Cyprus has been inhabited since Neolithic times. The Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia dates from 7000 BC. During the Bronze Age Cyprus had an important trade in copper.

Over the centuries Cyprus has been colonized and controlled by many peoples: Greeks, Phoenicians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Alexander's armies, the Ptolemies of Egypt, Romans and Byzantines.

In 1191 Richard I of England, the leader of the Third Crusade, conquered Cyprus; the island eventually went to Guy of Lusignan, a Frankish knight and the deposed King of Jerusalem. Cyprus remained in the Lusignan family for three hundred years. Catherina Cornaro, the last of the Lusignans, passed Cyprus to the powerful city-state of Venice in 1489.

The Ottoman Empire took Cyprus in 1571 ruling the island until the end of the 1870s.

Britain rented Cyprus from the Ottomans and annexed the island at the beginning of the First World War. Later, the island became a British Colony. From the mid 1950s, Enosis - union with Greece - caused political unrest and a guerrilla war against the British. The Greek Cypriot terrorist organisation (EOKA - Ethniki Organosis Kypriakou Agonos) was led by Colonel Grivas.

1960 saw Cyprus gain its independence from Britain. Archbishop Makarios, the Greek leader, became President and Fazil Kuchuk, a Turkish Cypriot, was appointed Vice President. Within a few years fighting broke out between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots and a United Nations peacekeeping force was stationed on the island. A decade later, a coup led to Turkish forces invading the island and in 1983 the Turkish Cypriot leader proclaimed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus separate from the south. However the Turkish Cypriot government is only recognised by Turkey and the island is divided by a one hundred and twelve mile "Green Line" patrolled by UN peacekeepers.

In December 2002 Cyprus took part in EU accession negotiations with nine other countries (the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia). The Accession Treaty was signed on 16 April 2003 with 1 May 2004 the formal entry date. The island's entry agreement states that while Cyprus remains politically divided, only the Greek southern sector of the island will come under EU law. All Cypriots, however, have the right to Cyprus passports which give everyone status as European citizens.