The Flag of Cyprus (Greek: Σημαία της Κύπρου, Turkish: Kıbrıs bayrağı) came into use on August 16, 1960 under the Zürich and London Agreements, whereby a constitution was drafted and Cyprus was proclaimed an independent state.
The national flag features a map of the entirety of the island, with two olive branches below (a symbol of peace) on white (another symbol of peace). The olive branches signify peace between the Turks and Greeks. The map on the flag is a copper-orange colour, symbolizing the large deposits of copper ore on the island (chiefly in the form of chalcopyrite, which is yellow in colour), from which it may have received its name.
Cyprus was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1571, which initiated Turkish settlement on the island. It then fell under British control in 1878. The flag, adopted at independence in 1960, deliberately chose peaceful and neutral symbols in an attempt to indicate harmony between the rival Greek and Turkish communities, an ideal that has not yet been realized. In 1974, Turkish forces invaded and occupied the northern part of the island, forming the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a de-facto state recognized only by Turkey and the non sovereign Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in Azerbaijan. They also introduced a flag similar to the Turkish, with inverted colours and two red stripes. The part which is occupied by the Turkish forces also tends to fly the national flag of Turkey, whilst in southern Cyprus, the national flag of Greece is often used together with the flag of Cyprus. |
