Reasons to live in Cyprus
CLIMATE
One of the benefits of being a Mediterranean island is plentiful sunshine throughout the year, and Cyprus is no exception. In fact, Cyprus weather epitomizes the ideal weather of the region with sunny days and fine temperatures almost every day. Extremes of temperatures are rare. Cyprus is blessed with long summers ( more than 300 sunny days ) and short winters.
TOPOGRAPHY
This green Mediterranean island is also remarkable for the variety of its topography, with a series of sandy and shingle beaches, wide bays and rugged cliffs round the coasts, steeply scarped volcanic hills, forest-covered up to the highest peaks, upland regions with gently rounded hills and deep valleys, and fertile plains . The five topography categories offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy a variety of activities available on the island.
ENVIRONMENT
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. Cyprus is used by millions of birds as a stepping-stone during their migration from Europe to Africa and back, something that has been observed since Homeric times. Cyprus is a pollution free environment.
HOSPITALITY
Cyprus is popular for its respect towards all foreign cultures hosting a number of communities, the main once are the English, the Russians, The Armenians and Asian communities. Foreign schools and places of worship are available for all these communities …The locals are unusually friendly and Welcoming, and invite friends at their home and treat them as one of the family.
LANGUAGE
Locals speak Greek Cypriot, which is a dialect of Greek that reflects the influence of the myriad of nations that have ruled Cyprus over the years… The second language of Cyprus is English, as the country was a British colony from 1878 until 1960. And because so many Cypriots speak English, many residents (particularly the British) make very little effort to learn more than a few words of Greek and live life in isolation as if they were on an extended holiday.
HISTORY
Cyprus was the meeting point of great civilizations due to its strategic location. Its 9000 years of history shaped its culture from those who conquered the island ; ancient Greek sanctuaries, Roman temples and medieval castles, reveal the rich history of the island .Ten of the numerous Byzantine painted churches have been put on the UNESCO heritage list along with other archaeological monuments.
CRIME
Cyprus enjoys a very low crime rate in comparison with other competitive Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. Cyprus crime rate is only one tenth of the average rate of the other European countries (6% of United Kingdom). One will find that in residential areas, people rarely lock their cars, many times leave houses, windows or even doors open. This is all due to friendliness and honesty of the local population and the reason people return year after year.
LIFE CONDITION
Cyprus provides a fairly high, European level standard of living. The annual per capita income is about US 27,000. The overall cost of living averages about 1/3 to 2/3 of most parts of Europe, Japan or the USA. The number ONE retirement destination ranked by the Sunday times in January 2008 having considered tax fees, property costs, healthcare, climate and culture …The Economist ranked the island 23rd out of 111 countries for world wide quality of life.
EU MEMBER
Cyprus inception in the EU , and more recently in the Euro Zone led to the lifting of property restrictions , the increase of financial attractions, as well as to greater business and investment opportunities…the banking system is harmonized with that of the EU ,is extremely competitive and offers superior service both to Individuals and business
LEGAL SYSTEM
The Cyprus legal system is a common law system, based on UK standards , and land register is one of the most advanced and reliable in the world. Purchasers of property in Cyprus will therefore be far more secure, with regards to their property transactions and title deeds, than they might be in another country. In Cyprus, the holder of the title deed is the sole legal owner of the property.
COMMUNICATION & TRANSPORTATION
With 6 internet providers,3 Mobile telecommunication providers local and international communications is offered at competitive prices and high quality .Cyprus strategic location is ideal for traveling to Europe , Asia and Africa .two international airports are served by more than 40 airlines , while the ports offer trips to Greek Islands, Lebanon, Israel, Egept and Syria. Within Cyprus all cities are connected via new motorways making traveling both safe and effortless.
LOWEST TAX
Vat is just 19% with many items including foodstuffs taxed with a low 8% .Corporation tax for resident companies is 10%…Income from dividends and profit from the sale of shares is also tax exempt. Capital gains tax is 0% for profits less than 17,088 euro …Further Cyprus has double tax treaties with over 40 countries including the UK ,Russia, and former soviet union countries ,USA and Scandinavian countries.
EDUCATION
State schools teach in the Greek language , and are free for children between 5 -18 years of age . Children who wish to attend state schools but do not speak Greek, are given special lessons in the language .There are private high standard English & French schools in each city , and many state and private universities throughout the country.
HEALTH
Cyprus has a very high standard of medical services. Hospitals, private clinics and medical centers are equipped with the latest facilities. The latest technology and operating techniques are standard, with heart bypass surgery and kidney transplantation now routine in hospitals. The principle underlying the Government’s health policy is that health, as a social good, is the responsibility of the state. The Government’s main objective is the continuous improvement of the standard of health of the population, through the promotion of health, the prevention of disease and the provision of high quality health care to all citizens.
SERVICES
Good standard of municipal services , like clean drinking water , new sewage systems , electricity , and continuous maintenance for roads and green areas in the city . The main responsibilities of municipalities are the construction, maintenance and lighting of streets, the collection, disposal and treatment of waste, the protection and improvement of the environment and the good appearance of the municipal areas, the construction, development and maintenance of municipal gardens and parks and the protection of public health.