12 interesting facts about the island of Cyprus

Do you think you know everything about the island of Cyprus? Let's see! In the current article we will present you some interesting things about the island, which you might not even know:

1. Cyprus is considered as the island of love, since it was named after Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who was born off the coast of Paphos. In particular, the Cypriot legend claims that the goddess was born and resurrected from the foam of the sea near a rock, where Aphrodite Beach is today.
2. On average, Cyprus has 40 days of rainfall per year. Besides, it is known for its sunshine for more than 300 days during the year.
3. Cyprus is the first country to use its geographical map as its national flag.
4. The area of ​​Ayia Napa years ago was covered with a dense forest. The word "napa" comes from the ancient Greek word "νάδα", which means valley. Today, Ayia Napa may be a tourist attraction for its nightlife as well as its amazing beaches, but in the past it is used to be uninhabited and the only reason to visit was hunting.
5. Cyprus is home to 20 rare orchid species and there are more than 1950 plant species, 140 of which are found nowhere else in the world! Cyprus is also considered as a unique destination for birdwatching, since in addition to the endemic species, the island is a key breeding point where approximately 250 million birds pass through every autumn and spring.
6. The beaches of Cyprus are the cleanest in all of Europe and have held this title for over a decade. 99.1% of all swimming waters on the island have been rated as 'excellent quality'.
7. Cyprus has the oldest brand of wine, the so-called commandaria. To be precise, Cypriot sweet wine is recognized as the oldest wine name in the world. More specifically, it is said that the crusaders gave the name to the wine in the 13th century, but its production is documented in Cyprus since 800 BC. It is also rumored that King Richard the Lionheart of England at his wedding referred to the commandaria as the "wine of kings" or "king of wines". It is produced from sun-dried (semi-ripened) grapes in the Commandaria region of Cyprus, at the foot of the Troodos mountain range.
8. The oldest perfume in the world was in Cyprus and discovered by a group of Italian archaeologists in 2007, when they visited Pyrgos. Fragrances infused with lavender, rosemary, pine and coriander are housed in tiny translucent bottles.
9. According to legend, an entire container of cats was sent to the island, in order to devour the poisonous snakes, as a result of being more cats than people on the island nowdays!
10. The delicious halloumi cheese is certainly not a recent invention, it was mentioned in an Egyptian cookbook dating back to the 14th century!
11. Life expectancy in the entire population of Cyprus, according to 2019 estimates by the World Health Organization, was 83.1 years (81.1 years for men and 85.1 years for women).
12. The wreck of the Zenovia is in the bay of Larnaca, while the ship and part of its cargo is intact. It is ranked among the 10 most interesting wrecks for diving in the world.