A Day In Cyprus Diary
Imagine you are growing up in Cyprus, and write a diary entry for a typical day, thinking about the food you might have, your home and school, and the things you would do for fun...
Cyprus
Here's a little introduction to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Scroll down for our flag printables and Cyprus colouring flag, too.
Coastal scene, Cyprus
A Little Geography
- Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and lies around 70 km south of Turkey.
- The total area of the entire island is approximately 9,252 sq km.
- The coastline of Cyprus is around 400 miles long.
- Around one-third of the island of Cyprus is made up of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and The Republic of Cyprus makes up the remaining two thirds to the south of the island.
- The capital city Nicosia (also known as Lefkosia) is the last divided capital city in the world. One half of the capital belongs to the Republic of Cyprus, the other to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
- Cyprus is a major tourist destination.
A Little History
- Cyprus is full of ancient remains, some dating back to 10,000 BC.
- With its useful strategic location - between East and West - it was occupied by many different powers over the years, including Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians, Greeks, Romans (the Byzantium Empire ruled Cyprus for 800 years), Venetians, and French, before coming under the control of the Ottoman Empire in the 1500s.
- Placed under British administration in 1878, Cyprus became a full British colony in 1925. It gained independence in 1960.
- After independence, both Greece and Turkey wanted to claim the island as their own and war broke out in 1974. Eventually a separate Turkish Cypriot entity was established in the north, making up about 35% of the island geographically. The United Nations maintains a buffer zone between the two sides.
- Cyprus has been a member of the Commonwealth since 1961 and joined the EU in 2004.
Some Interesting Facts
- Cyprus is home to the world's oldest brand of wine. The dessert wine 'Commandaria' has been produced for at least 5000 years, and there is a legend that King Richard the Lionheart drank it at his wedding and called it "The King of Wines!"
- Italian archaeologists have found what they believe is the oldest perfume bottle in the world in Cyprus. It's over 4000 years old and contains extracts of pine, coriander, almond, anise, parsley and bergamot.
- Cyprus has a very shy national symbol, a sheep called the mouflon, which is hardly ever seen! In the 1930s there were only 15 mouflon left on the island due to hunting, but thanks to conservation efforts there are now thousands on the island - somewhere!
- Cyprus is one of only two states in the world to include its map on its flag - the other is Kosovo.
- The island is famous for Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Cypriot legend claims she was born and rose from the foam near a rock at Paphos, which is now known as Aphrodite's Beach. The location is now a popular venue for weddings!
- If you like halloumi cheese, you have Cyprus to thank for it!
About the Cypriot Flag
The National flag of Cyprus was adopted when the country gained independence in August 1960. It depicts a map of the entirety of the island above two interwoven olive branches on a white field. The copper colour of the island represents the vast copper ore resources in Cyprus. The olive branches symbolize peace between the Greeks and the Turks, as does the white field.
Our Cyprus Resources
Climate Of Cyprus Worksheet
Cyprus is a popular holiday destination, and that might be partly due to the climate! Can you describe the climate here, then fill in the weather there today on the phone app template?
Culture In Cyprus Worksheet
There are many festivals in Cyprus each year, including the Wine Festival in Limassol and the Festival of Roses in Agros. Find out about some others, and the other aspects of culture in Cyprus and record your research on this worksheet.
Cyprus Booklet
Make your own booklet about Cyprus by printing out this page and folding it. If you need a bit of help, look up origami booklet on the website for a step by step guide.
Cyprus Bookmarks
There is a version of this bookmark for every occasion! Colour, black and white, and with or without the words!
Cyprus Coat Of Arms Worksheet
Find out about the coat of arms of Cyprus and write about when it was awarded and the significance of the different parts. If you'd like an extra challenge, try designing your own coat of arms for Cyprus using Worksheet 2.
Cyprus Compare And Contrast Venn Diagram
Venn diagrams are a great way to look at similarities and differences. Use this Venn diagram to find out how your life compares to a child growing up in Cyprus!
Cyprus Compare And Contrast Worksheet
Use this Compare and Contrast worksheet to look at the similarities and differences between your daily life and that of a child growing up in Cyprus. Think about things like food, games and education!
Cyprus Fact Worksheet
This fact-finding worksheet will help your children find out some information about Cyprus, and is a useful way to start your studies and compare countries around the world.
Cyprus Facts Poster
We've included some of the important facts about Cyprus on this easy-to-print poster. The simple and clear design means it's perfect for displays!
Cyprus Factsheet
You can learn some quick facts about Cyprus, and become familiar with the map and flag of Cyrpus too with this simple one-page factsheet.
Cyprus Flag Colouring Page
The flag of Cyprus makes an interesting colouring page, complete with its own map of the country!
Cyprus Flag Jigsaw
Why not have a go at making your own jigsaw of the flag of Cyprus, it's a great way of learning the flags of the world. Search for a cutting guide on the website and choose one to suit your child's ability.
Cyprus Flag Printable
Print this page and make your own distinctive flag of Cyprus. You could also make bunting, or use as part of a frieze.
Cyprus Location Worksheet
Use these location worksheets to reinforce the significance and position of Cyprus within Europe. The guided worksheet provides all country names and capitals; the blank worksheet leaves it up to the children.
Cyprus National Flower Colouring Page
The national flower of Cyprus, the beautiful and delicate Cyclamen, makes the perfect focal point for this colouring page.
Fun Fact: Cyclamen is often used to make perfumes.
Cyprus Notebooking Page
Collecting information on Cyprus will be easy with this notebooking page. A great way to summarise what you've learned and can be put in a folder or file for future reference. There are lined and blank versions to choose from.
Cyprus on Map of Europe
Cyprus is marked in red on this useful outline map of Europe. Children can see its size relative to other European countries, and identify its neighbours too.
Cyprus Picture Gallery
There are lots of uses for our Cyprus picture gallery. Draw some pictures as part of your research on this beautiful island, or if you've been there on holiday you can cut and paste some of your favourite holiday snaps!
Cyprus Postcard 1
Cyprus is a popular tourist destination, visited by around 3 million tourists every year! Imagine you are one of these tourists and write this postcard to send to a friend back home.
Cyprus Postcard 2
Have some fun designing your own postcard from Cyprus! Draw a picture of something you might see there, then write to a friend back home...
Cyprus Poster 1
This poster shows just how beautiful Cyprus is, and would look lovely as part of any display or even in a frame. Print using the borderless settings on your printer for the best results.
Cyprus Poster 2
Here's our poster of the outline of Cyprus, containing the country flag. Cyprus is one of only two states in the world to include its map on its flag, so this poster has a map within a map!
Cyprus Quiz
You might be able to answer a few of these questions without any help if you've recently been on holiday to Cyprus! If not, try using our 'Introduction to Cyprus' factsheet to help...
Cyprus Story Paper
Write about a holiday to Cyprus on this lovely story paper, or use it to write down notes or research if you're learning about the country.
Cyprus Study Pack
We've got a wide range of activities all to do with Cyprus in this 25-page study pack. Some of the activities are full of useful and interesting facts and are ideal for older kids, and there are lots of fun, creative activities to try too.
Cyprus Tourist Leaflet
Create your own 3-fold tourist leaflet for Cyprus! We've started off the leaflet with a lovely picture on the front cover, so you just need to add some interesting content on the other pages!
Cyprus Travel Brochure Worksheet
Here's a fun activity that encourages some research about Cyprus, then asks the kids to practise literacy skills too. Can they write some interesting and descriptive text for a travel brochure to Cyprus?
Cyprus Word Search
The kids can have a go at this Cyprus word search - can they find all the words? We've included the solution to download too...
Cyprus Worksheet
This simple worksheet asks children to fill in some interesting facts and statistics, and then write about what else they have learned about Cyrpus.
Design A Tourism Poster For Cyprus
Here's a fun activity if you've just been to Cyprus on holiday perhaps, or if you're learning about the country. Can you design a tourism poster encouraging people to visit Cyrpus?
Food From Cyprus Worksheet
Halloumi cheese is one of the delicious foods to come from Cyprus, but can you find out about the other food grown and eaten there and draw a typical meal too?
Introduction to Cyprus
Read our two-page introduction to Cyprus to learn a little more about this Mediterranean country, then maybe try some of our Cyprus activities?
Packing For Cyprus Worksheet
Draw or write down everything you might need for a trip to Cyprus on this suitcase - a great activity just for fun, or useful if you're really going there on holiday!
Wildlife Of Cyprus Worksheet
Beautiful bougainvillaea grows all around the island of Cyprus! Can the children find out about some of the other plants that grow there, and the animals and birds too, and record their findings on this worksheet?