Cyprus – still a divided island with a great history

Cyprus is located in the northeast of the Levantine Sea. The distance to the south coast of Turkey is approx. 68 km and to the west coast of Syria approx. 95 km. Cyprus lies on the Anatolian Plate and is geographically counted as Asia. The arch of Cyprus extends from the southern edge of Cyprus to Rhodes as the plate border between the Anatolian and the African plates.
The island has been de facto divided since 1974. The south is dominated by the Republic of Cyprus, which continues to encompass the entire island under international law (except the British military bases Akrotiri and Dekelia). However, the northern part is under the control of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognized by Turkey, which occupied this area militarily in 1974 after Greek coup leaders tried to establish Cyprus's connection to Greece.
Between the two areas is a buffer zone, which also divides the capital Nicosia as a “Green Line” (Green Line / yeşil) and is monitored and managed by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).