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Flag of Cyprus

Asia

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Quick Facts

Capital
Nicosia
Flag adopted
1960
Population
1,442,614
Area
9,251 km²
Languages
Greek, Turkish
Currency
euro (€) — EUR
Demonym
Cypriot
Government
Republic of Cyprus - presidential republic
Subregion
Southern Europe
Driving side
Left
Timezones
UTC+02:00
Independence
1960

Religions

  • Orthodox 89.1%
  • Roman Catholic 2.9%
  • Protestant/Anglican 2%
  • Muslim 1.8%
  • Other 1.4%
  • Unspecified 1.1%
  • Buddhist 1%
  • None 0.6%

About This Flag

The flag of Cyprus features a white field with a copper-orange silhouette of the island centered above two crossed olive branches in green. The island's shape is rendered in the distinctive copper-orange color that references the country's name — Cyprus derives from the Greek word for copper (kypros), and the island has been a major copper source since antiquity.

The olive branches beneath the island symbolize peace between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. The flag was adopted on August 16, 1960, upon independence from Britain, and was intentionally designed to be neutral, avoiding both Greek blue-and-white and Turkish red-and-white color schemes.

What the colors & design mean

The copper-orange map shape references the island's ancient copper mining heritage. White symbolizes peace. The two olive branches represent the hope for peaceful coexistence between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

white orange green

Pattern: Solid Field

Fun Facts

  • Cyprus is one of the few countries whose flag features the outline of its own territory, along with Kosovo and a handful of others.
  • The flag was deliberately designed without blue or red to avoid association with either Greece or Turkey, though in practice Greek and Turkish flags are commonly flown alongside it.
  • The English word 'copper' is believed to ultimately derive from the Latin 'cuprum,' itself from 'Cyprium,' meaning 'metal of Cyprus' — the island was the ancient world's primary copper source.
  • Nicosia, the capital, is the world's last divided capital city, split between the Republic of Cyprus and the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

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