Bike in Cyprus

Historical overview:

the third largest island in the Mediterranean and the eastern limit of the European Union, Cyprus lies close to Syria, Turkey, the Lebanon and Egypt. This important location and valuable resources of timber and metals attracted Greek settlers three thousand years ago. Copper, used in the manufacture of bronze, gets its name from Kypros–the Greek name for the island. Early wealth brought successive waves of invaders and Cyprus has been ruled by Romans, Franks, Venetians, Ottomans and by Britain in the 20th century. Cyprus finally gained its independence in 1960 with the Greek language, culture and Orthodox Church still the dominant influence, although the north of the island has been partitioned since the 1974 Turkish invasion. Today, 800,000 people live in Cyprus, with 209,000 living in the capital, Nicosia. Around the same number of Greek Cypriots live in London.

Environment:

this lovely island with its sunny beaches, cool pine-clad mountains, tranquil timeless villages and beautiful Byzantine churches attracts visitors from all over Europe. Cyprus has many species, particularly plants, which are found nowhere else in the world. Griffon vultures, foxes, fruit-eating bats, sea turtles and moufflon, a wild sheep endemic to Cyprus, can all be seen.