Flag of Cyprus

The flag of Cyprus is white, with the map of the island in copper colour and two olive branches below. It is one of only two national flags that carry the map of their country; the other is that of Kosovo. It was designed with a clear idea in mind: not to resemble the flag of either of the two peoples who live on the island.

How it came about

Cyprus was a British colony until 1960. On independence its population was made up mainly of two communities: the Greek Cypriots, the majority, and the Turkish Cypriots. The Constitution demanded a neutral flag: no blue or red, the colours of Greece and Turkey, and no cross or crescent.

The British administration proposed a large K in rust colour on a white ground, but the president, Archbishop Makarios, and the vice-president, Fazıl Küçük, preferred the design of İsmet Güney, a Turkish Cypriot artist. The flag began to be used on 16 August 1960.

How it has changed

Before 1960, Cyprus used British colonial flags. Since then its own has only changed in detail.

1. 

   1881-1922

   Under British administration, a blue flag with the British one in the corner and some initials.

2. 

   1922-1960

   The initials are replaced by two red lions, the emblem of the colony.

3. 

   1960-2006

   With independence comes the white flag with the map and the olive branches.

4. 

   2006

   The drawing is touched up: the map is more precise, the copper tone changes and the branches have more detail.

What it means

Everything on the flag speaks of the island and of peace:

• White

  the peace between the two communities.

• Copper-coloured map

  copper, a metal that has been extracted in Cyprus since antiquity.

• Olive branches

  peace again, and the coexistence of Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Fun facts

1. The copper carries the name of the island

   The Romans called it aes cyprium, “metal of Cyprus”, and the word “copper” comes from there.

2. Permission for other flags

   The Constitution allows the flag of Greece or of Turkey to be raised alongside the Cypriot one on holidays. In practice, Greek flags are seen in the south and Turkish ones in the north. Since 1974 the island has been divided, and the north, which uses a flag of its own, is only recognised by Turkey.

3. A salary that never arrived

   Güney told people he had been promised 20 pounds a year for his design and never collected them.

4. It looks like a white rag

   When there is no wind it hangs from the mast and nothing but white cloth is seen, something the authorities have pointed out as a problem.