The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is a real gem of the Eastern Mediterranean with pristine beaches and a picturesque mountain range covered with ancient pine trees, stretching along the west coast of the island from west to east and a huge number of ancient artifacts, which is why Northern Cyprus is called an “open-air museum”. TRNC is a state partially recognized by the international community, which gained independence in July 1974, as a result of a brief war in Cyprus, which was provoked by the genocide of the Turkish Cypriots, who at the time of the conflict made up only 10% of the island’s population. After hundreds of years of peaceful co-existence of the friendly Cypriot community, as a result of the conflict between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Turkey was forced to send troops to the island to protect the ethnic Turkish-speaking population. Following the end of hostilities, the northeastern part of the island, under the protection of the Turkish army, became fully independent only 9 years later and in 1983 proclaimed the formation of the sovereign state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, to this day recognized only by Turkey.
After two difficult decades of the establishment of the state, after 2004 the country’s economy grew rapidly thanks to the powerful political and large-scale economic support of Turkey. In less than two decades, Northern Cyprus has turned into a flourishing region of the Eastern Mediterranean with a modern infrastructure and a powerful education system that includes several international universities. After a short period of active economic growth, Northern Cyprus received the status of a popular Mediterranean resort due to its virgin picturesque nature, low prices in comparison with the southern (Greek) part of the island, membership of the European Union and the affordable cost of resort property in Northern Cyprus, which is not inferior in quality to European standards and at the same time costs several times less.
Every year, the quiet island state attracts more and more interest from foreign tourists and investors who have discovered Northern Cyprus as an ideal place for a comfortable stay, a quiet life in complete safety, and effective business management in favourable conditions for its development. All of the listed advantages of Northern Cyprus are not without foundation and deserve special attention, since they are objectively justified due to the real facts of the political and economic life of the state.
One of the most frequent topics of discussion and debate is the diplomatic status of the TRNC as a state only partially recognized by the world community, but perhaps many who have discovered this quiet, amazing country have long realized that this circumstance is the main advantage of Northern Cyprus. It is completely logical that after a personal acquaintance with the island, the majority of “daredevils” are in no hurry to advertise it, enjoying blissful relaxation and a serene, inexpensive high-quality life in a Mediterranean paradise, not trodden by thousands of tourists, which is a true enclave of safety and prosperity, especially given the current situation in the world associated with the pandemic.
Currently, Northern Cyprus means a safe life and relaxation with a complete absence of crime and deadly viruses, which is the most powerful argument in favour of TRNC, even before you take into account the affordable cost of high quality living, clean ecology, mild Mediterranean climate and warm sea, which is heated by more than 300 sunny days a year; the opportunity to get an international education at a reasonable price in comparison with other parts of the world and of course natural products that delight residents of the fertile island with rich harvests all year round.
It should be noted that during the whole existence of the state, in North Cyprus, not a single case of juvenile delinquency has ever been recorded, and this, along with the fact that on the island you can still often see unlocked cars in public places. And perhaps the most urgent problem at the moment is the world pandemic over which the small island state already won a complete victory in the second half of April 2020 and continues to take strict security measures even after opening borders and resuming transport links with the outside world from July 1, 2020 in order to maintain the situation under full control and to prevent a new wave of the spread of the virus in the territory of TRNC.
You can write a lot of good things about Northern Cyprus, but as the old saying goes: “It’s better to see it once than to hear it seven times”, therefore the surest way to get reliable and objective information about TRNC, if of course you desire to buy your dream house in Northern Cyprus and connect your life with this beautiful island – a free sightseeing tour, which our company can organize. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? If you still have doubts that Northern Cyprus is a comfortable and safe place for you and your family, then carry on reading this article, and if you prefer real time first hand information, fill out any of the forms available on this page and our Northern Cyprus real estate experts will immediately. Get back to you and answer all your questions in a time and manner of your choosing!
Geography and population of Northern Cyprus
The island of Cyprus is located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea and the northwestern coast of the island is in close proximity to the southern coast of Turkey at a distance of about 70 km by sea; from the eastern side of the island the famous Cape Karpas stretches to the western coast of Syria with which the island shares about 100 km of sea paths; and the southeastern part of the island faces across the sea to the northern coast of Egypt, located at a distance of about 950 km. Northern Cyprus occupies a third of the island and covers an area of 3355 km2. The population of the TRNC as of 2020 is over 350,000 people.
The capital of Northern Cyprus is the city of Levkosha (called Nicosia by the Greeks), which is divided by the border between the Greek (southern) and Turkish (northern) parts of the island and is the largest settlement of the TRNC. It is also necessary to highlight the two largest and most popular cities of Northern Cyprus among tourists – Kyrenia on the west coast and Famagusta on the east.
Weather and climate
The main feature of the climate of Northern Cyprus is a mild winter during which the temperature never drops even to 0°C. Most of the sunny days on the island fall between March and October, but of course, during the winter months, sunny weather is quite common, given that there are at least 300 sunny days a year in Cyprus. Most precipitation falls between November and March inclusive, but usually the coldest and wettest month is January. In winter, the nighttime temperature falls no lower than +6°C and in the daytime no lower than +16°C. Daytime temperatures in the winter quite often exceed +20°C.
In the summer, the island has very comfortable weather, even allowing for the very hot period in August, when the daytime air temperature can reach +40°C in the shade; though this itself is quite tolerable, due to the proximity of the sea. Also a big plus with respect to compensating for hot weather in the summer months is the fact that there are a large number of swimming pools in the country, with which almost all residential complexes are equipped, and there are even some institutions such as banks, in the courtyards of which you can find a pool.
National composition and state language of TRNC
The indigenous population of Northern Cyprus is Turkish Cypriots, who are ethnically very different from the Turks and do not consider themselves as such. The main indication of the local population belonging to the Turkish Diaspora is the Turkish language, which is native due to the long years of the Turkish protectorate on the island spanning several centuries. Officially, the Northern Cypriot religion is Islam, but for the most part, the population leads a secular lifestyle, which was greatly influenced by Great Britain during the colonial rule of the island from 1915 to 1960.
The official language of TRNC is Turkish: it is used in the education system and all structures of state power, including administrative state institutions. Also, due to the heritage as a colony of Great Britain, the country actively uses English, which is not publicly considered the second state language. It should be noted that various negotiations, signing of contracts for the purchase of real estate and other official procedures in the spheres of business and government, are carried out in English.
Political system of Northern Cyprus
In the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a multi-party democracy operates -– a system based on the existence of several political parties. Human rights and private property are fully protected by the state.
The head of the Republic is the President, who is elected by popular vote for a term of 5 years. Legislative power is assigned to the Assembly of the TRNC, which is made up of over fifty deputies. Northern Cyprus is gov
National currency of TRNC
The official currency of TRNC is the Turkish Lira. The second, unofficial national currency of the country is the British pound sterling, which, like the English language, the Cypriots inherited from the period of British administration. Also, when calculating in stores, dollars and euros are accepted, but change is most often given out in local currency at the current exchange rate.
Benefits of the Northern Cyprus Banking System
- Complete confidentiality of personal data of the bank account holder
- Ability to remotely manage an offshore account
- Low cost of servicing a current account
- Quick procedure for opening offshore banks and accounts
- Comprehensive information support in English for foreign clients.
Banks of Northern Cyprus – Credit West, Capital Bank, HSBC, Near East Bank, TEB, Iktisat, Ziraat Bank.
Tourism industry in Northern Cyprus
One of the main sources of state revenue is tourism. According to current statistics, over 1 million holiday makers visit Northern Cyprus every year. Every day more and more people decide on permanent residence on the island.
In TRNC, the crime rate is minimal, the sun shines all year, and the affordable conditions for buying real estate make the country even more attractive for relocation and profitable investments.
In Northern Cyprus there are many modern and ancient attractions. Each monument has its own fascinating history. Sightseeing tours are in high demand among visitors. Of the main attractions of the TRNC it is worth noting:
- Kyrenia Castle
- Bellapais Abbey
- Hilarion Castle
- The ancient city of Salamis
- Buffavento Mountain Castle
- Othello Castle in Famagusta
- Palace of Venetian Governors
- Kantara Castle
- Barnabas Monastery
- Apostolos Andreas Monastery and Cape, Karpass
- Karpas Peninsula (nature reserve)
- Turtle beach
- Blue House Museum (Guzelyurt)
- Ottoman Sultan’s Library
- English village of Karmi
- Antiphonidis Monastery in Esentepe
This is not the whole list of attractions and it should be added that 80% of the ancient artifacts of the island are concentrated on the territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. For this reason, in the midst of the tourist season, tourist buses come one by one from the southern part of the island to the northern, Turkish side of Cyprus.
If you are already fired up with thoughts of connecting your destiny with this enchanting island and acquiring property in Northern Cyprus for permanent residence or seasonal holidays, you just have to fill out a simple form on our website and get an absolutely free consultation from the best Northern Cyprus real estate experts today!