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Cyprus, the third-largest Mediterranean island, has a tumultuous history of conquests and colonization. Though geographically located in western Asia, its cultural ties weave through southeastern Europe. In 1960, Cyprus gained independence from the United Kingdom after years of a complex relationship that included attempts at enosis – union with Greece – driven predominantly by the Greek Cypriots.
On July 20, 1974, political turmoil escalated when a coup led to a Turkish invasion, resulting in the division of the island. Today, the Republic of Cyprus governs the southern regions, while the north is administered by a self-declared Turkish Republic—a situation still unresolved and regarded as illegal under international law.