Cyprus

Cyprus, a member country of the European Union, lies just a couple hundred miles of the coast of Lebanon and Syria. The small island lies on the crossroads of major Mediterranean trade route and historically was a prized jewel for any regional ruler.Almost all major powers had controlled it at one point or the other – Assyrians, Egyptian, Persians, Greeks, British. Roman and Greek ruins are scattered along the southern coast. The northern part of the island is actually a separate country – Northern Cyprus.