Cyprus Citizenship Test cheat sheet

The Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia dates to about 7000 BC and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mycenaean Greeks settled Cyprus between about 1400 and 1200 BC, bringing the Greek language; the Arcadocypriot dialect survived into the classical period.

Classical Cyprus was organized into city-kingdoms such as Salamis, Kition, Paphos, Amathus, and Soloi.

Cyprus passed from Assyrian, Egyptian, and Persian overlordship to Ptolemaic rule after Alexander the Great; it became a Roman province in 58 BC.

After the division of the Roman Empire in 395 AD, Cyprus belonged to Byzantium; Arab raids from the 7th to 10th centuries led to fortification and relocation.

Richard I of England captured Cyprus in 1191 during the Third Crusade; the Lusignan dynasty ruled from 1192 to 1489.

Venice ruled Cyprus from 1489 to 1571; the Ottoman conquest of 1570–71 began Ottoman rule, which lasted until 1878.

Britain administered Cyprus from 1878, annexed it in 1914, and made it a Crown colony in 1925; the Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960.

Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974; Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2008.

Cyprus is an independent, sovereign, unitary republic with a presidential system; the President is both head of state and head of government.

The President is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term; a second round is held if no candidate obtains an absolute majority.

The Council of Ministers is appointed by the President and exercises executive power; ministers are responsible to the President.

The House of Representatives is elected for five years by proportional representation; 56 seats are held by Greek Cypriots and 24 reserved seats for Turkish Cypriots remain vacant.

Legislative power is vested in the House of Representatives, which debates and approves laws and the state budget.

Judicial power is independent; the Supreme Court is the highest court and also exercises constitutional and administrative jurisdiction.

The Attorney General is the legal adviser to the Republic and heads the Law Office; the Auditor General audits public accounts.

The Republic is divided into six districts: Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, Famagusta, and Kyrenia; Nicosia is the capital.

Cyprus is a member of the EU since 2004, the euro area since 2008, the UN, the Council of Europe, and the Commonwealth.

Greek is an official language of the Republic alongside Turkish under Article 3 of the 1960 Constitution.

The Greek alphabet has 24 letters, from alpha to omega; each letter has upper- and lower-case forms.

Modern Greek has three grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and four cases (nominative, genitive, accusative, vocative).

The definite article agrees with its noun in gender, number, and case; it is used more widely than in English.

Verbs inflect for person, number, tense, voice, and mood; aspect (perfective vs imperfective) is central to Greek verb forms.

Standard Modern Greek is the written standard; Cypriot Greek is a distinct dialect used in everyday speech, with differences in phonology, vocabulary, and grammar.

Cypriot Greek preserves features such as geminate consonants, palatalization, and final -n, and has words from Venetian, Turkish, and English.

Useful expressions: Καλημέρα (good morning), Ευχαριστώ (thank you), Παρακαλώ (please/you're welcome), Ναι (yes), Όχι (no).

The Church of Cyprus is autocephalous, its independence recognized by the Council of Ephesus in 431; its head is the Archbishop of Cyprus.

Greek Orthodoxy is the religion of the majority; the 1960 Constitution recognizes the Greek Orthodox Church and the religious groups of the Armenians, Maronites, and Latins.

Easter (Pascha) is the most important religious festival, preceded by Great Lent; Green Monday marks the start of Lent.

Kataklysmos (Flood Festival) is celebrated at Pentecost, especially in Larnaca, with water-related customs.

Ten painted churches in the Troodos region are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and reflect Byzantine and post-Byzantine art.

Lefkara lace (lefkaritiko) is inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Halloumi (hellim) has protected designation of origin status in the EU; Commandaria is a traditional sweet wine with protected designation.

Kykkos Monastery is one of the richest and most famous monasteries; Hala Sultan Tekke near Larnaca is an important Muslim shrine.

Traditional cuisine includes souvlaki, kleftiko, moussaka, loukoumades, and Cyprus coffee; filoxenia (hospitality) is a valued custom.

Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily and Sardinia, with an area of about 9,251 km².

It lies in the eastern Mediterranean, about 75 km south of Turkey, 105 km west of Syria, and 380 km north of Egypt.

The Troodos massif dominates the southwest; Mount Olympus (Chionistra) is the highest peak at 1,952 m.

The Kyrenia (Pentadaktylos) range runs along the north coast; the Mesaoria plain lies between the two ranges.

The longest river is the Pedieos; others include the Yialias and Serrachis; rivers are seasonal and water is stored in reservoirs.

The climate is Mediterranean: hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters; snow falls in the Troodos Mountains in winter.

The capital is Nicosia; other main cities are Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, Famagusta, and Kyrenia.

Cape Apostolos Andreas is the northeastern tip; Cape Greco is the southeastern tip; the Karpas Peninsula extends northeast.

The Cyprus mouflon (Ovis gmelini ophion) is an endemic wild sheep and a national symbol; sea turtles nest on beaches such as Lara.

The Constitution guarantees fundamental rights including life, liberty, fair trial, property, religion, expression, assembly, and association.

Equality before the law and non-discrimination are guaranteed; the Ombudsman (Commissioner for Administration) investigates complaints against public authorities.

Citizens aged 18 and over have the right to vote in national and European elections; voting is by secret ballot.

Freedom of religion is protected; religious communities may manage their own affairs and religious instruction is provided in schools.

Civic duties include obeying the law, paying taxes, respecting public property, and protecting the environment.

Military service is compulsory for Greek Cypriot men; the National Guard is the island's military force.

EU citizens resident in Cyprus may vote in European Parliament and municipal elections under EU law.

The right to petition and access public information supports citizen participation; the state must provide free primary and secondary education.

The Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia dates to about 7000 BC and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mycenaean Greeks settled Cyprus between about 1400 and 1200 BC, bringing the Greek language; the Arcadocypriot dialect survived into the classical period.

Classical Cyprus was organized into city-kingdoms such as Salamis, Kition, Paphos, Amathus, and Soloi.

Cyprus passed from Assyrian, Egyptian, and Persian overlordship to Ptolemaic rule after Alexander the Great; it became a Roman province in 58 BC.

After the division of the Roman Empire in 395 AD, Cyprus belonged to Byzantium; Arab raids from the 7th to 10th centuries led to fortification and relocation.

Richard I of England captured Cyprus in 1191 during the Third Crusade; the Lusignan dynasty ruled from 1192 to 1489.

Venice ruled Cyprus from 1489 to 1571; the Ottoman conquest of 1570–71 began Ottoman rule, which lasted until 1878.

Britain administered Cyprus from 1878, annexed it in 1914, and made it a Crown colony in 1925; the Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960.

Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974; Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2008.

Cyprus is an independent, sovereign, unitary republic with a presidential system; the President is both head of state and head of government.

The President is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term; a second round is held if no candidate obtains an absolute majority.

The Council of Ministers is appointed by the President and exercises executive power; ministers are responsible to the President.

The House of Representatives is elected for five years by proportional representation; 56 seats are held by Greek Cypriots and 24 reserved seats for Turkish Cypriots remain vacant.

Legislative power is vested in the House of Representatives, which debates and approves laws and the state budget.

Judicial power is independent; the Supreme Court is the highest court and also exercises constitutional and administrative jurisdiction.

The Attorney General is the legal adviser to the Republic and heads the Law Office; the Auditor General audits public accounts.

The Republic is divided into six districts: Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, Famagusta, and Kyrenia; Nicosia is the capital.

Cyprus is a member of the EU since 2004, the euro area since 2008, the UN, the Council of Europe, and the Commonwealth.

Greek is an official language of the Republic alongside Turkish under Article 3 of the 1960 Constitution.

The Greek alphabet has 24 letters, from alpha to omega; each letter has upper- and lower-case forms.

Modern Greek has three grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and four cases (nominative, genitive, accusative, vocative).

The definite article agrees with its noun in gender, number, and case; it is used more widely than in English.

Verbs inflect for person, number, tense, voice, and mood; aspect (perfective vs imperfective) is central to Greek verb forms.

Standard Modern Greek is the written standard; Cypriot Greek is a distinct dialect used in everyday speech, with differences in phonology, vocabulary, and grammar.

Cypriot Greek preserves features such as geminate consonants, palatalization, and final -n, and has words from Venetian, Turkish, and English.

Useful expressions: Καλημέρα (good morning), Ευχαριστώ (thank you), Παρακαλώ (please/you're welcome), Ναι (yes), Όχι (no).

The Church of Cyprus is autocephalous, its independence recognized by the Council of Ephesus in 431; its head is the Archbishop of Cyprus.

Greek Orthodoxy is the religion of the majority; the 1960 Constitution recognizes the Greek Orthodox Church and the religious groups of the Armenians, Maronites, and Latins.

Easter (Pascha) is the most important religious festival, preceded by Great Lent; Green Monday marks the start of Lent.

Kataklysmos (Flood Festival) is celebrated at Pentecost, especially in Larnaca, with water-related customs.

Ten painted churches in the Troodos region are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and reflect Byzantine and post-Byzantine art.

Lefkara lace (lefkaritiko) is inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Halloumi (hellim) has protected designation of origin status in the EU; Commandaria is a traditional sweet wine with protected designation.

Kykkos Monastery is one of the richest and most famous monasteries; Hala Sultan Tekke near Larnaca is an important Muslim shrine.

Traditional cuisine includes souvlaki, kleftiko, moussaka, loukoumades, and Cyprus coffee; filoxenia (hospitality) is a valued custom.

Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily and Sardinia, with an area of about 9,251 km².

It lies in the eastern Mediterranean, about 75 km south of Turkey, 105 km west of Syria, and 380 km north of Egypt.

The Troodos massif dominates the southwest; Mount Olympus (Chionistra) is the highest peak at 1,952 m.

The Kyrenia (Pentadaktylos) range runs along the north coast; the Mesaoria plain lies between the two ranges.

The longest river is the Pedieos; others include the Yialias and Serrachis; rivers are seasonal and water is stored in reservoirs.

The climate is Mediterranean: hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters; snow falls in the Troodos Mountains in winter.

The capital is Nicosia; other main cities are Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, Famagusta, and Kyrenia.

Cape Apostolos Andreas is the northeastern tip; Cape Greco is the southeastern tip; the Karpas Peninsula extends northeast.

The Cyprus mouflon (Ovis gmelini ophion) is an endemic wild sheep and a national symbol; sea turtles nest on beaches such as Lara.

The Constitution guarantees fundamental rights including life, liberty, fair trial, property, religion, expression, assembly, and association.

Equality before the law and non-discrimination are guaranteed; the Ombudsman (Commissioner for Administration) investigates complaints against public authorities.

Citizens aged 18 and over have the right to vote in national and European elections; voting is by secret ballot.

Freedom of religion is protected; religious communities may manage their own affairs and religious instruction is provided in schools.

Civic duties include obeying the law, paying taxes, respecting public property, and protecting the environment.

Military service is compulsory for Greek Cypriot men; the National Guard is the island's military force.

EU citizens resident in Cyprus may vote in European Parliament and municipal elections under EU law.

The right to petition and access public information supports citizen participation; the state must provide free primary and secondary education.