CYPRUS (anc. Gr. Kupros, mod. Gr. Kibris, Fr. Chipre, Ital. Cipro), an island situated s. of Asia Minor, in that portion of the Mediterranean called the Levant. C. was anciently divided into many small kingdoms. It was originally possessed by the Plicenicians, from whom it passed to the Greeks, and subsequently to the Egyptians and Persians. After the victories of Alexander, it declared for Macedon. It next became a portion of the Grieco-Egyptian kingdom of the Ptolemies. then of the Roman and Byzantine empires. The Arabs conquered it 648 A.D. in 1191, it was taken by Richard Cmur-de-Lion, who ceded it to the Templars. After several vicissitudes, it came into the possession of the Venetians, from whom it was filially conquered by the Turks in 1571. The " conditional convention " concluded between the English and Turkish governments in 1878 leaves C. a Turkish possession, but provides for its being occupied and administered by England.
C. is nearly 150 in. long by 55 broad, has an area of 3,700 sq.m., and a pop. now little over 150,000. A range of mountains—the Stavro Vim) and Santa Croce (ancient Olympus)—the sides of which are very bold and rugged, runs through the whole length of the island, attaining an elevation of more than 7,000 ft. above the sea. Three fifths of the island is mountainous. Of these one fifth has splendid forests of oak interspersed with walnut trees, and would furnish large supplies of sulphur, pit-coal, and metals of various kinds, under intelligent management; while two fifths is adapted for vine and olive culture, and the growth of fruit-trees generally. "The remaining two fifths is composed of magnificent plains, and extensive open country, which, though wanting in rivers and streatns. are still very productive in cereals.”• The soil is exceedingly fertile,
yieleAng all kinds of grain. The chief products are wheat, barley, cotton, silk, madder roots, oil, wine, carobs, and salt. The wine of C. is still excellent. The chief drawbacks to production, besides mismanagement, are the want of water—most of the streams becoming dry in summer—and the ravages of the locusts. The climate varies in various parts of the island; in the central plain, and about Larnaca, the summer heat is intense, especially from the middle of Sept. till the end of October. Fevers, seldom fatal, are prevalent in the hot months; but on the whole the climate seems to be healthy. Drainage and the planting of trees, hitherto recklessly extirpated, might greatly benefit the least healthy regions. Agriculture and manufactures are alike in a backward state; the Greek Christians, who compose three fourths of the population, having grown indolent and spiritless under Turkish domination. There are, however, many proofs of progress in Cyprus. Especially noteworthy is the fact, that in 1871, Nicosia was, by means of a submarine cable to Latakia, on the Syrian coast, brought into telegraphic communication with the rest of the world. This line was extended to Larnaca. In 1874, 1323 vessels entered, and 1313 cleared, the ports of C. The imports in 1874 amounted to i'147.092. and the exports to £378,225. The chief towns are Nicosia, the capital; Famagosta; Larnaca, the residence of the consuls; and Limassol. See gen. Cesnola's Cyprus (1877).