Political pressure groups and leaders: Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or
PEO (Communist controlled); Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK
(pro-West); Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen;
Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is

International organization participation: C, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
NAM, OAS (observer), OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andreas NIKOLAIDES
chancery: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone : [1] (202) 462-5772
FAX: [1] (202) 483-6710
consulate(s) general: New York
note: representative of the Turkish area in the US is Namik KORHAN,
office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC, telephone [1] (202)
887-6198

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Kenneth C. BRILL (26 June 1996)
embassy: corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, Engomi, Nicosia
mailing address : P. O. Box 4536, Nicosia, Cyprus
telephone: [357] (2) 476100
FAX: [357] (2) 465944

Flag description: white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island
(the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two
green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches
symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and
Turkish communities
note : the Turkish Cypriot flag has a horizontal red stripe at the top
and bottom between which is a red crescent and red star on a white
field

Economy

Economy - overview: The Greek Cypriot economy is small and prosperous,
but highly susceptible to external shocks. Industry contributes 23% to
GDP and employs 25% of the labor force, while the service sector
contributes 72% to GDP and employs 62% of the labor force. Erratic
growth rates in the 1990s reflect the economy's vulnerability to
swings in tourist arrivals (caused by fluctuations in political and
economic conditions in Western Europe and the Middle East) and the
need for structural changes in the economy. One bright spot has been
the low rate of inflation. In 1996 Cyprus fully satisfied all the
Maastricht convergence criteria. The Turkish Cypriot economy has less
than one-third the per capita GDP of the south. Because it is
recognized only by Turkey, it has had much d