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Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean, has a history spanning over 10,000 years. Evidence of early settlements, like Khirokitia, dates back to 9,000 years ago. Around 1200 BCE, Greek immigration began, leading to the establishment of Greek kingdoms and making the Greek language predominant. A Phoenician colony was founded at Citium around 800 BCE.1

The island later came under the rule of the Byzantine Empire, followed by periods of Ottoman and British administration. In 1960, Cyprus gained independence as the Republic of Cyprus. However, conflicts between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority led to a de facto partition of the island in 1974, with a Turkish Cypriot state established in the north. The official flag of the Republic of Cyprus features a yellow silhouette of the island with a green olive wreath, symbolizing peace.234567

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