Famagusta District, or simply Famagusta, is one of the six

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

of Cyprus. While the entire district covers an area of , only about is under the

de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' (; ; ) describes practices that are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. The phrase is often used in contrast with '' de facto'' ('from fa ...

control of the Republic of Cyprus. Most of the district including the capital and largest city of

Famagusta Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime ...

is under Turkish control since the 1974 invasion. The region under Cypriot control is isolated from the other districts, and a district administration in exile exists on the Cyprus-controlled part of the island with the seat at

Paralimni Paralimni () is a town within the Famagusta District of Cyprus, situated on the island's east coast. Since the Turkish invasion in 1974, it has increased in size and status, primarily due to the migration of refugees fleeing from the north. Ma ...

. The Northern Cyprus has a separate district of Iskele which includes the

Karpass Peninsula The Karpas Peninsula (; ), also known as the Karpass, Karpaz or Karpasia, is a long, finger-like peninsula that is one of the most prominent geographical features of the island of Cyprus. Its farthest extent is Cape Apostolos Andreas, and its m ...

, and is not recognized by the Republic of Cyprus.

History

The region was a major center in the 3rd century BCE during the reign of

Ptolemy I Ptolemy I Soter (; , ''Ptolemaîos Sōtḗr'', "Ptolemy the Savior"; 367 BC – January 282 BC) was a Macedonian Greek general, historian, and successor of Alexander the Great who went on to found the Ptolemaic Kingdom centered on Egypt. Pt ...

. The people of Salamis settled in the region in the 7th century, following attacks by

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

. During the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

, the population increased, as more people settled in the region. The city of Famagusta became a trade center and a major port. The

Lusignan The House of Lusignan ( ; ) was a royal house of French origin, which at various times ruled several principalities in Europe and the Levant, including the kingdoms of Jerusalem, Cyprus, and Armenia, from the 12th through the 15th centuries du ...

kings ruled the region until 1372, when it was captured by the Genoese. It remained under their control till 1469, during which trade declined. In the ensuing years, it changed hands multiple times including the rule of

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

s and Venetians. It was captured by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

during the War of Cyprus in 1571. The region was under the Turkish rule until 1878, before being handed over to the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

in exchange for its support in the Ottomans' fight against the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. Cyprus gained independence from the United Kingdom (UK) in 1960. A treaty of guarantee signed by the UK, Greece, Turkey and the new Republic of Cyprus, and was agreed to share power between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. However, violent ethnic clashes erupted between the communities in the late 1960s. When the Cypriot government was overthrown by a coup d etat sponsored by Greece in July 1974, Turkey intervened and captured the northern portions. Most of the district has been under Turkish control since the 1974 invasion. In 1983, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was formed, which is not recognized by Cyprus and other nations. Since 2001, the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

had established a buffer zone separating the regions. The border crossing was opened for the first time in 2003, with new crossings opened in Deryneia in 2018.

Geography

Famagusta is one of the six

of Cyprus. While the entire district covers an area of , only about is under the

control of the Republic of Cyprus. Most of the district including the city of

is under Turkish control since the 1974 invasion. A

buffer zone A buffer zone, also historically known as a march, is a neutral area that lies between two or more bodies of land; usually, between countries. Depending on the type of buffer zone, it may serve to separate regions or conjoin them. Common types o ...

established by the

separate the regions controlled by the Republic of Cyprus from Northern Cyprus. On the western part of the district lies the base of Sovereign base area of Dhekelia controlled by the United Kingdom. The United Nations does not control the border at Varosha, a town near Famagusta. The

is the easternmost part of the region, which stretches as a thin strip of land into the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

. Cape Greco is a headland in the southeastern part of the district at the end of Famagusta Bay. The area includes the fertile area known as the "red villages" (Kokkinochoria, Κοκκινοχώρια), due to the distinct red colour of the soil.

Administration

A district administration in exile exists on the Cyprus-controlled part of the island, with the seat at

. According to the Statistical Codes of Municipalities, Communities and Quarters of Cyprus of the Statistical Service of Cyprus, the district has eight municipalities and 90 communities. Only the municipalities of

Ayia Napa Ayia Napa ( , ), officially Romanization, romanised Agia Napa, is a Tourism in Cyprus, tourist resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus. Etymology The name Ayia Napa is derived from a Venetian Cyprus, Venetian-era monaster ...

, Deryneia and Sotira, and five communities are under the de jure control of Cyprus. The Northern Cyprus has a separate district of Iskele which includes the

, and is not recognized by the Republic of Cyprus. List of all settlements with municipalities are in bold: * Acheritou * Achna * Afania * Agia Trias * Agios Andronikos (Topçuköy) * Agios Andronikos * Agios Chariton * Agios Efstathios * Agios Georgios * Agios Iakovos * Agios Ilias * Agios Nikolaos * Agios Sergios * Agios Symeon * Agios Theodoros * Akanthou * Aloda * Angastina * Ardana * Arnadi * Artemi *

Assia __NOTOC__ Assia may refer to: People * Assia Noris (1912–1998), Russian Italian film actress * Assia (singer) (born 1973), French pop singer * Assia Djebar (1936–2015), Algerian novelist, translator and filmmaker * Assia Wevill (1927–1969) ...

* Avgolida * Avgorou *

* Bogazi *

Davlos Davlos (, ) is a village in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, located on the northern coast, east of Kyrenia, near Kantara Castle. It is under ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus, forming part of its İskele District. History The name ...

* Deryneia * Enkomi *

Eptakomi Eptakomi (, ) is a village in Cyprus, located on the Karpas Peninsula. It is under the '' de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a ''de facto'' state that compr ...

* Flamoudi * Frenaros * Gaidouras * Galateia * Galinoporni * Gastria * Genagra * Gerani *

Gialousa Yialousa ( rom , meaning "Sea" ) or Gialousa, is a town under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus, claimed by Cyprus. Yialousa is located on the Karpas Peninsula, and one of the sub-districts of the İskele District. In 2011, Yialousa ...

* Goufes * Gypsou * Kalopsida * Knodara * Koilanemos * Koma tou Gialou * Komi Kebir * Kontea * Kornokipos * Koroveia *

Kouklia Kouklia (, ) is a village in the Paphos District, about east from the city of Paphos on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The village is built in the area of "Palaepaphos" () (Paphos#Old Paphos, Old Paphos), mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, G ...

* Krideia * Lapathos * Lefkoniko * Leonarisso * Limnia * Liopetri * Livadia * Lysi * Lythrangomi * Makrasyka * Mandres *

Maratha The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...

* Marathovounos * Melanagra * Melounta * Milia * Monarga * Mousoulita * Neta * Ovgoros *

* Patriki * Peristerona * Perivolia * Pigi * Platani * Platanissos * Prastio * Psyllatos * Pyrga *

Rizokarpaso Rizokarpaso ( []; ) is a town on the Karpas Peninsula in the northeastern part of Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus. While nominally part of the Famagusta District of the Republic of Cyprus, it has been under the '' de facto'' control of Northern Cypru ...

* Santalaris * Sinta * Sotira * Spathariko * Strongylos * Stylloi * Sygkrasi *

Tavros Tavros (, which means "bull"), is a town and a suburb in the southwestern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Moschato-Tavros, of which it is a municipal unit. Geograph ...

* Trikomo * Trypimeni * Tziaos * Varosha * Vasili * Vathylakas * Vatili * Vitsada * Vokolida

Notes

References

External links

Famagusta Gazette Newspaper
{{Authority control Districts of Cyprus