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CYPRUS, wanna visit it, so first read it!

© Mubashar Ahmad Baig

CYPRUS island is an independent country located in the eastern Meditarenean Sea, 97 km west of Syria and 64 km west of Turkey.

Its total area is 9,250 km2 and its lland area is 9,240 km2. So we can say that its comparative area is about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut.

In 1974 there has been a forceful Turkish invasion, in the island, which resulted in 37% of Cyprus to be still under Turkish occupation. Since then 200,000 Cypriots are refugees, 1619 Greek Cypriots are still missing. For over 20 years now Turkey in violation of numerous UN and security council resolutions keeps the island divided.

Temperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The island provides a perfect climate for summer holidays. It is estimated that there are 300 sunny days each year!!

The population of Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in Cyprus is decreasing from year to year. In some traditional nesting sites no more birds are seen. The black vulture Aegypius monachus is no longer breeds in Cyprus. This decrease was also observed in other European countries (Glutz et al. 1971). Until recently, very little was done to save the vultures in Cyprus. In this note we review the status of Griffon vulture in Cyprus, and we present the work of the Game and Fauna Service to assist these birds in their fight for survival.

With its approximately 1.800 species and subspecies of flowering plants, Cyprus, is an extremely interesting place for nature lovers and has all the attributes which make it a botanist's paradise. Being an island, it is sufficiently isolated to allow the evolution of a strong endemic flowering element. At the same time being surrounded by big continents, it incorporates botanological elements of the neighbouring land masses.

The birds of Cyprus outnumber 350 species, about 200 of which are passage migrants. Some 46 residents and 27 migratory species breed regularly on the island while the endemic species (unique to Cyprus) are around 10.

By word of mouth a wealth of folk tales have been preserved to our days in which imaginary adventures of birds or people teach a lesson in morality and prudence or impart simple instructions for a wise conduct of life...

This relation of humans and birds is analysed through this selection of birds of Cyprus and their folklore.

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