Cyprus

The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental... organisation of 54 independent member states. All members except Mozambique and Rwanda were part of the British Empire, out of which the Commonwealth developed. The member states cooperate within a framework of common values and goals, as outlined in the Singapore Declaration. These include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism and world peace. The Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organisation in which countries with diverse social, political and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status, not a political union. Activities of the Commonwealth are carried out through the permanent Commonwealth Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, and biennial meetings of Commonwealth Heads of Government. The symbol of their free association is the Head of the Commonwealth, which is a ceremonial position currently held by Queen Elizabeth II.
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The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs. The World Bank's official... goal is the reduction of poverty. According to the World Bank's Articles of Agreement all of its decisions must be guided by a commitment to promote foreign investment, international trade and facilitate capital investment. The World Bank differs from the World Bank Group, in that the World Bank comprises only two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association , whereas the former incorporates these two in addition to three more: International Finance Corporation , Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency , and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes . The World Bank is one of five institutions created at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944. The International Monetary Fund, a related institution, is the second. Delegates from many countries attended the Bretton Woods Conference.
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The Council of Europe is an international organization promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human... rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation. It was founded in 1949, has 47 member states with some 800 million citizens, and is an entirely separate body from the European Union , which has only 27 member states. Unlike the EU, the Council of Europe cannot make binding laws. The two do however share certain symbols such as the flag of Europe. The Council of Europe has nothing to do with either the Council of the European Union or the European Council, which are both EU bodies. The best known bodies of the Council of Europe are the European Court of Human Rights, which enforces the European Convention on Human Rights, and the European Pharmacopoeia Commission, which sets the quality standards for pharmaceutical products in Europe. The Council of Europe's work has resulted in standards, charters and conventions to facilitate cooperation between European countries.
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The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security,... economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. It contains multiple subsidiary organizations to carry out its missions. There are 193 member states, including every internationally recognised sovereign state in the world but Vatican City. From its offices around the world, the UN and its specialized agencies decide on substantive and administrative issues in regular meetings held throughout the year.
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The University of Nicosia is the largest private university in Cyprus, with campuses based in the three largest cities in Cyprus: Nicosia, Lemesos... and Larnaca. It was formally known, until September 2007, as Intercollege. The University enrolls approximately 5,000 students, 4,000 of which are based in Nicosia. The University of Nicosia has established itself as a dynamic and respected international institution of higher education in just 31 years. It is the only University in Cyprus with a system of three campuses in the major cities of Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca. Beginning as a small educational institution preparing Cypriots for professional examinations, the University of Nicosia is today a vibrant international university where students of many ages, ethnic and cultural backgrounds may earn undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional qualifications at a significant cost advantage and, for many of them, close to home. The University of Nicosia is the largest private university in Cyprus; its current enrolment is about 5,000 students.
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The University of Cyprus is a public coeducational university established by the Republic of Cyprus in 1989. It admitted its first students in 1992... and has currently approximately 6000 students . It was the first university to be established in Cyprus. The University of Cyprus was established in 1989 and admitted its first students in 1992. It was founded in response to the growing intellectual needs of the Cypriot people, and is well placed to fulfil several aspirations of the country. The University is a vigorous community of scholars engaged in the generation and diffusion of knowledge. Despite its brief history, the University of Cyprus has earned the respect of the international academic community and the appreciation of Cypriot society. Admission for the majority of undergraduate students is by entrance examinations organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, and the competition for places is approximately 10 to 1. A number of places are reserved for students with special needs or circumstances.
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Marios Tokas Cypriot composer of traditional music born in Limassol, Cyprus. In the 1974 invasion, he fought as a soldier against the Turkish... invadors. In 1975 he went to Athens in order to study in the philosophical school. At the same time, he studied in the Ethniko Odio because he wanted to start a career as a musician. In 2004, Tokas and his six-member orchestra gave a concert in Vienna. The concert was co-organised by the Greek Society of Austria and the Athens Sports Association "Pantalkis" with the support of the General Secretariat of Hellenism Abroad of the Greek Foreign Ministry, under the auspices of the Cypriot ambassador to Austria. On 27 April 2008, Tokas died of cancer in Athens. Cypriot president Dimitris Christofias had visited him in the hospital towards the end of his life. He was buried in Athens' First cemetery. He is regarded as the most prominent composer in Cyprus and one of the most important in Greece. M. Tokas will always be remembered for his passion for Cyprus and the connection of his music with Cyprus.
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Natali , started her musical career as a child prodigy singer from Cyprus, and soon became a sensation throughout Europe. Born in 1988 to a Greek... Cypriot father and an Australian mother, Natali resides in Limassol and shares her home with her siblings Antonios and Janet. She attended Ayios Tychonas elementary school and also studied classical piano and music theory with the renowned musicologist Dr. Nefen Michaelides, and ballet and modern dance at the Nadina Loizides school of ballet. Natali began her early career at the international children's song festival Zecchino d'Oro in Bologna, Italy. Natali's interpretation of Christos Phillipou and George Serdaris' song "Cyprus, My Country" led to the 1995 release of her first album, To Dromaki Mas . The album, which contained songs composed and produced by Doros Georgiades, went on to record-breaking platinum sales. Natali continued her collaboration with Georgiades and Seradis on her second album, Pes to Mou. The album went platinum in its first month of release, putting Natali in a league with some of the industry's most popular names.
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Constantinos Christoforou is a Cypriot singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Limassol, Cyprus, Christoforou's debut EP Tora Pou Milas and album... O,ti M'afora were commercial successes in his native country, the latter becoming the first domestic release by a Cypriot artist to be certified triple platinum. He represented Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Mono Yia Mas", taking ninth place and began crossing over into the Greek market first as a backing vocalist for other artists. He gained wider fame as the lead singer of Giorgos Theofanous' pop musical project One, the first boy band ever in the Hellenics. The group became popular with young audiences, releasing several successful records and taking sixth place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 with "Gimme", Cyprus' second best result ever in the contest. Christoforou left One in 2003 to reprise his solo career, returning to his laïko musical roots.
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