Flag of Cyprus

Flag origins

Cyprus’s unusual flag shows a map of the island on white above two olive branches. It was adopted at independence in 1960. The island is officially copper-colored, rather than simply orange, recalling Cyprus’s importance as a source of copper since antiquity. The government also discusses a theory linking the island’s name with the ancient word for copper. Both the white field and olive branches symbolize peace.

Flag story

The flag’s most distinctive feature is its map of the country itself. Government material describes Cyprus as the first country to incorporate a territorial map into its flag. Turkish Cypriot artist İsmet Güney won the 1960 design competition. Because Greek and Turkish Cypriots had long lived on the island, the independence flag needed to avoid symbols strongly favoring either community. A map representing the whole island and olive branches representing peace offered a solution. Its Turkish Cypriot designer makes that history particularly striking.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Cyprus — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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