1.
Cyprus
–
Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean. It is located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel and Palestine, north of Egypt, the earliest known human activity on the island dates to around the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological remains from this include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia. Cyprus was settled by Mycenaean Greeks in two waves in the 2nd millennium BC, Cyprus was placed under British administration based on Cyprus Convention in 1878 and formally annexed by Britain in 1914. While Turkish Cypriots made up 18% of the population, the partition of Cyprus and creation of a Turkish state in the north became a policy of Turkish Cypriot leaders, following nationalist violence in the 1950s, Cyprus was granted independence in 1960. On 15 July 1974, a coup détat was staged by Greek Cypriot nationalists and elements of the Greek military junta in an attempt at enosis and these events and the resulting political situation are matters of a continuing dispute. The Cyprus Republic has de jure sovereignty over the island of Cyprus, as well as its territorial sea and exclusive economic area, another nearly 4% of the islands area is covered by the UN buffer zone. The international community considers the part of the island as territory of the Republic of Cyprus occupied by Turkish forces. The occupation is viewed as illegal under law, amounting to illegal occupation of EU territory since Cyprus became a member of the European Union. Cyprus is a major tourist destination in the Mediterranean, on 1 January 2008, the Republic of Cyprus joined the eurozone. The earliest attested reference to Cyprus is the 15th century BC Mycenaean Greek
Cyprus
–
A copper mine on Cyprus. In antiquity, Cyprus was a major source of copper.
Cyprus
–
Flag
Cyprus
–
Archeologic site of Choirokoitia with early remains of human habitation during Aceramic Neolithic period (reconstruction)
Cyprus
–
Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates,
Kourion
2.
Politics of Cyprus
–
The Republic of Cyprus is a unitary presidential representative republic, whereby the President of Cyprus is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government, legislative power is vested in both the government and the parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature, Cyprus has been a divided island since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Athens government. Since then, the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus has controlled the south two-thirds, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, only recognized by Turkey, the northern one-third. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus has continued as the internationally recognized authority on the island. Cyprus operates under a multi-party system, with communist AKEL and right-leaning Democratic Rally in the forefront, centrist DIKO and lesser parties often form a coalition with the Presidents party and are allotted a number of ministries. The House of Representatives was elected on the basis of separate voters rolls, since 1964, following clashes between the two communities, the Turkish Cypriot seats in the House remained vacant, while the Greek Cypriot Communal Chamber was abolished. The responsibilities of the chamber were transferred to the newfounded Ministry of Education, by 1967, when a military junta had seized power in Greece, the political impetus for enosis had faded, partly as a result of the non-aligned foreign policy of Cypriot President Makarios. Enosis remained a goal, despite being pushed significantly further down the political agenda. Dissatisfaction in Greece with Makarios convinced the Greek colonels to sponsor the 1974 coup in Nicosia, the invasion is called Cyprus Peace Operation by the Turkish side. Turkish forces captured the part of the island. Many thousands of others, from both sides, left the island entirely, in addition to many of the Greek Cypriot refugees, many Turkish Cypriots also moved to the UK. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriots declared an independent state called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, in 1985, the TRNC adopted a constitution and held its first elections. Cyprus has been divided, de facto, into the Greek Cypriot controlled southern two-thirds of the island, the Republic of Cyprus is the internationally recognised government of the Republic of Cyprus, that controls the southern two-thirds of the island. Aside from Turkey, all governments and the United Nations recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole island of Cyprus. Its territory, a result of the Turkish invasion of 1974 and whose status remains disputed, the north proclaimed its independence in 1975. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriots declared an independent Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, in 1985, they adopted a constitution and held elections—an arrangement recognized only by Turkey. For information pertaining to this, see Politics of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference granted it observer member status under the name of Turkish Cypriot State
Politics of Cyprus
–
The capital Nicosia remains divided since 1973. The UN buffer zone separates the two sectors.
Politics of Cyprus
–
Cyprus
Politics of Cyprus
–
Ministry of Commerce Industry and Tourism
3.
Cyprus dispute
–
The dispute, however, was finally shifted, under the British administration, from a colonial dispute to an ethnic dispute between the Turkish and the Greek islanders. The 1974 Cypriot coup détat prompted Turkey to invade, and occupy the part of the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus. This zone separates the areas of the Republic of Cyprus. Recent years have seen warming of relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, with officially renewed reunification talks beginning in early 2014, the island of Cyprus was first inhabited in 9000 BC with the arrival of farming societies who built round houses with floors of terazzo. Cities were first built during the Bronze Age and the inhabitants had their own Eteocypriot language until around the 4th century BC, the island was part of the Hittite Empire as part of the Ugarit Kingdom during the late Bronze Age until the arrival of two waves of Greek settlement. Cyprus experienced an uninterrupted Greek presence on the island dating from the arrival of Mycenaeans around 1100 BC, the Greek population of Cyprus survived through multiple conquerors, including Egyptian and Persian rule. In the 4th century BC, Cyprus was conquered by Alexander the Great and then ruled by the Ptolemaic Egypt until 58 BC, after an interval of Islam Khalifate, the island returned to Roman rule until the 12th century. After an occupation by the Knights Templar and the rule of Isaac Komnenos, the island in 1192 came under the rule of the Lusignan family, in February 1489 it was seized by the Republic of Venice. Between September 1570 and August 1571 it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, starting in the early nineteenth century, ethnic Greeks of the island sought to bring about an end to almost 300 years of Ottoman rule and unite Cyprus with Greece. Under the terms of the agreement reached between Britain and the Ottoman Empire, the island remained an Ottoman territory, the Christian Greek-speaking majority of the island welcomed the arrival of the British as a chance to voice their demands for union with Greece. When the Ottoman Empire entered World War I on the side of the Central Powers, Britain renounced the agreement and all Turkish claims over Cyprus and declared the island a British colony. In 1915, Britain offered Cyprus to Constantine I of Greece on condition that Greece join the war on the side of the British, Turkish Cypriots consistently opposed the idea of union with Greece. In 1925 Britain declared Cyprus to be a Crown Colony, in the years that followed, the determination for enosis continued. In 1931 this led to open revolution, a riot resulted in the death of six civilians, injuries to others and the burning of the British Government House in Nicosia. In the months that followed, about 2,000 people were convicted of crimes in connection with the struggle for union with Greece, Britain reacted by imposing harsh restrictions. Military reinforcements were dispatched to the island and the constitution suspended, a special epicourical police force was formed consisting of only Turkish Cypriots, press restrictions instituted and political parties banned. Two bishops and eight other prominent citizens directly implicated in the conflict were exiled, municipal elections were suspended, and until 1943 all municipal officials were appointed by the government. In addition, the flying of Greek or Turkish flags or the display of portraits of Greek or Turkish heroes was forbidden
Cyprus dispute
–
Ottoman admiral, geographer and cartographer
Piri Reis ' historical map of
Cyprus
Cyprus dispute
–
Cyprus
Cyprus dispute
–
A
Greek Cypriot demonstration in the 1930s in favour of
Enosis (union) with
Greece
Cyprus dispute
–
President of the
Republic of Cyprus, archbishop
Makarios III (left) and Vice President Dr.
Fazıl Küçük (right)
4.
Cypriot Annan Plan referendums, 2004
–
A referendum on the Annan Plan was held in the Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on 24 April 2004. The two communities were asked whether they approved of the revision of the United Nations proposal for reuniting the island. While it was approved by 65% of Turkish Cypriots, it was rejected by 76% of Greek Cypriots. Turnout for the referendum was high at 89% among Greek Cypriots and 87% among Turkish Cypriots, political leaders in the Republic of Cyprus and Greece strongly opposed the plan. Tassos Papadopoulos, president of the Republic of Cyprus, spoke out against the plan in a speech broadcast live on television, two days before the referendums, Cypruss biggest party, Progressive Party of Working People, decided to reject the Annan Plan. Nevertheless, opinion polls conducted in the Republic of Cyprus over the period of the negotiations from start to finish had always shown around 80% opposition to the proposals. Greek Cypriots have not voted uniformly on the Annan Plan and their voting behaviour was strongly depended on their partisanship and their location. However, it was opposed by their leadership, with the Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktaş actively advocating a no vote, however, his Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat favoured the plans acceptance, while Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also supported it. Turkey saw a resolution of the Cyprus issue as being an essential first step to eventual Turkish membership of the EU as well as a way of defusing tensions with Greece, the Grey Wolves actively advocated a no vote. There were some limited riots caused by the Grey Wolves party activists against pro-ratification supporters during the pre-vote period, at least 50 such activists had arrived in Northern Cyprus during the pre-voting period. However, the referendum itself passed off peacefully and was deemed free, Greek Cypriots disputed the right of Turkish Cypriots who had immigrated from Turkey since the 1974 breakaway. This was so, despite established international law and UN practice, and persistent repeated calls of our side to the contrary, which were utterly disregarded. The British Foreign Affairs Select Committee noted that while the population did not swing the vote. Republic of Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, emphasised that his people had rejected just the Annan plan and they are not turning their backs on their Turkish Cypriot compatriots, he said soon after the results were declared. They have simply rejected this solution on offer. Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktaş responded to the outcome by declaring that, with the Annan Plan rejected. He rejected calls for his resignation, but announced the following month that he would not be standing for a fifth presidential term in 2005. There was varied reaction from Cypruss Guarantor Powers, Greece, Turkey, turkeys Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he believed the result spelled an end for Turkish Cypriot isolation, and that by rejecting the Annan Plan, southern Cyprus the loser
Cypriot Annan Plan referendums, 2004
–
Cyprus
5.
Constitution of Cyprus
–
The Constitution of Cyprus is a document, ratified on August 16,1960, that serves as the framework for the Cypriot government. It was drafted after the country won its independence in 1959 and is Cypruss first, the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus has been in force for 57 years and it has been amended 10 times and 20 Articles of the 199 were modified since 1960. The 10th Amendment concerned Article 7 and came into effect on September 16th 2016 with its publication in the Official Journal, the constitution put methods in place to protect Turkish Cypriots, due to the restrictions placed in Article 6 of the document. That article ensures the Cypriot government has no right to discriminate against either Turkish or Greek Cypriots, the constitution also ensures, in Article 1, that the Vice-President of the country is a Turk and the President is a Greek. In 1964, however, the Cypriot government became dominated by Greeks, the constitution of the country collapsed, however, in 1963 due to dispute between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The running of the republic by the Greek community alone has been defined in what is called Justice of need. Following the Turkish invasion of 1974 the state acts as a surrogate for the properties of Turkish Cypriots that moved to the Turkish occupied north, the separation occurred because the two ethnic groups continued to distrust each other after the constitution was signed. In addition, President Makarios proposed a change that year to remove most of the rights given to Turkish Cypriots. The first five articles of the constitution discuss General Provisions, Article One asserts that Cyprus is an independent republic with a President and that the President and Vice President must be Greeks and Turks respectively. Article three asserts that the languages of the Republic of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish. Articles 6–35 of the deal with Fundamental Rights and Liberties. Article eight banks the issuing inhumane or degrading punishment, and prevents torture, Article ten prohibits slavery and forced labour, in all cases other than in cases of compulsory military service or work while being imprisoned lawfully by the state. It also allows for any service exacted in case of an emergency or calamity threatening the life or well-being of the inhabitants, Article eleven contains several limits on who can be imprisoned. The article also ensures that every person who has been the victim of arrest or detention in contravention of the provisions of this Article shall have a right to compensation. Article fifteen defines the right to privacy, is states that every individual has a right to a private life except when infringing on someones privacy is in accordance of the law and in the national interest. Article sixteen prohibits entering someones property without their prior consent without an arrest warrant, Article seventeen also discusses privacy, with its main focus being an individuals right to privacy in all lawful communication. Articles eighteen, nineteen and 21 secure freedom of speech, religion and assembly respectively, while twenty and 22 deal with the right to free education and marriage. Article 23 adds to the laid out in article sixteen, by allowing citizens of Cyprus to purchase property
Constitution of Cyprus
–
Flags of Greece and Cyprus being flown on flagpoles with cross finials in front of Agioi Anargyroi Church, Pafos.
Constitution of Cyprus
–
Cyprus
6.
Nicos Anastasiades
–
Nicos Anastasiades is a Greek Cypriot politician who has been President of Cyprus since 2013. Previously, he was the leader of Democratic Rally and a Member of Parliament for Limassol, Anastasiades is a lawyer by profession, and the founder of law firm Nicos Chr. He graduated in law from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, during his university studies, he was a member of the Centre Coalition based in Athens formed by Georgios Papandreou. Anastasiades was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1981 and was leader of his party from 1997 until 2013, Nicos Anastasiades received 673 votes and Theocharous received 103. In the first round of the election on 17 February 2013, Anastasiades won 45% of votes, while Stavros Malas and George Lillikas earned 26. 9% and 24. 9%. He won in the round against Malas with 57. 48% of the vote and was sworn in as President on 28 February 2013. During his electoral campaign for the post of Cyprus President in 2013, Minister of Defence Fotis Fotiou announced that there would be a final decision on the reduction of military conscription towards late 2013. There was increasing pressure for ending military conscription due to the 2012–13 Cypriot financial crisis, in early August 2013, Minister of Defence Fotis Fotiou announced the reduction of military service, which was in the electoral manifesto of Anastasiades. He supported that national service will be reduced to 18 months in the first phase and decrease further to 14 months before the end of 2014, Anastasiades supported the Annan Plan for Cyprus, even though a majority of his party voted it down. Some of his intra-party opposition even called for Anastasiades to step down, many party cadres were up in arms over Anastasiades letter to the European Parliament alleging that the government trampled on free speech and human rights during the referendums Yes campaign. The government cited the National Television Councils data that showed that the six parties supporting the No vote got as much air time as the two supported the UN plan. He married Andri Moustakoudi in 1971 and they have two daughters and he has a twin brother and a sister. First Vice-president of the delegation of the House to the EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee, leader of the delegation of the House to the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace. Leader of the delegation of the House to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, leader of the delegation of the House to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. Leader of the delegation of the House to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, Vice-president of the Executive Committee of the Cyprus Group to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Member of the delegation of the House to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean, European Peoples Party Reduction of military conscription in Cyprus Media related to Nicos Anastasiades at Wikimedia Commons
Nicos Anastasiades
–
Nicos Anastasiades
Nicos Anastasiades
–
Angela Merkel with Nicos Anastasiades in 2007 at the
EPP summit.
Nicos Anastasiades
–
Nicos Anastasiades in April 2013
Nicos Anastasiades
–
Nikos Anastasiades with former
President of France Nicolas Sarkozy
7.
Council of Ministers of Cyprus
–
The Council of Ministers is the executive branch of the Cypriot government, consisting of ministers. The council is chaired by the President of Cyprus and the head executive departments of the government. The President and his ministers administer the government and the public services. The current council, Anastasiades Government, sworn in on 28 February 2013, consists of 13 ministers formed by a coalition of DISY, DIKO and EVROKO. After the withdrawal of DIKO from the coalition, the government coalition consists only of DISY and Solidarity Movement members, as well as other, independent technocrats
Council of Ministers of Cyprus
–
Cyprus
8.
House of Representatives (Cyprus)
–
The House of Representatives is the parliament of the Republic of Cyprus. Members and three representing the Maronite, Latin and Armenian minorities are elected by proportional representation every five years. 30% of seats are allocated to the Turkish Cypriot community, a general election must be held on the second Sunday of the month immediately preceding the month in which the term of office of the outgoing House expires. The House may dissolve itself by its own decision before its term of office expires, when it so decides, it must also specify the date of the general elections which must not be less than 30 or more than 40 days from the date of such decision. In the event of the House dissolving itself it must also specify the date for the first meeting of the newly elected House, according to article 62 of the Constitution the number of representatives is 50. Out of this number 35 are elected by the Greek Cypriot Community and 15 by the Turkish Cypriot Community, however, since 1964, Turkish Cypriot members have not attended the House, and no elections have been held among the Turkish Cypriot community in accordance with the Republics constitution. Despite this anomaly, the House has kept vacant the seats allocated to the Turkish Cypriot community and these seats remain at the disposal of Turkish Cypriot Deputies should they be elected according to the constitutional provisions. However, for the running of the House of Representatives and of the Committees in particular. Of these 56 representatives are elected by the Greek Cypriot Community and 24 by the Turkish Cypriot Community, the current electoral law provides for a simple proportional representation system. The number of seats in each constituency is determined by law with constituencies coinciding with administrative districts, seat allocation for the Greek Cypriot community are as follows, The first parliamentary elections were held on 31 July 1960 and the elections for the Communal Chambers on 7 August 1960. They were conducted on the basis of the legislation and in accordance with the majority electoral system. The Constitution stipulated that there should be fifty Representatives, thirty-five Greek, elected by the Greek community, the smooth functioning of the newly established House of Representatives was however impeded from the very beginning, due to the weaknesses of the Constitution. The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus was a given one, thus, a small number of Turkish Cypriot Representatives had the ability to block decisions pertaining to these matters. Following intercommunal violence, which occurred in December 1963, the fifteen Turkish Cypriot Representatives withdrew from the House, all Turkish Cypriots holding state offices or posts in the civil service also withdrew. Ever since it is involved, both at local and international levels, in the struggle of the people of Cyprus for a just. The President of the House is Greek Cypriot and is elected by the Representatives elected by the Greek Cypriot community, the Vice-President is constitutionally provided for to be Turkish Cypriot and is elected by the Representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community. Currently, the President of the House is Demetris Syllouris
House of Representatives (Cyprus)
–
Βουλή των Αντιπροσώπων (
Greek)
9.
List of political parties in Cyprus
–
This article lists political parties in Cyprus. Cyprus has a multi-party system, with three or four strong parties who generally dominate the political landscape, Cyprus Social Ecology Movement New Internationalist Left United Democrats Popular Socialist Movement Workers Democracy Liberal Democrats Democratic Front led by Spyros Kyprianou in 1976. New Democratic Front founded by Alecos Michaelides in 1980, pancyprian Renewal Front founded by Chrysostomos A. Sofianos in 1980. Union of the Center founded by Tassos Papadopoulos in 1980, the Liberal Party, founded by former Foreign Minister Mr Nicos Rolandis in 1986 and merged with Democratic Rally in 1998. Fighting Democratic Movement, merged with DIKO in 2011, New Horizons, merged with European Democracy in 2005 and formed the European Party. European Democracy, merged with New Horizons in 2005 and formed the European Party, committee for a Radical Left Rally. European Party, merged with Solidarity Movement in 2016, List of political parties in Northern Cyprus List of political parties
List of political parties in Cyprus
–
Cyprus
10.
Elections in Cyprus
–
Elections in Cyprus gives information on election and election results in Cyprus. Cyprus elects on national level a head of state - the president -, the election of the President is direct, by universal suffrage and secret ballot. Voting is compulsory and every citizen over the age of 18 must vote, the president is elected for a five-year term by the people. Candidates for election must be citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, if there is only one candidate for election, he is declared elected. A candidate to be elected more than 50% of the votes validly cast. If none of the candidates attains the required majority the election is repeated on the day of the following week between the two candidates who received the greater number of votes. The candidate who receives the greatest number of votes at these elections is deemed elected. If there is a vacancy in the office of Presidential, the vacancy is filled by a by-election taking place within a period not exceeding 45 days of the occurrence of such a vacancy. In the event of an absence or incapacity of the President to perform his duties. 24 seats are allocated to the Turkish community, Cyprus has a multi-party system, with two or three strong parties and a third party that is electorally successful. According to article 62 of the Constitution the number of representatives is 50, out of this number 35 are elected by the Greek Cypriot Community and 15 by the Turkish Cypriot Community. The Turkish Cypriot seats remain vacant since 1964 when the Turkish Cypriot representatives withdrew from the House. However, for the running of the House of Representatives and of the Committees in particular. Of these 56 representatives are elected by the Greek Cypriot Community and 24 by the Turkish Cypriot Community, the British colonial administration drafted a constitution for Cyprus a few years after Cyprus was bought from the Ottomans. The legislative assembly was to have 9 Greek Cypriot members,3 Turkish Cypriot members and 6 British ex officio members, the vote of the British head of the assembly weighted more in case of a 50%-50% disagreement. Thus traditionally the Turkish Cypriot and British members would cooperate and pass legislation despite the disagreements of the Greek Cypriot members, in 1931 Necati Bey, a Turkish Cypriot supporter of Kemal Atatürk was elected. Necati Bey agreed with the Greek Cypriot members on several issues and this made the British governor, Sir Ronald Storrs to ignore the assembly when passing the bills. Angry Greek Cypriot members started a riot and the constitution was abolished, the first municipal elections happened in 1943
Elections in Cyprus
–
Cyprus
11.
Cypriot presidential election, 2008
–
The Cypriot presidential election of 2008 was held on 17 February 2008, with the runoff held on 24 February 2008. The second-round winner, and thus the President of Cyprus for the term, was Dimitris Christofias. The first round, held on February 17, saw a result between three leading candidates, Dimitris Christofias of AKEL, Ioannis Kasoulidis of Democratic Rally, and the incumbent Tassos Papadopoulos. Results showed Kasoulidis in first place with about 33. 51%, Christofias in second with 33. 29%, Christophias and Kasoulidis therefore participated in a second round on February 24. The elimination of Papadopoulos in the first round was viewed as surprising, in the second round, Christofias won with 53. 37% against 46. 63% for Kasoulides. He was sworn in as President on February 28, according to the exit-polls, Papadopoulos was voted by 40% of No voters in the Annan referendum and 5% of the Yes. Christofias by 35% of the No and 34% of the Yes voters and Kasoulidis by the 24% of the No, Papadopoulos announced in late July that he would run for re-election. Thus both Papadopoulos and Christophias contested the election, furthermore, the Democratic Rally support MEP Ioannis Kasoulidis, a former foreign minister, and Kostas Themistokleous, a former minister of agriculture and environment, also contested the election. Controversial MEP Marios Matsakis announced on 29 December 2007 that he would contest the election, Marios Matsakis was elected two times as a member of the Cypriot parliament and once as member of the Εuropean Parliament with the support of DIKO. The Ecological and Environmental Movement decided on November 18,2007 to support Papadopoulos, the movement supported him in 2003 as well. After the first round of the election and the elimination of Papadopoulos, EDEK also backed Christofias, on the proposal of its Political Bureau, with 109 members of its Central Committee voting in favor of supporting Christofias, five voting against, and two abstaining. The Cypriot Orthodox Church leader Archbishop Chrysostomos II backed Kasoulidis, Ecological and Environmental Movement on 21 February 2008 decided to support Dimitris Christofias. Evroko, ADIK and Marios Matsakis announced that they support neither of the two candidates. Nine candidates were approved to participate in the elections, each candidate had to be recommended by one Cypriot citizen and supported by eight more. The debate was transmitted by all Cypriot TV stations, the three candidates were questioned by journalists from RIK, MEGA, ANT1, Sigma TV and CNC Plus TV. The debate started at 9. 45PM local time and lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes, each candidate had three minutes to answer each question and 1.5 minute for every follow-up question. The procedure was divided in 6 sections and, at the end of each section, on 14 February, a second debate was held. The subject of discussion was the Cyprus dispute, a collection of opinion polls taken before the elections is listed below
Cypriot presidential election, 2008
–
Nominee
Cypriot presidential election, 2008
–
Kasoulidis' distribution (1st round) (in Greek)
Cypriot presidential election, 2008
–
Christofias' distribution (1st round) (in Greek)
Cypriot presidential election, 2008
–
Papadopoulos' distribution (1st round) (in Greek)
12.
Cypriot presidential election, 2013
–
Presidential elections were held in Cyprus on 17 February 2013. A runoff was held on 24 February 2013, Nicos Anastasiades of Democratic Rally won the election. Although the president Demetris Christofias was not term-limited, he did not seek re-election in 2013, the Supreme Council of DISY had to choose between Nicos Anastasiades and MEP, Eleni Theocharous. The Council voted in favour of Nicos Anastasiades with 673 votes, on 21 July 2012 the Pancypriot Convention of AKEL voted in favour of Stavros Malas with 1183 votes, against 81 and 17 abstentions. Stavros Malas confirmed his candidacy with the support of AKEL on 7 September, on 15 October he resigned as Minister of Health. DIKO DIKO had two plans on the table, the first was to back Nicos Anastasiades and the second to back a candidate from DIKO. After the talks on 30 August between Nicos Anastasiades and the president of DIKO Marios Garoyian, the two leaders agreed for cooperation, on 25 September the Executive Bureau of DIKO officially suggested the Central Committee to back Anastasiades. At the Central Committee on 27 September 117 members voted in-favour of Anastasiades,27 against and 2 abstained, the two parties had also talks with other parties such as Evroko and the Ecological and Environmental Movement to create and broaden a coalition of National Unity. Evroko Evroko was between to choose either Anastasiades or Lillikas, on 27 September president of Evroko Demetris Sillouris, had talks with Nicos Anastasiades and most possible scenario was to back DISY. Although, on 17 October Evrokos Executive Bureau decided not to any of the candidates. At the Central Council, on 3 November, it had to be decided either the acceptance of EBs decision or denial, 75% of the members of the party voted in-favour of EBs decision and 25% against. The members can vote any of the two candidates they want, Ecological and Environmental Movement The Movements Convention was held on 7 October. The members had the opportunity to decide which candidate would be backed by the Movement, the results were split between Lillikas and Anastasiades. Lillikas got 45% and Anastasiades 40%, an electoral conference was scheduled to be held on 4 November where the decision was going to be determined. The Movement would back the candidate who obtained 60% of the vote, although no candidate obtained 60% of the vote and so the voters of the Movement can vote any of the candidates they want. Eleven candidates were approved to participate in the elections, each candidate had to be recommended by one Cypriot citizen and supported by eight more. All the names of the candidates were announced on 18 January, Ecological and Environmental Movement The Movement chose to keep the first decision. EDEK When Lillikas didnt pass to the round, the Executive Bureau decided not to endorse any of the remaining candidates
Cypriot presidential election, 2013
–
Nominee
13.
Cypriot legislative election, 2011
–
Parliamentary elections were held in Cyprus on 22 May 2011 to elect the 56 Members of the House of Representatives. They were won by the Democratic Rally, who increased their seats from 18 to 20, the governing Progressive Party of Working People also gained a seat, bringing them up to 19. The Democratic Party lost two of their 11 seats and the European Party lost one of their three seats, the Movement for Social Democracy held on to their five seats. Conversely, in Greece the previous election was won by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement defeating the conservative New Democracy, roughly a month later, Turkey would hold its own general election. The Interior Ministry estimated a total Greek Cypriot eligible voting population of 530,000, additionally, about 544 Turkish Cypriots residing in Cyprus proper are eligible to vote. The Interior Minisitry also called on Cypriot expatriates to register for the election by the end of January, the election was important as an adverse result against conflict resolution talks could also affect Turkeys accession to the European Union. Though this election would not directly affect the Cypriot presidential election,2013, such hindrances to unification include territorial swaps and property rights of thousands of internally displaced persons. Incumbent President Demetris Christofias governed with a coalition of his Communist Progressive Party of Working People, both AKEL and the centre-right Democratic Rally have 18 seats. However, DIKO dropped out of the coalition in August 2011, other parties include, the Movement for Social Democracy, the European Party and the Ecological and Environmental Movement. DIKO has criticised Christofias offer for a presidency with Turkish Cypriots as part of deal to settle the Cypriot conflict. The incumbent government was criticised for its slow response to the financial crisis. The opposition centre-right Democratic Rally showed a lead of the AKEL Party. Though it was still forecast to fall short of a majority in the 59-seat parliament, Democratic Rally finished with 34.27 percent and AKEL followed with 32.67 percent. The high abstention rate of 21% was also noted considering that voting is compulsory, an op-ed in the Turkish Hurriyet suggested two repercussions, an impact on the presidential election, and an effect to the United Nations-led direct reunification talks. This could be hurt as the junior members of the governing coalition had shown signs of a rift with AKEL and Christofias over the reunification talks, as well as social. It also pointed out that though AKEL still had wide-backing their overall performance of the government had lost some support. Additionally, it suggested peace talks would add pressure to Northern Cyprus should a grand coalition come to fruition, the first test of such a possibility would be the election of the parliamentary speaker. Would produce the best chance ever for a Cyprus settlement, - Hurriyet A coalition government was formed in 2008 between the incumbent AKEL and DIKO parties
Cypriot legislative election, 2011
–
56 of 59 seats to the
House of Representatives
Cypriot legislative election, 2011
Cypriot legislative election, 2011
14.
Cypriot legislative election, 2016
–
Parliamentary elections were held in Cyprus on 22 May 2016 to elect 56 of the 80 Members of the House of Representatives. The Republic of Cyprus is a republic with a presidential system of government. The President of Cyprus, directly elected in the middle of the term, is both head of state and head of government, presiding over the executive Council of Ministers. The 80 seats in the House of Representatives are elected from six multi-member constituencies, of the 80 seats,56 are elected by Greek Cypriots and 24 by Turkish Cypriots. However, due to the partition of the island in 1974, the 24 Turkish Cypriot seats are unfilled, the elections are held using open list proportional representation, with seats allocated using the Hare quota. Any remaining seats are allocated to lists that won at least one seat or parties that received at least 3. 6% of the vote. In the open list system, voters first select the list they want to vote for, the first candidate on the list is not required to receive preferential votes to be elected. Voting is mandatory, and anyone who fails to vote can be fined or imprisoned, the previous legislative election took place on 22 May 2011. After three years in power, AKEL scored 32. 7% in the 2011 legislative elections, narrowly behind the opposition center-right Democratic Rally, meanwhile, AKELs partners DIKO and EDEK scored 15. 8% and 8. 9% respectively. A mere two months after the election, the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base explosion took place, triggering calls for President Christofias resignation. Amidst widespread dissatisfaction and an economic crisis, Christofias announced that he would not run for a second term in the presidential election in 2013. Ultimately, Nicos Anastasiades of DISY emerged victorious in the election, taking 45. 5% of the vote, against 26. 9% for the AKEL-backed Stavros Malas. In the second round, Anastasiades captured 57. 5% to 42. 5% for Malas, the Anastasiades administration took office on 28 February 2013, comprising DISY, DIKO and the European Party. The Democrats later pulled out of the coalition, however, roughly a year into the presidency of Nicos Anastasiades, the Cypriot parties faced the electorate in European Parliament elections. With the economic problems the country faced under Demetris Christofias AKEL-led government fresh in the minds of voters, the party plummeted to 27. 0% of the vote, meanwhile, the DISY-EVROKO pact garnered 37. 8%. The decline of AKEL and the rise of anti-establishment parties continued into 2015 and 2016, mere months before the 2016 legislative election, ex-DISY MEP Eleni Theocharous launched a splinter party, in opposition to Anastasiades approach to the Cyprus issue. She advocated for tighter co-operation with other parties particularly DIKO and EDEK, the new party was dubbed the Solidarity Movement. On 11 March 2016, it was announced that EVROKO would merge into the new party, Papadopoulos claimed that behind closed doors, AKEL was trying to resurrect the 2004 Annan plan that was turned down by the Greek side in a referendum
Cypriot legislative election, 2016
–
56 of 80 seats in the
House of Representatives
Cypriot legislative election, 2016
15.
United Nations
–
The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization to promote international co-operation. A replacement for the ineffective League of Nations, the organization was established on 24 October 1945 after World War II in order to prevent another such conflict, at its founding, the UN had 51 member states, there are now 193. The headquarters of the UN is in Manhattan, New York City, further main offices are situated in Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna. The organization is financed by assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states, the UNs mission to preserve world peace was complicated in its early decades by the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union and their respective allies. The organization participated in actions in Korea and the Congo. After the end of the Cold War, the UN took on major military, the UN has six principal organs, the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Trusteeship Council. UN System agencies include the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, UNESCO, the UNs most prominent officer is the Secretary-General, an office held by Portuguese António Guterres since 2017. Non-governmental organizations may be granted consultative status with ECOSOC and other agencies to participate in the UNs work, the organization won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, and a number of its officers and agencies have also been awarded the prize. Other evaluations of the UNs effectiveness have been mixed, some commentators believe the organization to be an important force for peace and human development, while others have called the organization ineffective, corrupt, or biased. Following the catastrophic loss of life in the First World War, the earliest concrete plan for a new world organization began under the aegis of the US State Department in 1939. It incorporated Soviet suggestions, but left no role for France, four Policemen was coined to refer to four major Allied countries, United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and China, which emerged in the Declaration by United Nations. Roosevelt first coined the term United Nations to describe the Allied countries, the term United Nations was first officially used when 26 governments signed this Declaration. One major change from the Atlantic Charter was the addition of a provision for religious freedom, by 1 March 1945,21 additional states had signed. Each Government pledges itself to cooperate with the Governments signatory hereto, the foregoing declaration may be adhered to by other nations which are, or which may be, rendering material assistance and contributions in the struggle for victory over Hitlerism. During the war, the United Nations became the term for the Allies. To join, countries had to sign the Declaration and declare war on the Axis, at the later meetings, Lord Halifax deputized for Mr. Eden, Wellington Koo for T. V. Soong, and Mr Gromyko for Mr. Molotov. The first meetings of the General Assembly, with 51 nations represented, the General Assembly selected New York City as the site for the headquarters of the UN, and the facility was completed in 1952. Its site—like UN headquarters buildings in Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi—is designated as international territory, the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Trygve Lie, was elected as the first UN Secretary-General
United Nations
–
1943 sketch by Franklin Roosevelt of the United Nations' original three branches: The
Four Policemen, an executive branch, and an international assembly of forty UN member states.
United Nations
–
Flag
United Nations
–
The
Chilean delegation signing the
UN Charter in San Francisco, 1945
United Nations
–
Dag Hammarskjöld was a particularly active Secretary-General from 1953 until his death in 1961.
16.
Commonwealth of Nations
–
The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as simply the Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of 52 member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire. The Commonwealth dates back to the century with the decolonisation of the British Empire through increased self-governance of its territories. It was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949, which established the states as free. The symbol of free association is Queen Elizabeth II who is the Head of the Commonwealth. The Queen is also the monarch of 16 members of the Commonwealth, the other Commonwealth members have different heads of state,31 members are republics and five are monarchies with a different monarch. Member states have no obligation to one another. Instead, they are united by language, history, culture and their values of democracy, free speech, human rights. These values are enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth covers more than 29,958,050 km2, 20% of the worlds land area, and spans all six inhabited continents. She declared, So, it marks the beginning of that free association of independent states which is now known as the Commonwealth of Nations. As long ago as 1884, however, Lord Rosebery, while visiting Australia, had described the changing British Empire—as some of its colonies became more independent—as a Commonwealth of Nations. Conferences of British and colonial prime ministers occurred periodically from the first one in 1887, the Commonwealth developed from the imperial conferences. Newfoundland never did, as on 16 February 1934, with the consent of its parliament, Newfoundland later joined Canada as its 10th province in 1949. Australia and New Zealand ratified the Statute in 1942 and 1947 respectively, after World War II ended, the British Empire was gradually dismantled. Most of its components have become independent countries, whether Commonwealth realms or republics, there remain the 14 British overseas territories still held by the United Kingdom. In April 1949, following the London Declaration, the word British was dropped from the title of the Commonwealth to reflect its changing nature, burma and Aden are the only states that were British colonies at the time of the war not to have joined the Commonwealth upon independence. Hoped for success was reinforced by such achievements as climbing Mount Everest in 1953, breaking the four minute mile in 1954, however, the humiliation of the Suez Crisis of 1956 badly hurt morale of Britain and the Commonwealth as a whole. More broadly, there was the loss of a role of the British Empire. That role was no longer militarily or financially feasible, as Britains withdrawal from Greece in 1947 painfully demonstrated, Britain itself was now just one part of the NATO military alliance in which the Commonwealth had no role apart from Canada
Commonwealth of Nations
–
Flag
Commonwealth of Nations
–
The prime ministers of five members at the 1944
Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference. (L-R)
Mackenzie King (Canada);
Jan Smuts (South Africa);
Winston Churchill (United Kingdom);
Peter Fraser (New Zealand);
John Curtin (Australia)
Commonwealth of Nations
–
Queen
Elizabeth II,
Head of the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
–
Marlborough House, London, the headquarters of the
Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth's principal intergovernmental institution
17.
World Bank
–
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to countries of the world for capital programs. It comprises two institutions, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the International Development Association, the World Bank is a component of the World Bank Group, which is part of the United Nations system. The World Banks stated official goal is the reduction of poverty, the president of the World Bank is, traditionally, an American. The World Bank and the IMF are both based in Washington, D. C. and work closely with each other, although many countries were represented at the Bretton Woods Conference, the United States and United Kingdom were the most powerful in attendance and dominated the negotiations. Before 1974 the reconstruction and development loans provided by the World Bank were relatively small, the Banks staff were aware of the need to instill confidence in the bank. Fiscal conservatism ruled, and loan applications had to meet strict criteria, the first country to receive a World Bank loan was France. The Banks president at the time, John McCloy, chose France over two other applicants, Poland and Chile, the loan was for US$250 million, half the amount requested, and it came with strict conditions. France had to agree to produce a budget and give priority of debt repayment to the World Bank over other governments. World Bank staff closely monitored the use of the funds to ensure that the French government met the conditions. In addition, before the loan was approved, the United States State Department told the French government that its members associated with the Communist Party would first have to be removed, the French government complied with this diktat and removed the Communist coalition government - the so-called tripartisme. Within hours, the loan to France was approved, when the Marshall Plan went into effect in 1947, many European countries began receiving aid from other sources. Faced with this competition, the World Bank shifted its focus to non-European countries, in 1960, the International Development Association was formed, providing soft loans to developing countries. From 1974 to 1980 the bank concentrated on meeting the needs of people in the developing world. The size and number of loans to borrowers was greatly increased as loan targets expanded from infrastructure into social services and these changes can be attributed to Robert McNamara, who was appointed to the presidency in 1968 by Lyndon B. Johnson. McNamara implored bank treasurer Eugene Rotberg to seek out new sources of capital outside of the banks that had been the primary sources of funding. Rotberg used the bond market to increase the capital available to the bank. One consequence of the period of poverty alleviation lending was the rise of third world debt. From 1976 to 1980 developing world debt rose at an annual rate of 20%
World Bank
–
John Maynard Keynes (right) and
Harry Dexter White, the "founding fathers" of both the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF).
World Bank
–
The Gold Room at the
Mount Washington Hotel where the IMF and World Bank were established
World Bank
–
The
World Bank Group headquarters bldg. in
Washington, D.C.
World Bank
–
Jim Yong Kim, the current President of the World Bank Group
18.
International Monetary Fund
–
The International Monetary Fund is an international organization headquartered in Washington, D. C. It now plays a role in the management of balance of payments difficulties. Countries contribute funds to a pool through a system from which countries experiencing balance of payments problems can borrow money. As of 2016, the fund had SDR477 billion, the rationale for this is that private international capital markets function imperfectly and many countries have limited access to financial markets. The IMF provides alternate sources of financing and this assistance was meant to prevent the spread of international economic crises. The IMF was also intended to help mend the pieces of the economy after the Great Depression. As well, to provide investments for economic growth and projects such as infrastructure. The IMFs role was altered by the floating exchange rates post-1971. It shifted to examining the economic policies of countries with IMF loan agreements to determine if a shortage of capital was due to economic fluctuations or economic policy, the IMF also researched what types of government policy would ensure economic recovery. Rather than maintaining a position of oversight of only exchange rates and their role became a lot more active because the IMF now manages economic policy rather than just exchange rates. In addition, the IMF negotiates conditions on lending and loans under their policy of conditionality, nonconcessional loans, which include interest rates, are provided mainly through Stand-By Arrangements, the Flexible Credit Line, the Precautionary and Liquidity Line, and the Extended Fund Facility. The IMF provides emergency assistance via the Rapid Financing Instrument to members facing urgent balance-of-payments needs, the IMF is mandated to oversee the international monetary and financial system and monitor the economic and financial policies of its member countries. This activity is known as surveillance and facilitates international cooperation, the responsibilities changed from those of guardian to those of overseer of members’ policies. In 1995 the International Monetary Fund began work on data dissemination standards with the view of guiding IMF member countries to disseminate their economic and financial data to the public. The executive board approved the SDDS and GDDS in 1996 and 1997 respectively, the system is aimed primarily at statisticians and aims to improve many aspects of statistical systems in a country. It is also part of the World Bank Millennium Development Goals, some countries initially used the GDDS, but later upgraded to SDDS. The IMF does require collateral from countries for loans but also requires the government seeking assistance to correct its macroeconomic imbalances in the form of policy reform, if the conditions are not met, the funds are withheld. The concept of conditionality was introduced in a 1952 Executive Board decision, conditionality is associated with economic theory as well as an enforcement mechanism for repayment
International Monetary Fund
–
IMF "Headquarters 1" in Washington, D.C.
International Monetary Fund
–
Coat of arms
International Monetary Fund
–
The Gold Room within the
Mount Washington Hotel where the
Bretton Woods Conference attendees signed the agreements creating the IMF and
World Bank
International Monetary Fund
–
First page of the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund, 1 March 1946. Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs archives
19.
Council of Europe
–
The Council of Europe is an international organisation focused on protecting human rights, democracy, rule of law in Europe and promoting European culture. Founded in 1949, it has 47 member states, covers approximately 820 million people, No country has ever joined the EU without first belonging to the Council of Europe. Unlike the EU, the Council of Europe cannot make binding laws, the best known body of the Council of Europe is the European Court of Human Rights, which enforces the European Convention on Human Rights. The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent institution within the Council of Europe, mandated to promote awareness of, the Secretary General heads the secretariat of the organisation. Other major CoE bodies include the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines, the headquarters of the Council of Europe are in Strasbourg, France. English and French are its two official languages, the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress also use German, Italian, Russian, and Turkish for some of their work. In a speech at the University of Zurich on 19 September 1946, Sir Winston Churchill called for a kind of United States of Europe and he had spoken of a Council of Europe as early as 1943 in a radio broadcast. There were two schools of thought competing, some favoured a classical international organisation with representatives of governments, both approaches were finally combined through the creation of the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly under the Statute of the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe was founded on 5 May 1949 by the Treaty of London and those conventions and decisions are developed by the member states working together at the Council of Europe. Both organizations function as concentric circles around the foundations for European co-operation and harmony. The European Union could be seen as the circle with a much higher level of integration through the transfer of powers from the national to the EU level. The Council of Europe and the European Union, different roles, Council of Europe conventions/treaties are also open for signature to non-member states, thus facilitating equal co-operation with countries outside Europe. The Convention created the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, the Court supervises compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights and thus functions as the highest European court. It is to court that Europeans can bring cases if they believe that a member country has violated their fundamental rights. The various activities and achievements of the Council of Europe can be found in detail on its official website, Promotion of the right to education under Article 2 of the first Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights and several conventions on the recognition of university studies and diplomas. Promotion of fair sport through the Anti-Doping Convention Promotion of European youth exchanges and co-operation through European Youth Centres in Strasbourg and Budapest, Promotion of the quality of medicines throughout Europe by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and its European Pharmacopoeia. The institutions of the Council of Europe are, The Secretary General, mr Thorbjørn Jagland, the former Prime Minister of Norway was elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe in September 2009. In June 2014, he was re-elected, and his term in office commenced on 1 October 2014
Council of Europe
–
Plaque commemorating the first session of the Council of Europe Assembly at
Strasbourg University
Council of Europe
–
Logo
Council of Europe
–
Session of the Council of Europe's Assembly in the former
House of Europe in Strasbourg in 1967
Council of Europe
–
Japanese flag in front of Council of Europe following the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
20.
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
–
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was a multilateral agreement regulating international trade. According to its preamble, its purpose was the reduction of tariffs and other trade barriers. It was negotiated during the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization, GATT was signed by 23 nations in Geneva on October 30,1947 and took effect on January 1,1948. It lasted until the signature by 123 nations in Marrakesh on April 14,1994 of the Uruguay Round Agreements, the original GATT text is still in effect under the WTO framework, subject to the modifications of GATT1994. GATT held a total of nine rounds, The second round took place in 1949 in Annecy,13 countries took part in the round. The main focus of the talks was more tariff reductions, around 5000 in total, the third round occurred in Torquay, England in 1951. Thirty-eight countries took part in the round,8,700 tariff concessions were made totaling the remaining amount of tariffs to ¾ of the tariffs which were in effect in 1948. The contemporaneous rejection by the U. S. of the Havana Charter signified the establishment of the GATT as a world body. The fourth round returned to Geneva in 1955 and lasted until May 1956, twenty-six countries took part in the round. $2.5 billion in tariffs were eliminated or reduced, the fifth round occurred once more in Geneva and lasted from 1960-1962. The talks were named after U. S. Treasury Secretary and former Under Secretary of State, Douglas Dillon, twenty-six countries took part in the round. Along with reducing over $4.9 billion in tariffs, it also yielded discussion relating to the creation of the European Economic Community, the sixth round of GATT multilateral trade negotiations, held from 1963 to 1967. It was named after U. S. President John F. Kennedy in recognition of his support for the reformulation of the United States trade agenda and this Act gave the President the widest-ever negotiating authority. Japans high economic growth rate portended the major role it would play later as an exporter, indeed, there was an influential American view that saw what became the Kennedy Round as the start of a transatlantic partnership that might ultimately lead to a transatlantic economic community. To an extent, this view was shared in Europe, an example of this was the French veto in January 1963, before the round had even started, on membership by the United Kingdom. Another was the crisis of 1965, which ended in the Luxembourg Compromise. Preparations for the new round were immediately overshadowed by the Chicken War, some participants in the Round had been concerned that the convening of UNCTAD, scheduled for 1964, would result in further complications, but its impact on the actual negotiations was minimal. The working hypothesis for the negotiations was a linear tariff cut of 50% with the smallest number of exceptions
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
–
Terminology
21.
European Union
–
The European Union is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has an area of 4,475,757 km2, the EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area, passport controls have been abolished, a monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002, and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency. The EU operates through a system of supranational and intergovernmental decision-making. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community, the community and its successors have grown in size by the accession of new member states and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit. While no member state has left the EU or its antecedent organisations, the Maastricht Treaty established the European Union in 1993 and introduced European citizenship. The latest major amendment to the basis of the EU. The EU as a whole is the largest economy in the world, additionally,27 out of 28 EU countries have a very high Human Development Index, according to the United Nations Development Programme. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, through the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the EU has developed a role in external relations and defence. The union maintains permanent diplomatic missions throughout the world and represents itself at the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G7, because of its global influence, the European Union has been described as an emerging superpower. After World War II, European integration was seen as an antidote to the nationalism which had devastated the continent. 1952 saw the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the supporters of the Community included Alcide De Gasperi, Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, and Paul-Henri Spaak. These men and others are credited as the Founding fathers of the European Union. In 1957, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany signed the Treaty of Rome and they also signed another pact creating the European Atomic Energy Community for co-operation in developing nuclear energy. Both treaties came into force in 1958, the EEC and Euratom were created separately from the ECSC, although they shared the same courts and the Common Assembly. The EEC was headed by Walter Hallstein and Euratom was headed by Louis Armand, Euratom was to integrate sectors in nuclear energy while the EEC would develop a customs union among members. During the 1960s, tensions began to show, with France seeking to limit supranational power, Jean Rey presided over the first merged Commission. In 1973, the Communities enlarged to include Denmark, Ireland, Norway had negotiated to join at the same time, but Norwegian voters rejected membership in a referendum
European Union
–
In 1989, the
Iron Curtain fell, enabling the union to
expand further (
Berlin Wall pictured).
European Union
–
Flag
European Union
–
2009, the
Lisbon Treaty entered into force.
European Union
–
The 65,993 km (41,006 mi) coastline dominates the European climate (
Cyprus).
22.
Presidency of the Council of the European Union
–
The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is responsible for the functioning of the Council of the European Union, the upper house of the EU legislature. It rotates among the states of the EU every six months. The presidency is not an individual, but rather the position is held by a national government and it is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the President of the European Union. The presidencys function is to chair meetings of the Council, determine its agendas, set a work programme, the presidency is currently held by Malta. Three successive presidencies are known as presidency trios, the current trio is made up of the Netherlands, Slovakia and Malta. When the Council was established, its work was minimal and the presidency rotated between each of the six members every six months. In order to rectify the lack of coordination, the idea of trio presidencies was put forward where groups of three successive presidencies cooperated on a political program. This was implemented in 2007 and formally laid down in the EU treaties in 2009 by the Treaty of Lisbon, until 2009, the Presidency had assumed political responsibility in all areas of European integration and it played a vital role in brokering high-level political decisions. The Treaty of Lisbon reduced the importance of the Presidency significantly by officially separating the European Council from the Council of the European Union, estonia is scheduled take over the UKs six-month slot for July–December 2017. The Council meets in various formations where its composition depends on the topic discussed, for example, the Agriculture Council is composed of the national ministers responsible for Agriculture. The primary responsibility of the Presidency is to organise and chair all meetings of the Council, so, for instance, the Minister of Agriculture for the state holding the presidency chairs the Agriculture council. This role includes working out compromises capable of resolving difficulties and this ensures more consistency in comparison to a usual single six-month presidency and each three includes a new member state. This allows new states to hold the presidency sooner and helps old member states pass their experience to the new members. This element is particularly substantial, holding the presidency may be, on balance, a disadvantage for member states
Presidency of the Council of the European Union
23.
Non-Aligned Movement
–
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. As of 2012, the movement has 120 members, all five leaders were prominent advocates of a middle course for states in the developing world between the Western and Eastern Blocs during the Cold War. The phrase itself was first used to represent the doctrine by Indian diplomat V. K. Krishna Menon in 1953, the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations members and contain 55% of the world population. Membership is particularly concentrated in countries considered to be developing or part of the Third World, members have at times included the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Argentina, Zaire, Cyprus, and Malta. Although many of the Non-Aligned Movements members were quite closely aligned with one or another of the superpowers. Some members were involved in conflicts with other members. The movement fractured from its own internal contradictions when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, although the Soviet allies supported the invasion, other members of the movement condemned it. Because the Non-Aligned Movement was formed as an attempt to thwart the Cold War, the successor states of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have expressed little interest in membership, though Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have observer status. In 2004, Malta and Cyprus ceased to be members and joined the European Union, belarus is the only member of the Movement in Europe. Azerbaijan and Fiji are the most recent entrants, joining in 2011, the applications of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Costa Rica were rejected in 1995 and 1998, respectively. The 16th NAM summit took place in Tehran, Iran, from 26 to 31 August 2012, according to Mehr News Agency, representatives from over 150 countries were scheduled to attend. Attendance at the highest level includes 27 presidents,2 kings, at the summit, Iran took over from Egypt as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement for the period 2012 to 2015. The founding fathers of the Non-Aligned Movement were, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Sukarno of Indonesia, Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt and their actions were known as The Initiative of Five. The term non-alignment was established in 1953 at the United Nations, Nehru used the phrase in a 1954 speech in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In this speech, Nehru described the five pillars to be used as a guide for Sino-Indian relations called Panchsheel, the five principles were, Mutual respect for each others territorial integrity and sovereignty. The term non-aligned movement appears first in the conference in 1976. At the Lusaka Conference in September 1970, the member nations added as aims of the movement the peaceful resolution of disputes, another added aim was opposition to stationing of military bases in foreign countries. The movement stems from a not to be aligned within a geopolitical/military structure and therefore itself does not have a very strict organizational structure
Non-Aligned Movement
–
Logo of the Sharm El Sheikh Summit, 2009.
Non-Aligned Movement
–
Member countries
24.
Greece
–
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, historically also known as Hellas, is a country in southeastern Europe, with a population of approximately 11 million as of 2015. Athens is the capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki. Greece is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, situated on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the northeast. Greece consists of nine regions, Macedonia, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, the Aegean Islands, Thrace, Crete. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, the Cretan Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km in length, featuring a vast number of islands, eighty percent of Greece is mountainous, with Mount Olympus being the highest peak at 2,918 metres. From the eighth century BC, the Greeks were organised into various independent city-states, known as polis, which spanned the entire Mediterranean region and the Black Sea. Greece was annexed by Rome in the second century BC, becoming a part of the Roman Empire and its successor. The Greek Orthodox Church also shaped modern Greek identity and transmitted Greek traditions to the wider Orthodox World, falling under Ottoman dominion in the mid-15th century, the modern nation state of Greece emerged in 1830 following a war of independence. Greeces rich historical legacy is reflected by its 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among the most in Europe, Greece is a democratic and developed country with an advanced high-income economy, a high quality of life, and a very high standard of living. A founding member of the United Nations, Greece was the member to join the European Communities and has been part of the Eurozone since 2001. Greeces unique cultural heritage, large industry, prominent shipping sector. It is the largest economy in the Balkans, where it is an important regional investor, the names for the nation of Greece and the Greek people differ from the names used in other languages, locations and cultures. The earliest evidence of the presence of human ancestors in the southern Balkans, dated to 270,000 BC, is to be found in the Petralona cave, all three stages of the stone age are represented in Greece, for example in the Franchthi Cave. Neolithic settlements in Greece, dating from the 7th millennium BC, are the oldest in Europe by several centuries and these civilizations possessed writing, the Minoans writing in an undeciphered script known as Linear A, and the Mycenaeans in Linear B, an early form of Greek. The Mycenaeans gradually absorbed the Minoans, but collapsed violently around 1200 BC and this ushered in a period known as the Greek Dark Ages, from which written records are absent. The end of the Dark Ages is traditionally dated to 776 BC, the Iliad and the Odyssey, the foundational texts of Western literature, are believed to have been composed by Homer in the 7th or 8th centuries BC. With the end of the Dark Ages, there emerged various kingdoms and city-states across the Greek peninsula, in 508 BC, Cleisthenes instituted the worlds first democratic system of government in Athens
Greece
–
Fresco displaying the Minoan ritual of "bull leaping", found in
Knossos,
Crete.
Greece
–
Flag
Greece
–
The
Lion Gate,
Mycenae
Greece
–
The
Parthenon on the
Acropolis of Athens is one of the best known symbols of
classical Greece.
25.
Makarios III
–
In his three terms as President he survived four assassination attempts and a coup détat. He is widely regarded by Greek Cypriots as the Father of the Nation or Ethnarch, michael Christodoulou Mouskos was born in Panayia village in the Paphos District. In 1926, aged 13, he was admitted to Kykkos Monastery as a novice, at age 20 he was sent to the Pancyprian Gymnasium in Nicosia, where he completed his secondary education in 1936. He spent the years of World War II studying theology and law at the University of Athens. In 1948, while studying at Boston, he was elected Bishop of Kition against his will. Mouskos adopted the clerical name Makarios and returned to Cyprus, like many public figures in the Greek Cypriot community in Cyprus, in the 1940s and 1950s he was an active supporter of enosis, the union of Cyprus with Greece. On September 18,1950, Makarios, only 37 years old, was elected Archbishop of Cyprus, in this role he was not only the official head of the Orthodox Church in Cyprus, but became the Ethnarch, de facto national leader of the Greek Cypriot community. This highly influential position put Makarios at the centre of Cypriot politics, during the 1950s, Makarios embraced his dual role as Archbishop and Ethnarch with enthusiasm and became a very popular figure among Greek Cypriots. He soon became an advocate for enosis, and during the early part of the decade he maintained close links with the Greek government. In August 1954, partly at Makarios instigation, Greece began to raise the question of Cyprus at the United Nations and this was viewed by advocates of enosis as likely to result in the voluntary union of Cyprus with Greece following a public referendum. However, the British government was reluctant to decolonize the island which had become their new headquarters for the Middle East, in 1955, a pro-enosis organization was formed under the banner of Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston, or EOKA. This was an independence movement of the period. In later life he denied any involvement in the violent resistance undertaken by EOKA. On August 20,1955, Greece submitted a petition to the United Nations requesting the application of the principle of self-determination to the people of Cyprus. In October 1955, with the security situation deteriorating, the British governor, Sir John Harding, by this stage, Makarios had become closely identified with the insurgency, and talks broke up without any agreement in early 1956. The Archbishop and his staff were flown to Aden and then on to Mombassa, at the Kenyan port the party were embarked in the East African Naval Vessel “Rosalind”, escorted by the frigate HMS Loch Fada. The flotilla arrived in Port Victoria on 14 March, in the latter years of the 1950s, the Turkish Cypriot community first began to float the idea of Taksim or partition, as a counterweight to the Greek ideal of enosis or union. In this way the Cyprus dispute became increasingly polarized between two communities with opposing visions of the future of the island, Makarios was released from exile after a year, although he was still forbidden to return to Cyprus
Makarios III
–
Makarios in New York, 1962
Makarios III
–
Signature
Makarios III
–
President Makarios during a state visit to
Berlin in 1962
Makarios III
–
President Makarios in
Bonn during a state visit to Germany in 1962
26.
Munich
–
Munich is the capital and largest city of the German state of Bavaria, on the banks of River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg, the Munich Metropolitan Region is home to 5.8 million people. According to the Globalization and World Rankings Research Institute Munich is considered an alpha-world city, the name of the city is derived from the Old/Middle High German term Munichen, meaning by the monks. It derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who ran a monastery at the place that was later to become the Old Town of Munich, Munich was first mentioned in 1158. From 1255 the city was seat of the Bavarian Dukes, black and gold—the colours of the Holy Roman Empire—have been the citys official colours since the time of Ludwig the Bavarian, when it was an imperial residence. Following a final reunification of the Wittelsbachian Duchy of Bavaria, previously divided and sub-divided for more than 200 years, like wide parts of the Holy Roman Empire, the area recovered slowly economically. In 1918, during the German Revolution, the house of Wittelsbach, which governed Bavaria since 1180, was forced to abdicate in Munich. In the 1920s, Munich became home to political factions, among them the NSDAP. During World War II, Munich was heavily bombed and more than 50% of the entire city, the postwar period was characterised by American occupation until 1949 and a strong increase of population and economic power during the years of the Wirtschaftswunder after 1949. The city is home to corporations like BMW, Siemens, MAN, Linde, Allianz and MunichRE as well as many small. Munich is home to national and international authorities, major universities, major museums. Its numerous architectural attractions, international events, exhibitions and conferences. Munich is one of the most prosperous and fastest growing cities in Germany and it is a top-ranked destination for migration and expatriate location, despite being the municipality with the highest density of population in Germany. Munich nowadays hosts more than 530,000 people of foreign background, the year 1158 is assumed to be the foundation date, which is the earliest date the city is mentioned in a document. The document was signed in Augsburg, by that time the Guelph Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, had built a bridge over the river Isar next to a settlement of Benedictine monks—this was on the Old Salt Route and a toll bridge. In 1175, Munich was officially granted city status and received fortification, in 1180, with the trial of Henry the Lion, Otto I Wittelsbach became Duke of Bavaria and Munich was handed over to the Bishop of Freising. In 1240, Munich was transferred to Otto II Wittelsbach and in 1255, Duke Louis IV, a native of Munich, was elected German king in 1314 and crowned as Holy Roman Emperor in 1328. He strengthened the position by granting it the salt monopoly
Munich
–
From left to right: The
Munich Frauenkirche, the
Nymphenburg Palace, the
BMW Headquarters, the
New Town Hall, the
Munich Hofgarten and the
Allianz Arena.
Munich
–
Munich city
coat of arms
Munich
–
Banners with the colours of Munich (left) and Bavaria (right) with the
Frauenkirche in the background
Munich
–
Bombing damage to the Altstadt. Note the roofless and pockmarked Altes Rathaus looking up the Tal. The roofless Heilig-Geist-Kirche is on the right of the photo. Its spire, without the copper top, is behind the church. The Talbruck gate tower is missing completely.
27.
Limassol
–
Limassol is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the eponymous district. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus, with a population of 160. Limassol has been ranked by TripAdvisor as the 3rd up-and-coming destination in the world, the city is also ranked 87th worldwide in Mercers Quality of Living Survey. Limassol was built between two ancient cities, Amathus and Kourion, and during Byzantine rule it was known as Neapolis, limassols historical centre is located around its medieval Limassol Castle and the Old Port. Today the city spreads along the Mediterranean coast and has extended much farther than the castle and port, to the west of the city is the Akrotiri Area of the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The city of Limassol is situated between the ancient cities of Amathus and Kourion, Limassol was probably built after Amathus had been ruined. However, the town of Limassol has been inhabited since ancient times. Graves found there date back to 2000 BC and others back to the 8th and 4th centuries BC. These few remains show that a small colonisation must have existed which did not manage to develop, Ancient writers mention nothing about the foundation of the town. Bishop Leontios of Neapolis was an important church writer in the 7th century, the records of the 7th Synod refer to it as the bishop’s see. The town was known as Lemesos in the 10th century, the history of Limassol is largely known by the events associated with the Third Crusade. The king of England, Richard the Lionheart, was travelling to the Holy Land in 1191 and his fiancée Berengaria and his sister Joan, Queen of Sicily, were also travelling on a different ship. Because of a storm, the ship with the arrived in Limassol. Isaac Komnenos, the renegade Byzantine Greek governor of Cyprus invited the queens ashore, with the intention of holding them to ransom, so he refused them fresh water and they had to put out to sea again or yield to capture. When Richard arrived in Limassol and met Isaac Komnenos, he asked him to contribute to the crusade for the liberation of the Holy Land, while at the beginning Isaac had accepted, he later on refused to give any help. Richard then chased him and finally arrested him, the island was therefore taken over by the Anglo-Normans. Richard celebrated his marriage with Berengaria who had received the crown as queen of England in Cyprus, Richard destroyed Amathus and the inhabitants were transferred to Limassol. A year later, in AD1192, Cyprus was sold for the sum of 100,000 bezants to the Templars, rich monks, the knights enforced high taxes, in order to get back the money that had been given for the purchase of Cyprus
Limassol
–
Limassol Λεμεσός
Limassol
Limassol
–
Ancient Amathus
Limassol
–
Kourion Greco-Roman theatre.
.jpg)
Albania
Armenia
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Lithuania
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Algeria
Botswana
Burundi
Comoros
Egypt
Gambia
Guinea-Bissau
Lesotho
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Namibia
Seychelles
South Africa
Swaziland
Tunisia
Zambia
Argentina
Belize
Brazil
Canada
Colombia
Dominica
Guyana
Mexico
Panama
Peru
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
China
East Timor
India
Iran
Indonesia
Israel
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Cyprus
Mongolia
North Korea
Lebanon
Maldives
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Syria
Tajikistan
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
Vietnam
Australia
Fiji
New Zealand
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Vanuatu
