of the Roman Empire in AD 395, and remained so for almost 800 years, though with brief period of Arab domination and influence.

After the rule of the rebelious Byzantine Emperor Isaac Comnenus, King Richard I of England captured the island in 1191 during the Third Crusade. On May 6, 1191, Richard's fleet arrived in the port of Lemesos (now Limassol). Richard captured the city.

Guy of Lusignan purchased the island from Richard in 1192 compensated for the loss of his kingdom by purchasing Cyprus from the Templars. The Republic of Venice took control in 1489 after the death of the last Lusignan Queen, after which the Ottoman Empire conquered the Island in 1570.

Cyprus was placed under British control on 4 June 1878 as a result of the Cyprus Convention, which granted control of the island to Britain in return for British support of the Ottoman Empire in the Russian-Turkish War.

Cyprus was formally annexed by the United Kingdom in 1913 in the run-up to the First World War. Many Cypriots, now British subjects, signed up to fight in the British Army, in this and in the Second World War.

Independence was attained in 1960 after exhaustive negotiations between the United Kingdom, as the colonial power, and Greece and Turkey, the cultural 'motherlands' for two of the communities on Cyprus. The constitution produced by the negotiations was a binding document allocating government posts and public offices by ethnic quota.

Tension began in 1963 when Makarios proposed thirteen amendments to the unworkable constitution of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots were opposed to the proposal since it relegated their status to a minority, instead of co-founders of the state, whilst also removing their community’s constitutional safeguards. These amendments were largely seen as a move towards Enosis (union with Greece) by Turkish Cypriots.

By 1974, dissatisfaction among Greek nationalist right-wing elements in favour of the long-term goal of Enosis precipitated a coup d'etat against President Makarios which was sponsored by the military government of Greece and led by the Cypriot National Guard. The new regime replaced Makarios with Nikos Giorgiades Sampson as president, and Bishop Gennadios as head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church. Seven days after these events, Turkey invaded Cyprus by sea and air on 20 July 1974, presenting the invasion as an act of protection for the island's 18% Turkish Cypriot minority.

After 1974, there were near-continual efforts to negotiate a settlement, which met with varying levels of hostility from either side.

Since the invasion, the southern part of Cyprus has greatly grown economically, and the country enjoys a high standard of living. The north maintains a lower standard of living due to the economic embargoes placed since its unilateral declaration of independence and because of the continued occupation.

Cyprus joined the European Union as a full member in May 2004. Although it was the island as a whole which joined (including the occupied areas) the Acquis communautaire applies only to those areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus.

Long Beach Property Developers
3 Gr. Afxentiou Ave., Avensia Court 3, Shop 1
P.O. Box 40626, Larnaca 6306, Cyprus

Telephone: +357 24 82 40 24
Mobile: +357 99 47 78 79 or +357 99 44 55 30
Facsimile: +357 24 82 40 25
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