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Cyprus REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS
The Turkish invasion of 1974 was a calamity, but Greek
Cypriot
society was able to overcome its effects. The economy of
the
Republic of Cyprus quickly recovered, and went on to
flourish into
the early 1990s. Greek Cypriot society also withstood the
loss of
homeland and broken social relations. Greek Cypriots built
shelters
and found work for the 160,000 displaced people, who had
fled their
homes and villages. During the 1980s, a more prosperous
and modern
society emerged. Education was made more accessible, and
government
help to those needing it was improved. Like other
societies, Greek
Cypriot society became more urbanized, yet mostly avoided
the ill
effects of a too rapid transition to city life. Ties to
the
countryside remained strong, even as Greek Cypriots became
better
connected with the world beyond the island.
As the Republic of Cyprus modernized, social relations
changed,
but not as quickly as in Western Europe. The Church of
Cyprus,
rather conservative in its doctrine, remained the dominant
religion, although it played a smaller role than formerly
in the
lives of most Greek Cypriots. Marriage and family remained
stronger
than in the United States, and relations between the sexes
were not
as relaxed. However, Greek Cypriot women were better
educated than
their mothers and were more likely to work outside the
home.
Although they were well represented in some professions,
Greek
Cypriot women suffered some sex discrimination in
employment, and
the republic's feminist movement was not yet influential.
These developments occurred against the backdrop of the
tragedy
of partition. The barrier between Greek and Turkish
Cypriots was
virtually impenetrable. The older generation of the two
peoples had
experienced the terrors of intercommunal conflict, but
they had had
some contact with one another. A new generation of Greek
Cypriots
did not know members of the other community. Some had
never seen a
Turkish Cypriot.
Data as of January 1991
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