Nicosia - in depth
Nicosia is the capital and largest city of Cyprus.
Located on the Pedieos river and situated roughly in the centre of the island, it is the seat of government as well as the main business centre. Nicosia is the centre and capital of an administrative district (Nicosia District).
Despite the recent symbolic gestures shown by both communities in removing small sections of the dividing wall, it still remains the only divided capital city in the world, with the northern (Turkish) and southern (Greek) portions divided by the "Green Line", a demilitarized zone maintained by the United Nations, although unlike Cold War East and West Berlin, few use the terms "North Nicosia" and "South Nicosia". After already being segregated to some degree from 1964, the 1974 Turkish invasion cut the capital in half. The Turkish Cypriots held the northern half of Nicosia as the capital of an internationally unrecognized (except for Turkey) state known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
The population of the part of the city under the control of the Republic of Cyprus is 270,000 (end of 2004), while a further 84,893 live in the Turkish zone.
Nicosia is a modern, dynamic capital with lots of shops, restaurants and entertainment. The city is a trade centre and manufactures textiles, leather, pottery, plastic, and other products. Copper mines are nearby.
Nicosia is the seat of the University of Cyprus (UCY) and of all the colleges and institutes of Republic of Cyprus.