India

Other sets of holidays, varying between nine to twelve, pertains to festivals, religious holidays and births of leaders which are legislated by the individual states.
. India has three National Holidays. Students from mainland Turkey also study at universities on the Turkish side of Cyprus which is a great economic income for the North Cyprus Turkish Republic. Formula 1 racing is also increasing in popularity, due to racing driver Narain Karthikeyan, though its reach is largely limited to urban areas. Eastern European countries, especially Bulgaria and Hungary, are still popular destinations for students. Football (soccer) is also widely watched in almost the entire country, and is the most popular sport in many states. Traditionally the left wing party AKEL provided scholarships for its members to study in Eastern Europe.

Snooker and badminton have seen Indians achieve some international success. A large number of students after sitting for A-levels and/or SATs study abroad, mainly in English speaking countries such as the US or UK, but also in other European destinations such as France and Germany. Chess, badminton and carrom are also said to have originated in India. Thus following 1974 the Cypriot system follows the Greek system in the south, in other words providing their students with an apolytirion, and the Turkish system in the north. Traditional indigenous sports include polo, kabaddi, Kho Kho and gilli-danda, which are played in most parts of the country. State education was based on nationalisation of existing community supported schools from the colonial period. Its players have secured several individual titles and Grand Slam doubles wins, but an Indian is yet to win a Grand Slam singles. According to the 1960 constitution, education is under the control of the two communities (the communal chambers).

India has done rather well in Davis Cup tennis tournaments, reaching the finals on three occasions. Private colleges and state-supported universities have been developed by both the Turkish and Greek communities. However, it had won eight field hockey golds until 1980. The majority of Cypriots receive their higher education at Greek, British, Turkish, EU & US universities, while there are also sizeable emigrant communities in the United Kingdom and Australia. India has had relatively little success in other international events like the Olympics, where it garnered just one silver medal and two bronze medals in the previous three outings. Unlike in other countries, state schools are generally seen as equivalent or better in quality of education than private sector institutions. India also has a tradition of cue sports (snooker, billiards, etc) and shooting. Cyprus has a well-developed system of primary and secondary education offering both public and private education.

Chess is another international sport in which India is quite strong: Viswanathan Anand was FIDE World Champion, and several players have made significant inroads in recent years, well past the Grandmaster level. English is widely understood, and is taught in schools from primary age. But cricket is not the most popular sport in quite a few states, particularly in the northeast. Historically however, the Greek language was largely spoken by all Greek Cypriots and by many Turkish Cypriots. India's national sport is field hockey, although cricket is now the de facto national game due to its success and popularity in recent times. This delineation is only reflective of the post-1974 division of the island, which involved an expulsion of Greek Cypriots from the north and the analoguous move of Turkish Cypriots from the south. Traditional raiments for men are the kurta and dhoti. Greek is the predominant language in the south, Turkish in the north.

The traditional sari and the salwar kameez are popular styles of dress for women. The major part of Greek Cypriots are Eastern Orthodox Christians, whereas Turkish Cypriots are Muslims. Traditional dress in India greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles, and depend on various factors, including climate. Greek and Turkish Cypriots share many customs but maintain their ethnicity based on religion, language, and close ties with their respective motherlands. Spicy food and sweets are popular in India. Eventual adoption of the euro currency is required of all new countries joining the European Union, and the Cyprus government currently intends to adopt the currency on 1 January 2008. The country is notable for its wide variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian cuisine. Moreover, the small, vulnerable economy has suffered because the Turkish lira is legal tender.

The cuisine of India is extremely diverse, as ingredients, spices and cooking methods vary from region to region. The influx of about 100,000 Turkish economic migrants in the occupied part of Cyprus, who in their majority are uneducated workers, has brought even more trouble in the economy of the occupied area. Rice and wheat (in bread form) are the staple foods in the country. The economy relies heavily on agriculture. India's contribution to world cinema was the internationally renowned Bengali director Satyajit Ray, who in 1992 won an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement. The economy in the occupied part of Cyprus is heavily dependent on Turkey for subsidies for its survival. Cinema in other vernacular languages is also particularly strong, with movies regularly produced in well-established Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu industries. The level of the oil field in terms of production (barrels per day) that the two countries will be able to produce is still a matter of speculation.

The most recognisable face is that of cinema production based in Mumbai, which produces mainly commercial Hindi films, often referred to as "Bollywood". Recently, oil has been discovered in the sea South of Cyprus (between Cyprus and Egypt) and talks are under way with Egypt to reach an agreement as to the exploitation of these resources. India produces the world's largest number of movies every year. Economic policy of the Cyprus government has focused on meeting the criteria for admission to the European Union. India's only Nobel laureate in literature was the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore. Cyprus has been sought as a basis for several offshore businesses, due to its highly developed infrastructure. There have been many notable modern Indian writers, both in Indian languages and in English. The Cypriot economy is prosperous and has diversified in recent years.

Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu represents some of India's oldest traditions. Economic affairs in Cyprus are dominated by the division of the country due to the Turkish occupation of the north part of the island. Most of these spring from Indian (later called Hindu) traditions, and are represented by sacred works like the Vedas and the epics of the Mahabharatha and Ramayana. See also:. The earliest literary traditions in India were mostly oral, and were later transcribed. In acknowledgement of the Turkish Cypriot community's support for reunification, however, the EU made it clear that trade concessions would be reached to stimulate economic growth in the north, and remains committed to reunification under acceptable terms. They often have a narrative form (based on the itihasa (Indian epics), and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual elements. In May 2004, Cyprus entered the EU, although in practice membership only applies to the southern part of the island.

Many classical dance forms exist, including the Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam and Kuchipudi from the south, and Odissi, Kathak and Manipuri from the north and east. The Greek side overwhelmingly rejected the Annan Plan, and the Turkish side voted in favour. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music from different parts of the country. A United Nations plan sponsored by Secretary-General Kofi Annan was announced on 31 March 2004, based on what progress had been made during the talks in Switzerland and fleshed out by the UN, was put to both sides in separate referenda on 24 April 2004. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being Filmi music. By mid-March, the UN declared that the talks had failed. The two main forms of classical music are Carnatic from South India, and Hindustani from North India. Papadopoulos had a reputation as a hard-liner on reunification and had rejected previous UN attempts to reunify the island.

Indian music is represented by a wide variety of forms. However, weeks before the UN deadline, Klerides was defeated in presidential elections by center candidate Tassos Papadopoulos. Durga Puja in West Bengal, and Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharastra and Karnataka (both during autumn) are two festivals which have social as well as religious significance. In December 2002 the EU formally invited Cyprus to join in 2004, insisting that EU membership would apply to the whole island and hoping that it would provide a significant enticement for reunification resulting from the outcome of ongoing talks. Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Onam in Kerala are harvest festivals celebrated by people belonging to all religions in their respective states. UN-sponsored talks between the Greek and Turkish leaders, Glafkos Klerides and Rauf Denktash, continued intensively in 2002, but without resolution. The most widely known and popular celebrations include the Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi, and Dussehra. The continued difficulties in finding a settlement presented a potential obstacle to Cypriot entry to the European Union, for which the government had applied in 1997.

A melting pot of many religions, India has a rich diversity of festivals, many of which are celebrated by all, irrespective of caste and creed. The Greek side:. Religion in India is a very public affair, with many practices imbued with pomp and vitality accompanying their underlying spiritual qualities. The Turkish side:. Traditional Indian family values are highly respected, and considered sacred, although urban families have grown to prefer a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system. However, agreement was never reached on the finer details, and the two sides often met deadlock over the following points, among others:. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. The results of early negotiations between the Greek and Turkish sides resulted in a broad agreement in principle to reunification as a bi-cameral, bi-zonal federation with territory allocated to the Greek and Turkish communities within a united island.

Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. In that sense, the buffer zone turns the south-east corner of the island, the Paralimni area, into a de facto, though not de jure, exclave. Indian society is largely pluralist, multilingual and multicultural. The United Nations (UN) buffer zone separating the territory controlled by the Turkish Cypriot administration from the rest of Cyprus runs up against Dhekelia and picks up again from its east side, off of Ayios Nikolaos (connected to the rest of Dhekelia by a thin land corridor). These are the result of a syncretic tradition that combined elements from all parts of the country. The northern part is an enclave like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea and therefore not an enclave —although it has no territorial waters of its own [1]. Famous monuments, such as the Taj Mahal and other examples of Islamic-inspired architecture have been inherited from the Mughal dynasty. Additionally there is the Dhekelia Power Station, which is divided by a British road into two parts.

Many cultural practices, languages, customs and even monuments are examples of this co-mingling over centuries. The first two are the villages of Ormidhia and Xylotimbou. It has always absorbed customs, traditions and ideas from both invaders and immigrants. Cyprus has four exclaves, all in territory that belongs to the British Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia. India has a rich and unique cultural heritage, and has managed to preserve its established traditions throughout history. They are used as military bases. The number of mother tongues in India is as high as 1,652. Under the independence agreement, the UK retained title to two areas on the southern coast of the island, around Akrotiri and Dhekelia, known collectively as the UK sovereign base areas.

Two classical languages native to the land are Sanskrit and Tamil. The other power with territory on Cyprus is the United Kingdom. Hindi and English are used by the Central Government for official purposes. The Organization of the Islamic Conference granted it observer member status under the name of "Turkish Cypriot State". The Indian constitution recognises 23 official languages^[1]. This state was recognised only by Turkey. Other languages spoken in India come from the Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman linguistic families. The north proclaimed its independence in 1975, and the self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was established in 1983.

India is home to two major linguistic families: Indo-Aryan (spoken by about 74% of the population) and Dravidian (spoken by about 24%). Its territory, the status of which remains disputed, extends over the northern third of the island. Other religious groups include Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.84%), Buddhists (0.76%), Jains (0.40%), Jews, Zoroastrians, Ahmadi-muslims, and Bahá'ís. The Turkish Cypriot administration of the northern part of the island, together with Turkey, does not accept the Republic's rule over the whole island and refer to it as the "Greek Authority of Southern Cyprus". Although 80.5% of the people are Hindus, India is also home to the third-largest population of Muslims in the world (13.4%; see Islam in India), after Indonesia and Pakistan. Turkey aside, all foreign governments and the United Nations recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole island of Cyprus. India has no state religion. The Republic of Cyprus is the internationally recognised government of Cyprus, which controls the southern two-thirds of the island.

Work Participation Rate (WPR; the percentage of workers to total population) is 39.1%, with male WPR at 51.7% and female WPR at 25.6% India's median age is 24.66, and the population growth rate is 22.32 births per 1,000. Since 1974, Cyprus has been divided, de facto, into the Greek-Cypriot controlled southern two-thirds of the island and the Turkish-occupied northern one-third. The sex ratio is 933 females per 1000 males. Cyprus gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, with the UK, Greece and Turkey retaining limited rights to intervene in internal affairs. India's literacy rate is 64.8%, 53.7% for females and 75.3% of males. See also:. Its biggest metropolitan agglomerations are Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and Chennai (formerly Madras). In 1985, the TRNC adopted a constitution and held its first elections.

Language, religion, and caste are major determinants of social and political organisation within the highly diverse population. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriots declared an independent state called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), an action opposed by the United Nations Security Council. India is the second-most populous country in the world, after China. Subseqently, the Turkish Cypriots established their own seperatist institutions with a popularly elected de facto President and a Prime Minister responsible to the National Assembly exercising joint executive powers. For the year 2004, India's total exports stood at US$ 69.18 billion, imports at US $89.33 billion. Many thousands of others, from both sides, left the island entirely. India's main exports include agricultural products, textile goods, gems and jewelry, software services, engineering goods, chemicals and leather products, while its main imports are crude oil, machinery, gems, fertiliser, and chemicals. Turkish forces captured the northern part of the island(see Cyprus dispute).

India's major trading partners are the United States, Japan, China and the United Arab Emirates. The intervention is called "Cyprus Peace Operation" by the Turkish side. Directly and indirectly, it generates an estimated 42 million jobs, about 10% of India's work force. Turkey responded by launching a military operation on Cyprus in a move not approved by the other two international guarantor powers, Greece and the United Kingdom which aimed to protect the Turkish minority from Greek militias. Tourism contributes 5.3% of GDP, about US$4 billion in foreign exchange. Dissatisfaction in Greece with Makarios's perceived failure to deliver on earlier promises of enosis convinced the Greek colonels to sponsor the 1974 coup in Nicosia. While India receives only around three million foreign visitors a year, tourism is still an important but under-developed source of national income. Enosis remained an ideological goal, despite being pushed significantly further down the political agenda.

Many small-scale industries provide steady employment to workers in small towns and villages. By 1967, when a military junta had seized power in Greece, the political impetus for enosis had faded, partly as a result of the non-aligned foreign policy of Cypriot President Makarios. In recent years, India has emerged as one of the largest players in the software and BPO industries, with revenues of US$ 17.2 billion in 2004 to 2005. The responsibilities of the chamber were transferred to the newfounded Ministry of Education. Most of India's industrial regions are centred around major cities. Since 1964, following clashes between the two communities, the Turkish Cypriot seats in the House remained vacant, while the Greek Cypriot Communal Chamber was abolished. Other important industries are mining, petroleum, diamond polishing, films, textiles, IT and business process outsourcing (BPO) services, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, and handicrafts. The House of Representatives was elected on the basis of separate voters' rolls.

The Indian economy has shed much of its historical dependence on agriculture, which now contributes about 21% to GDP. The executive, for example, was headed by a Greek Cypriot president, Archbishop Makarios III, and a Turkish Cypriot vice president, Dr Fazıl Küçük, elected by their respective communities for 5-year terms and each possessing a right of veto over certain types of legislation and executive decisions. While a quarter of Indians still live below the poverty line, a large middle class has now emerged along with the rapid growth of the information technology (IT) and service industries. The 1960 Cypriot Constitution provided for a presidential system of government with independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as a complex system of checks and balances, including a weighted power-sharing ratio designed to protect the interests of the Turkish Cypriots. Mumbai is the financial capital and home to the headquarters of the Reserve Bank of India and the pre-eminent Bombay Stock Exchange. Cyprus left the Non-Aligned Movement in 2004 to join the EU. India's foreign exchange reserves amount to over US$ 145 billion. After independence Cyprus became a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement despite all three guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey and the UK) being NATO members.

Per-capita income (by PPP) is US$ 3100, ranked 125th according to the World Bank. Cyprus is divided into six districts. It recorded one of the fastest growth rates (8.1%) for the fourth quarter of 2005. See also:. India's economy ranks tenth in the world in terms of currency conversion (GNP), and fourth in terms of Purchasing power parity (PPP). All the other major cities are situated on the coast: Paphos to the south-west, Limassol to the south, Larnaca to the south-east, Famagusta to the east and Kyrenia to the north. India gets most of its rains through the monsoons. The capital city, Nicosia, is located to the north-east of the centre of the island.

Parts of India which lie in the Himalayas have a tundra climate. The climate is temperate and Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, variably rainy winters. The Indian climate varies from tropical in the south to more temperate in the north. There are also scattered but significant plains along the southern coast. India has three archipelagos – Lakshadweep off the southwest coast, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands volcanic island chain to the southeast, and the Sunderbans in the Gangetic Delta in West Bengal State. The central plain (Mesaoria) with the Kyrenia and Pentadactylos mountains to the north and the Troodos mountain range to the south and west. India is home to several major rivers, including the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Godavari, Kaveri, and Krishna. Historically, Cyprus has been at the crossroads between Europe, Southwest Asia, and North Africa, with lengthy periods of mainly Greek and intermittent Levantine, Anatolian and British influences.

The southern Indian Peninsula is almost entirely composed of the Deccan plateau, which is flanked by two hilly coastal ranges, the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats. Cyprus is geographically close to the Middle East (see also Southwest Asia and Near East) and due to the island's geographic proximity is often included in the region, though politically and culturally it is closely aligned with Europe, in particular Greece and to a lesser extent Turkey. In the west, bordering southeast Pakistan, lies the Thar Desert. The north maintains a lower standing of living due to the economic embargoes placed since its unilateral declaration of independence. The rest of northern, central and eastern India consists of the fertile Indo-Gangetic plain. Since the invasion, the southern part of Cyprus has greatly grown economically, and the country enjoys a high standard of living. India's northern and northeastern states are partially situated in the Himalayan Mountain Range. Cyprus has joined the European Union as a full member since January 2005.

India has had two scientific bases in Antarctica – the Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri, but has made no territorial claims so far. Since then, the Turkish occupying force in Cyprus has been fortified with US weapons. National Capital Territory:. The United States set an embargo on sale of arms to Turkey which was voted down a few years later after the invasion. Union Territories:. The S-300 missiles, in fact, never arrived in Cyprus but stayed on the neighbouring island of Crete. States:. Relations in the eastern Mediterranean were particularly frayed in the mid-1990s, especially after the acquisition by the Cypriot government of Russian missiles in 1997 which were capable of reaching the Turkish coast.

States have their own elected government, whereas Union Territories are governed by an administrator appointed by the Union Government, though some have elected governments. Conversely, it continues to reject calls to recognise the Republic of Cyprus as the sole legitimate government of Cyprus, and this political point has caused strained relations with the European Union. India is divided into twenty-eight states (which are further subdivided into districts), six Union Territories and the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Turkey is to date the only country to recognise the "government" of the occupied part of Cyprus. All governments since 1996 have required party coalitions, with no single party claiming a majority, due to the steady rise of regional parties at the national level. The UN Security Council, in its Resolution 541 of November 18, 1983, declared the action illegal and called for withdrawal. The NDA, led by the BJP, currently forms the main opposition. Turkish Cypriots proclaimed a separate state under Rauf Denktash on November 15, 1983.

It formed a government in alliance with several regional parties, known as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), with the outside support of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). After 1974 there were near-continual efforts to negotiate a settlement, which met with varying levels of hostility from either side. In the 2004 Indian elections the INC returned to power after winning the largest number of seats. He accepted a bizonal bicommunal federation as the form of a future state, but rejected any solution "involving transfer of populations and amounting to partition of Cyprus." The events of the summer of 1974 have dominated Cypriot politics ever since and have been a major point of contention between Greece and Turkey. The decade prior to 1999 was marked by a state of political flux, with seven separate governments formed within that period. The tension continued after Makarios returned to the presidency on December 7, 1974. In 1998, the BJP formed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) along with smaller regional parties, and became the first non-Congress government to sustain a full five-year tenure (1999 to 2004). Greece then suspended military participation in the NATO alliance.

But power was de facto held by two successive coalition governments, with the active support of the Congress. The Greek Junta made no armed response to the superior Turkish force but collapsed days after. In 1996, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a political party with a right-wing nationalist ideology, became the largest single party, and established, for the first time, a serious opposition to the largely centre-left Congress. Greek Cypriot soldiers were taken prisoners, with a number of 1,619 of those still missing and their fate is still unaccounted for. After emergency was lifted in 1977, and fresh elections were called, a united opposition, under the banner of the Janata Party won the elections and formed a non-Congress government for a short period. About 160,000 Greek Cypriots were uprooted, with Greek Cypriots forced to flee to the south, while approximately 50,000 Turkish Cypriots moved north. In 1975, the government led by Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency Rule across the nation. Talks in Geneva involving Greece, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the two Cypriot factions failed in mid-August, and the Turks subsequently moved to gain control of 37% of the island's territory.

Following its position as the largest political organisation in pre-independence India, the INC, usually led by a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family, dominated national politics for over four decades. Seven days after these events, Turkey invaded Cyprus by sea and air on 20 July, 1974, presenting the invasion as an act of protection for the island's 18% Turkish Cypriot minority. For most of its independent history, India has been ruled by the Indian National Congress Party (INC). The new regime replaced Makarios with Nikos Giorgiades Sampson as president, and Bishop Gennadios as head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church. A conflict between the legislature and the judiciary is referred to the President. However, by 1974 dissatisfaction among right-wing elements in favour of the long-term goal of Enosis - union with Greece - precipitated a coup d'etat against Makarios which was sponsored by the military government of Greece and led by the Cypriot National Guard. Each of these states has a tiered system of lower courts. During the 1960s, Makarios and Küçük pursued a non-aligned foreign policy, cultivating good relations with the Britain, Greece and Turkey and taking a leading role in developing the Non-Aligned Movement.

There are 18 appellate High Courts, each having jurisdiction over a state or a group of smaller states. The first President was the Greek Cypriot leader Archbishop Makarios III, and his Vice President was the leading Turkish Cypriot politician Dr Fazıl Küçük. The Supreme Court has both original jurisdiction over disputes between states and the Centre, and appellate jurisdiction over the High Courts of India. The constitution did not promote a healthy relationship between the residents of the island. India's independent judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India. The constitution produced by the negotiations was a binding document allocating government posts and public offices by ethnic quota. In the Indian parliamentary system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature. Independence was attained in 1960 after exhaustive negotiations between the United Kingdom, as the colonial power, and Greece and Turkey, the cultural 'motherlands' for the two communities on Cyprus.

Any minister holding a portfolio must be a member of either house of parliament. In 1955 the struggle erupted into guerrilla activity with the foundation of EOKA, and in the closing years of the 1950s the political and intercommunal atmosphere on the island became increasingly fraught. The executive arm consists of the President, Vice-President and the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet), headed by the Prime Minister. The Greek community held referenda in support of annexation, while the British sought to quell any movement which could threaten their possession of the island. All Indian citizens above age 18 are eligible to vote. During the 1940s and 1950s, Cypriots began to demand union with Greece. The 545-member Lok Sabha is directly elected by popular vote for a five-year term, and is the determinative constituent of political power and government formation. Many Cypriots, now British subjects, signed up to fight in the British Army, in this and in the Second World War.

The 245-member Rajya Sabha is chosen indirectly through an electoral college, and has a staggered six-year term. Cyprus was formally annexed by the United Kingdom in 1913 in the run-up to the First World War. The legislature of India is the bicameral Parliament, which consists of the upper house called the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), and the lower house called the Lok Sabha (House of the People). Famagusta harbour was completed in June 1906; by this time the island was a strategic naval outpost for the British Empire, shoring up influence over the Eastern Mediterranean and Suez Canal, the crucial main route to India. The constitution does not explicitly provide for a post of Deputy Prime Minister, but this option has been exercised from time to time. Cyprus was placed under British control on 4 June 1878 as a result of the Cyprus Convention, which granted control of the island to Britain in return for British support of the Ottoman Empire in the Russian-Turkish War. He or she is elected by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a parliamentary majority, and serves a five-year term, with re-election. The Republic of Venice took control in 1489 after the death of the last Lusignan Queen, after which the Ottoman Empire conquered the Island in 1570.

The Prime Minister is the head of government, and has most executive powers. Guy of Lusignan purchased the island from Richard in 1192. The President and the Vice President are elected indirectly by an electoral college for five-year terms. After the rule of an independent Emperor (Isaac Comnenus), King Richard I of England captured the island in 1191 during the Crusades. He is also the Commander-in-Chief of India's armed forces. The island negotiated a relatively secure independence, but paid tribute to the Ummayads. The President is the head of state, and has a largely ceremonial role, including interpreting the constitution, signing laws into action and issuing pardons. In 654 a second, devastating Arab invasion took place.

It has a three branches of governance: the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. The Arabs pillaged the island in 646. India has a quasi-federal form of government and a bicameral parliament operating under a Westminster-style parliamentary system. Cyprus became part of the Byzantine Empire after the partitioning of the Roman Empire in 395, and remained so for almost 800 years. India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. Her birth was famously depicted by the artist Botticelli in The Birth of Venus. Significant economic reforms beginning in 1991 have transformed India into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and added to its global clout. Throughout ancient history, Cyprus was a flourishing centre for the cultic worship of Aphrodite.

This was followed by a series of five more tests in Operation Shakti in 1998. The legendary site of Aphrodite's birth from the foam is at 'Petra tou Romiou' ('Aphrodite's Rock'), a large stack in the sea close to the coastal cliffs near Paphos. In 1974, India conducted an underground nuclear test, making it an unofficial member of the "nuclear club". According to Hesiod's Theogony, the goddess, who was also known as Kypris or the Cyprian, emerged fully grown from the sea where the severed genitals of the god Uranus were cast by his son, Kronos, causing the sea to foam (Greek: Aphros). India is a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations. Cyprus is the legendary birthplace of the goddess of beauty, love, sex and passion, the beautiful Aphrodite. It has unresolved border disputes with China (which escalated into the brief Sino-Indian War in 1962), and with Pakistan, which resulted in wars in 1947, 1965, 1971 and in 1999 in Kargil (at the northern fringe of Jammu and Kashmir State). In this way Cyprus became the first country in the world to be governed by a Christian ruler.

As a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, India has had some sectarian violence and insurgencies in various parts of the country, but has stayed together as a vibrant democracy. After their arrival at Salamis they proceeded to Paphos where they converted the Roman Governor Sergius Paulus to Christianity. The struggle culminated on 1947-08-15, when India gained full independence from British rule, and became a republic on 1950-01-26. No doubt the most important event that occurred in Roman Cyprus was the visit by Apostles Paul and Barnabas accompanied by St Mark who came to the island at the outset of their first missionary journey in 45 AD. In the early 20th century, the prolonged, non-violent struggle for independence was led by Mahatma Gandhi, widely regarded as the "Father Of The Nation". Later, the Greek rulers of Egypt controlled it; finally Rome annexed it in 58-57 BC. After it was put down, much of India came under the direct administrative control of the crown of the British Empire. Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) finally liberated the island from the Persians.

An 1857 insurrection against the British East India Company failed, known locally as the First War of Indian Independence, and in British and some Western literature as the Indian Mutiny, Sepoy Mutiny or Sepoy Rebellion. After their defeat, the Greeks mounted various expeditions in order to liberate Cyprus from the Persian yoke, but all their efforts bore only temporary results. During mid-second millennium AD, several European countries, including Portugal, Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom, who initially wanted to trade with India, took advantage of the fractured kingdoms fighting each other, to establish colonies in the country. The Persians finally won despite Ionian help. Nevertheless, several indigenous kingdoms flourished, especially in the relatively sheltered south, one of which was the Vijayanagara Empire. The Persians reacted quickly sending a considerable force against Onesilos. Following the Islamic invasions from Central Asia and Persia in the beginning of the second millennium AD, much of north and central India came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, and later the Mughal dynasty, who gradually expanded their reign to much of the Indian subcontinent. When the Ionian Greeks revolted against Persia (499 BC) the Cypriots except for the city of Amathus, joined in at the instigation of Onesilos, brother of the king of Salamis, whom he dethroned for not wanting to fight for independence.

Science, engineering, art, literature, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy flourished under the patronage of these kings. In their new fate the Greeks of Cyprus had as companions the Greeks of Ionia (west coast of Anatolia) with whom they forged closer ties. In the south, several dynasties, including the Chalukyas, Cheras, Cholas, Kadambas, Pallavas and Pandyas prevailed during different periods. In the Persian Empire, Cyprus formed part of the fifth satrapy and in addition to tribute it had to supply the Persians with ships and crews. From the 3rd century AD, the Gupta dynasty oversaw the period referred to as ancient India's "Golden Age". In the 16th century B.C., Amasis of Egypt conquered Cyprus, which soon fell under the rule of the Persians when Cambyses conquered Egypt. This led to the establishment of the Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian kingdoms in the northern Indian Subcontinent, and finally the Kushan Empire. In times Cyprus supplied the rest of the Greeks with timber for their fleets.

From 180 BC, a series of invasions from Central Asia followed. Cyprus has remained predominantly Greek in culture, language and population despite various influences resulting from successive conquests. In the north, the Maurya dynasty, which included Aşoka The Great, contributed greatly to India's cultural landscape. Thus from 1220 B.C. From around 550 BC, many independent kingdoms came into being. The newcomers brought with them their language, their advanced technology and introduced a new outlook for visual arts. It was followed by the Vedic Civilisation. This migration is remembered in many sagas concerning how some of the Greek heroes that participated in the Trojan war came to settle in Cyprus.

The first known permanent settlements appeared over 9,000 years ago, and gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilisation, which began around 3300 BC and peaked between 2600 BC and 1900 BC. begins the massive arrival of the Mycenæan Greeks as permanent settlers to Cyprus, a process which lasted for more than a century. Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh are the earliest known traces of human life in present-day India. Around 1200 B.C. . Cyprus was invaded by Thothmes III of Egypt about 1500 B.C., and was forced to pay tribute. In the last 20 years, it has grown significantly, especially in the economic and military spheres. and several Greek and Phœnician settlements that belong to the Iron Age can be found on the island.

India was a part of the British Empire before gaining independence in 1947. The Mycenæan civilization seems to have reached Cyprus at around 1600 B.C. Four major world religions — Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism — have Indian origins. The people quickly learned to work the rich copper mines of the island. It is home to the Indus Valley Civilisation — one of the most ancient civilizations in recorded history — and a centre of important historic trade routes. There are but scanty traces of the Stone Age, but the Bronze Age is characterized by a well-developed and clearly marked civilization. It is the second most populous country, with a population of over one billion, and the seventh largest by geographical area. It is also characteristic that in ancient times the name "Κύπρος (Cyprus)" in Greek was the first or second synthetic of names, such as: Αριστόκυπρος, Φιλόκυπρος, Κυπράνορας, Κυπροθέμης.

India is the fourth largest economy in the world by purchasing power parity, and the tenth largest by absolute GNP. Homer in his epics Iliad and Odyssey refers to the island of "Kύπρον (kypron)": “Μούσα μοι έννεπε έργα πολυχρύσου Αφροδίτης Κύπριδος” – “Muse sing to me the works of golden haired Aphrodite Cypridos”. A third name, Hindustan (Hindi: हिन्दुस्तान IPA: /ɦɪn̪d̪ʊst̪aːn/) listen (help·info) (Persian: Land of the Hindus) has been used since the 12th century AD, though its contemporary use is unevenly applied due to domestic disputes over its representativeness as a national signifier. Note that Cyprus was the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite. This name is derived from the Sanskrit name of an ancient Hindu king whose story can be found in the Mahabharata epic poem. Another probable suggestion is that it was named after the Greek goddess Aphrodite which was also called "Κυπρίς (kipris)". The Constitution of India, and common usage also recognises Bharat (Hindi: भारत IPA: /b^ɦaːrət̪/ listen (help·info)) as an official name of equal status. From there the word passed into European languages as "copper" in the English language, "cuivre" in French, "Kupfer" in German and "cobre" in Portuguese and in Spanish.

The name India IPA: /'ɪndiə/ is derived from the Old Persian version of Sindhu, the historic local name for the Indus river (see Origin of India's name). Through overseas trade, the island has already given its name to the Classical Latin word for the metal, which appears in the phrase aes Cyprium , "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to cuprum. India also claims a border with Afghanistan to the northwest.^[1]. Dossin, for example, suggests that it has roots to the Sumerian word for copper, "zubar" or even the word "kubar" (bronze), due to the large deposits of copper ore found on the island. On the Indian Ocean, it is adjacent to three island nations — the Maldives to the southwest, Sri Lanka to the south, and Indonesia to the southeast. Another school suggests that it stems from the eterocyprian word for copper. It has a coastline of over 7000 kilometres, borders Pakistan to the west, the People's Republic of China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. One suggestion is that it comes from the Greek word "κυπάρισσος (kypa'rissos)" meaning "cypress tree" or even from the Greek name of the plant Lawsonia alba (henna), "κύπρος (kypros)".

The Republic of India is a South Asian country that comprises a major portion of the Indian subcontinent. The name Cyprus has a somewhat uncertain etymology. Delhi. . Pondicherry. The Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κύπρος, Kýpros; Turkish: Kıbrıs; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, 113 kilometres (70 miles) south of Turkey and around 120 km west of the Syrian coast. Lakshadweep. +90-392 (a Turkish access number) is used in the north.

Daman and Diu. Number does not include any TRNC inhabitants
7. Dadra and Nagar Haveli. 230,000 inhabitants in the north
6. Chandigarh. Number does not include approx. Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Of which 5,895 km² is in the south and 3,355 km² in the north
5.

The TRNC is only recognised by Turkey
4. Not recognised by Turkey, which instead recognises the TRNC. The north has a separate president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
3. 2.