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Living Conditions |
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The political, administrative and legal system |
The Republic of Cyprus has a presidential system of government. The president is elected for five years directly by the people in a secret ballot with universal suffrage. Executive power is exercised by a cabinet of 11 members which is appointed by the president. The constitution also provides for there to be a Turkish Cypriot vice-president, but that post has been vacant since 1963. In the case of the temporary absence of the president of the Republic, his functions are performed by the president of the House of Representatives.
Legislative power is exercised by the House of Representatives. The deputies are elected for five years by universal suffrage via a simple proportional representation system. The House has 80 seats, of which 56 (70%) are for Greek Cypriot deputies and 24 (30%) for Turkish Cypriot deputies. Because of the events which ensued after 1963 and of the Turkish invasion of 1974, the legislative chamber of the Republic of Cyprus has only the 56 Greek Cypriot deputies.
The administration of justice is exercised by the Supreme Court of the Republic, the assize courts and the district courts.
The Central Bank of Cyprus is responsible for shaping and implementing the monetary and credit policies of the state. The Central Bank also manages the Republic’s currency reserves, supervises the banks and acts as the government’s banker and financial representative.
Under the constitution, the president of the Republic appoints a number of independent officers of state, such as the Attorney-General (who is the Republic’s legal adviser), the Auditor-General, the director of the Central Bank and the Commissioner for Administration.
Power at local government level is exercised by municipal and community councils and groupings of communities. There are 33 municipalities and 353 community councils and groupings of communities. The municipal councils provide services and have administrative powers in the cities and large rural areas; the community councils manage local government affairs in the villages. The councils are independent bodies, and their members are elected by universal suffrage.
Other general information
- As a result of the military invasion and occupation of part of the island in 1974, the lawful government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise control over the northern part of the country. Under the treaty of accession to the European Union, the implementation of the Community acquits in that zone is suspended pending a settlement of the political problem.
- The official languages of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish. The majority of people speak at least one other language, mostly English.
- The currency of the Cyprus Republic is the Cyprus pound. On 1 May 2004 (the date on which Cyprus joined the EU), one Cyprus pound was equal to EUR 1.7050 (EUR 1 = £0.5865).
- The Republic is obliged to provide representation by a lawyer where a plaintiff or defendant in a court case is unable to afford representation in court, and an application for a representative is filed on a legal-aid basis (this happens most frequently in criminal cases).
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| Incomes and cost of living |
The main items of taxable personal income are income from employment and income obtained by self-employed persons for their services.
Income from capital investments includes the following:
- Receivable rents
- Receivable dividends
Cyprus has indirect taxes such as VAT, for which the rate is 15%.
Other forms of taxable income include pensions, any one-off payment made as an end of service gratuity, compensation for death and bodily harm and unemployment income.
Cost of living
The inflation rate in Cyprus in 2003 was 4.1%. The unemployment rate was 3.5%. Information on these matters is available on the websites of the Central Bank of Cyprus, the Statistical Service, the Ministry of Finance and the Cyprus Consumers’ Association.
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| Shopping |
Shop opening hours are different in winter and summer. In the winter period from 1 November to 31 March they open at 09.00 and close, in accordance with the law, at 19.00, except on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays when they close at 14.00, 20.00 and 15.00, respectively. Sunday is not a working day.
In the summer period from 1 April to 31 October, the shops open at 09.00 and close, in accordance with the law, at 08.30, except on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays when they close at 14.00, 21.30 and 17.00, respectively. From 15 June to 31 August, the afternoon rest measure applies and the shops are closed between 14.00 and 17.00. Sunday is not a working day.
It should be noted that although the legislation provides for the hours of business stated above, the smaller shops generally do not keep to the exact closing times and close about an hour earlier than required by law.
All urban areas have kiosks which are open for longer than the shops or even for 24 hours a day. A large number of bakeries stay open until 23.00. The kiosks sell cigarettes, soft drinks, mineral water and magazines and newspapers, etc., and the bakeries sell bread, other bakery products and milk and dairy products, etc.
The official public holidays for shops are: 1 January, 25 March, 1 April, Easter Monday, 1 May, 1 October, 28 October, 25 December and 26 December.
An order of the Minister for Labor and Social Insurance designates tourism areas, and in those areas the shops adhere to the tourism system of opening hours which allows for longer opening all through the week and for Sunday opening.
In the Christmas period, which begins on 12 December and ends on 30 December, and the Easter period, which begins 10 days before Easter Sunday, the shops are open for longer.
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| The cultural and social life |
Cyprus has an area of 9 251 square kilometers and is the third largest island in the Mediterranean. It has high temperatures from May to September. From October to March it has gentle winter weather with lower temperatures and some rain. The highest mountains are snow-covered from December to February.
Sights worth seeing
The history of the island from ancient times offers much to interest people from abroad. The island is full of cultural monuments, including Neolithic settlements, classical Geek and Roman monuments, Byzantine and Latin churches and monasteries, Frankish and Venetian fortresses and castles and mosques.
The cultural life of Cyprus is also expressed through the fine arts. Prose writing, poetry, music, dance, painting and sculpture are some of the arts that flourish on the island.
Cyprus has a number of museums (archaeological, folk and traditional craft museums among others), art galleries and other places of note, all of which are listed on the website of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (KOT).
The various councils and other bodies organise many cultural events. Most of the events take place in the summer and around Christmas and Easter.
The KOT website carries details of a large number of sports that are available in Cyprus for those who are interested, and which visitors can watch or take part in. They include golf, car sports, air sports, lawn tennis, swimming, bowling, cycle racing, football and horse riding, etc. Naturally, given the high temperatures (mainly in the summer) and the long coasts of the island, there is great interest in marine activities such as water skiing, use of high-speed craft (including jet skis), sailing, rowing (in dinghies, for example). In the summer, a lot of water parks are open in all coastal areas.
In winter, many Cypriots and foreigners go to the ski centres in the Troodos Mountains, which are snow-covered at that time of year.
Entertainment and night life
Cyprus has a large number of taverns (which offer traditional dishes and aperitif foods) and restaurants offering various cuisines (Greek, Chinese, Italian, European, Mexican and Japanese, etc.). The coastal summer resorts such as Agia Napa and all cities and areas have many entertainment and recreational centres, some of which stay open until the early hours. Many taverns and entertainment centers have Greek music and dancing. There are also many clubs which provide entertainment until the early hours with modern music and DJs who are very good.
There are theatre and music presentations throughout the year, mainly in the cities. The frequency of events increases in the summer when the ancient tragedies and comedies are presented, operatic performances and classical music concerts are provided by Greek and foreign artists, and world-famous groups and artists give concerts.
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| Private life (birth, marriage, deaths) |
Mothers give birth in state and private hospitals and private clinics. Births must be registered at the office of the eparchy of the city in which they take place. All the district administrations issue birth certificates. After the application for the registration of the new-born child has been completed and signed by the doctor who attended the birth, one copy is retained by the clinic at which the child was born, a second copy is sent to the local district administration and a third copy is given to the parents of the child so that they can register the baby at the registry of births. In order for a birth certificate to be issued, the particulars of the citizen must be registered in the population archive.
It should be noted that every pregnant woman who is a citizen of the European Union and staying in Cyprus is entitled to give birth at a state hospital and to have the cost charged to her country of provenance if she has a Form E111.
Weddings
Cyprus allows both civil and religious weddings.
Civil weddings are carried out at municipal offices by the mayors. The process is very simple. The couple is required to:
- Furnish documentary evidence of their identities (e.g. passports)
- Furnish certificates from an official authority of their home country stating that they are unmarried
- Attend at the municipal offices and complete the relevant application forms, produce the relevant documentary evidence and pay a fee of £75 (about EUR 128).
The wedding may not take place earlier than 15 days after the submission of the application. However, if the couple wishes to marry before the 15 days (even on the same day) the fee is £165 (about EUR 282). It should be noted that where there is insufficient convincing documentation to show that the persons concerned are not already married, one or both of the persons may be asked to make a declaration on oath at the district court concerning his marital status.
Divorced persons who wish to marry at a civil wedding in Cyprus are required to furnish a decree absolute document. Widowers and widows are required to furnish the death certificate of the deceased spouse.
Lastly, a request may be made for relevant documents which are not in Greek or English to be translated into one of those languages and certified as true copies. In such cases, the parties concerned (the couple) must also furnish the originals of the documents in whatever language they were issued.
Religious marriages are carried out at churches of many Christian denominations in Cyprus, in particular Orthodox and Catholic churches. There are also Maronite and Armenian churches.
Deaths
When a death occurs, a death certificate is issued by a doctor (or a coroner’s report is issued in specific cases) and a form is completed and furnished to the local office of the eparchy.
Useful Contacts:
- Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus: Tel. 00357 - 22554600.
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| The health system |
Cyprus does not yet have a general health system. The state health services provide medical care free of charge or at reduced fee rates to certain categories of residents as explained below.
- Free treatment is provided for individuals with a yearly income of up to £9 000 and for families with a yearly income of up to £18 000, raised by £1 000 for each child, as well as for various other groups such as state officials, deputies of the House of Representatives, state officials, government workers, people on state pensions, members of the National Guard, families with many children, certain categories of persons with a disability or chronic illness, students at the various tertiary institutions and residents of various charitable institutions, etc.
- Treatment with coverage of 50% of outpatient fees (treatment, that is, at state sector establishments without admission to hospital) is provided for persons with a yearly income of between £9 001 and £12 000 and for families with a yearly income of between £18 001 and £22 000, raised by £1 000 for each child. The fees for hospital treatment are fixed according to income, but in no cases exceed 50% of the standard fees.
- Hospital charges for the treatment of patients who are not in the categories stated above may be reduced according to level of the fees and the patient’s income.
Emergency care is provided free for all persons who arrive at accident and emergency departments. Any further treatment in acute cases is provided on the basis of the conditions described above.
Temporary visitors to the island are also provided with treatment free of charge at state sector establishments when they present Form E111, and citizens of the European Union on state retirement pensions who transfer their residence to Cyprus are provided with treatment free of charge when they present Form E121. The cost of the treatment is charged to the patient’s country of provenance on the basis of the Form E111 or Form E121.
All of the districts now have new hospitals, and construction of the New General Hospital in Nicosia is under way. In recent years, in particular, there has been substantial development of tertiary medicine, and, as a result, cases which used to be sent abroad for treatment are now treated in Cyprus.
At the same time, the private medical treatment sector has grown substantially and now caters for many cases requiring primary and secondary medical care. It should be noted that all cities in Cyprus have private hospitals and clinics as well as surgeries in all specialisms.
Many employers in Cyprus provide their workers with medical insurance packages which in most cases cover a large portion of the treatment cost.
Useful Contacts:
- Ministry of Health – Free Movement of Patients
Address: Ministry of Health, 1448, Nicosia
Tel.: 00357 - 22400115
- Ministry of Health – General Coordination of EU Affairs
Address: Ministry of Health, 1448, Nicosia
Tel.: 00357 - 22400195
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Other Useful information about Cyprus
History of Cyprus , Nicosia History , Larnaca History , Pafos History , Limassol History , Kyrenia History , Find property for sale in Cyprus , General information about Cyprus , Cyprus Weather , Population , The Banking System in Cyprus , Cyprus Culture , Religion , More about Religion in Cyprus , Geography , Manufacturing , Cyprus Entertainment & Nightlife , Events , Cyprus Customs & Traditions , Art and Museums , Cyprus Stock Exchange , Getting around Cyprus , Airlines , Accommodation , Coming to Cyprus! What to pack , Agricultural Cooperatives , Driving in Cyprus , Horse Riding in Cyprus , Tennis in Cyprus , Golf in Cyprus , Hiking Cyprus , Camping in Cyprus , Fishing in Cyprus , Bowling in Cyprus , Badminton in Cyprus , Boat trips in Cyprus , Cyprus Rally (History) , Cyprus Mountain Resorts , Troodos , Akamas , The European Blue Flag Campaign , Health , Literature in Cyprus , Woodcarving in Cyprus , Traditional Costumes of Cyprus , Phiti Weaving , Traditional Pottery in Cyprus , Traditional Basketry in Cyprus , Lefkara Lace , Art in Cyprus , Supermarkets in Cyprus , Flower shops in Cyprus , Cyprus Map , Cyprus and the European Union , Shopping Hours , Cost of Living
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