Cyprus facts

Cyprus and Kosovo. Only Cyprus and Kosovo have a map on its flag. The flag of Cyprus has a map of the island with two olive branches below, which signifies peace between the Turks and Greeks. The flag of Kosovo has six white stars, signifying Kosovo's six major ethnic groups, in an arc above a golden map of Kosovo on a blue field.

Euro. The currency of the Republic of Cyprus is the Euro (€). It is divided into 100 euro cents (¢). Cyprus switched to the euro on January 1st, 2008. Prior to that, it had been using the Cypriot Pound as its currency.

Nicosia is the farthest southeast of all EU member state capitals. Since 1963 the city has been divided - the northern part of the city is the capital of Northern Cyprus.

Famagusta. Othello Castle also known as Othello's Tower, is a castle in Famagusta, Cyprus. It was built by the Lusignans in the 14th century, and was later modified by the Venetians. The castle was named after a Venetian governor in 1506.

In 1365. The Alexandrian Crusade was led by Peter I of Cyprus against Alexandria in Egypt. Unlike the more prominent Crusades, it seems to have been motivated largely by economic interests. Peter wanted to end the primacy of Alexandria as a port in the Eastern Mediterranean in the hope that Famagusta would then benefit from the redirected trade. Religious concerns, then, were secondary.