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North Cyprus - Essential Information
Thursday, March 30, 2006

Climate: With a typical Mediterranean climate of long dry
summers and short, rainy winters you are sure to have the best of both worlds
here. The average annual temperature is 19ºC (66ºF). The summer temperature
can soar over 40ºC (105ºF). North Cyprus enjoys one of the warmest
seas with temperatures on average of 21ºC (75ºF). In North Cyprus
the winter months are generally between November - February and are typically
mild. The average annual rainfall is around 500mm.

Geography: An area of 3,355 square miles encompasses the
northern part of the island, which is the third largest in the Mediterranean.
Almost half of the coastline of the whole of Cyprus is in the Northern part
of the Island. Approximately 45% of the land in North Cyprus is arable of which
20% is irrigated and farmed for cereals and food crops. 20% of the island is
wooded and re-forestation programs are under way to restore the native trees
such as Olive and Cypress. North Cyprus is 70km south of Turkey and 385km north
of Egypt.

Major Towns: Lefkosa (Nicosia) is the capital of North Cyprus,
which has a population of approximately 35,000. This is where the main administration
and business centres are generally located, it is a bustling town which has
an old bazaar and has a variety of arts and craft fairs to tempt the prospective
purchaser. There are several other major towns; Gazimagusta (Famagusta) is the
principal port and is a thriving business community which still retains all
the charm of an ancient walled city, where you can relax in the shade of olive
trees and watch churches and mosques occupy the same territory. Girne (Kyrenia)
is a coastal town which is generally the main attraction for tourists. It has
a wonderful harbour which is overlooked by an ancient fortress, closely situated
to Bellapais the monastic town you have the best of both worlds. Wherever you
are in Kyrenia you can catch glimpses of the Five Finger mountain range.

Language: Turkish is the official language and English is widely
used and understood in commercial and local circles.

Time: Local time is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Household items and Services: Most household appliances are available in North
Cyprus at about the same price as Europe. Most international makes and models
are available (Whirlpool, Kelvinator, Candy, Philips, Pioneer, Panasonic, Siemens,
Arthur Martin, Bosch, Tefal, Beko, Sony etc.

Running costs: The living costs are much cheaper than the
UK and the majority of Europe. The main costs are electricity which costs around
4 pence per KW. (approx. £ 15 monthly per house), water costs £2
for 0-20 tons of water per month and an annual council tax is less than £
40 (£2.90 per month which includes waste collection, pavement and road
cleaning, etc.) 1 gas canister costs approximately £6 and lasts as long
as 2/3 months. There is an annual property tax of £80.

Cuisine: The cuisine in North Cyprus is very similar to the
cuisine in Turkey. Turkish Cypriot cooking is a delicious blend of Eastern and
Western cuisine. A typical diet consists of: local fruits; melons, Clementine’s,
oranges, lemons, grapes, apricots, peaches, bananas the list is endless. There
is a whole variety of salad and root vegetables, including tomatoes, asparagus,
artichokes, sweet corn, peppers, spinach and absolutely first class potatoes.
The local breads are absolutely delicious and are available freshly baked each
day, there is nothing like biting into warm fragrant bread sprinkled with sesame
seeds as you watch the sun rise! All of the local produce tastes like food used
to taste, cheeses, jams, local sausages and meats all produced with care. Renowned
for their Turkish coffee: thick, black, aromatic and very sweet, it is sure
to wake you up whatever time of day you drink it! The ‘meze’ is
a very important part of meal times and the list is endless; delicious fishes,
meats, kebabs, cheeses, sausages, fresh salads, hoummous, taramaslata, yoghurt,
stuffed olives, beans, potatoes. If you are hungry it is the only thing that
will satisfy you. The locally produced alcoholic drink is Raki, an aniseed spirit,
which is drunk diluted with water. Wine and beer are available and are of good
quality.

Banks & Currency: All of the usual types of banking services
are provided in the main banks. There are numerous Turkish and Turkish Cypriot
banks as well as branches of HSBC in Nicosia, Kyrenia and Famagusta. Turkish
lira is used as the local currency. There is no restriction for the import of
foreign currency into Northern Cyprus, however, the export of currency is restricted
to US-dollars 8000, or the equivalent in other currencies. Exchanging currency
in banks, and bureau de change is fairly easy. Credit and Debit cards, travellers
cheques can be used in the majority of shops. Small outlets generally accept
cash only.

Mains Services: Mains power 220/240 volts AC. (British Standard
3 pin plugs are used).

Traffic: As in the UK traffic circulation is on the left.
Road signs are international. There is a large selection of car hire companies
with a variety of vehicles at favourable rates, from £15 per day in the
winter to £20+ in the peak season.

Pets: Pets can be brought into the country from Europe with
relative ease. A certificate stating that your animal is free from disease,
which can be supplied by your vet is needed. Quarantine is approximately 4 weeks
at the Lefkosa kennels.

Accommodation: North Cyprus has a large selection of accommodation
ranging from 5-star hotels, small family hotels, motels, self-catering villas,
apartments and camping facilities.

Transportation: Visitors can get to North Cyprus via air
or by sea. Ercan State Airport is 7 miles (12 km) east of Nicosia. Cyprus Turkish
Airlines and Turkish Airlines both fly there. There are several ferry operators
in both Kyrenia and Famagusta to and from Turkey. Apart from local taxi’s
and hire cars, public transport in the form of buses is generally used, but
this is mainly confined to the major cities such as Famagusta and Nicosa.

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