Flight Larnaca Riga

Riga

About Riga

Riga (Latvian: Riga, IPA: [ri?ga], pronunciation (help·info)) the capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Riga is the largest city in the Baltic states. The Historic Centre of Riga has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is particularly notable for its extensive Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture, which UNESCO considers to be unparalleled anywhere in the world

Business and commerce

Business and leisure travel to Riga has increased significantly in recent years due to improved infrastructure. Riga as a city-port is a major transportation hub and is the center of the local road and railway system. Most tourists travel to Riga by air via Riga International Airport, the largest airport in the Baltic states, which was renovated and modernized in 2001 on the occasion of Riga's 800th anniversary. Air traffic at the airport has doubled between 1993 and 2004. Baltic sea ferries connect Riga to Stockholm, Kiel and Lübeck. Riga was also home to two air bases during the Cold War: Rumbula and Spilve.

Almost all important Latvian financial institutions are located in Riga, including the Bank of Latvia, which is Latvia's central bank. Foreign commercial trade through Riga has been on the increase in recent years and received new impetus on May 1, 2004 when Latvia became a member of the European Union. Riga accounts for about half of the total industrial output of Latvia, focusing on the financial sector, public utilities, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, wood processing, printing and publishing, textiles and furniture, and communications equipment manufacturing. More than 50% of Latvian companies are registered in Riga region. The port of Riga is an important cargo shipping center. It is the main all-weather port in the Baltic and is expected to grow in the next few years due to increased trade with other ex-Soviet states and China.

Population

With 722,485 inhabitants in 2007, Riga is the largest city in the Baltic States, though its population has been on the decrease since 1991. Notable causes include out-migration and low fertility rates. Some have estimated that the population may fall by as much as 50% by 2050. According to the 2007 data, native Latvians make up 42.3% of the population of Riga, with the percentage of Russians at 42.1%, Belarusians at 4.4%, Ukrainians at 3.9%, Poles at 2.0%, and others at 4.3%. By comparison, 59% of Latvia's inhabitants are native Latvians, 28.5% are Russians, 3.8% are Belarusians, 2.5% are Ukrainians, 2.4% are Polish, 1.4% are Lithuanians and the remaining 2.4% are accounted for by other nationalities (2006). Upon restoration of Latvian independence in 1991, Soviet-era migrants (and any of their offspring born before 1991) were not automatically granted Latvian citizenship. Some have emigrated; this partially accounts for the recent decline in Riga's population. As a result of this repatriation of some Soviet-era migrants, the proportion of Latvians in Riga has increased from 36.5% in 1989 to 42.3% in 2007. In contrast the percentage of Russians has fallen from 47.3% to 42.1% in the same time period. Latvians overtook Russians as the largest ethnic group in 2006.

History

Riga is located at the site of an ancient settlement of the Livonians, an ancient Finnic tribe, at the junction of the Daugava and Ridzene (Latvian: Ridzene) rivers. The Ridzene was originally known as the Riga River, at one point forming a natural harbor called the Riga Lake, neither of which exist today . It is believed that the name of the river gave Riga its name.

Latvia

About Latvia

Latvia (IPA: /'lætvi?/) (historically Lettonia, or Lettland), officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvija or Latvijas Republika, Livonian: Le?mo), is a country in Northern Europe. Latvia shares land borders with Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south  »” and both Russia and Belarus to the east. It is separated from Sweden in the west by the Baltic Sea. The capital of Latvia is Riga (Latvian: Riga). Latvia has been a member state of the European Union since May 1, 2004 and a member of NATO since March 29, 2004.

History

The territory of Latvia has been populated since 9000 BC with the proto-Baltic ancestors of the Latvian people settling on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea around the third millennium BC (3000 BC). By 900 AD, four Baltic tribal cultures had developed: Couronians, Latgallians, Selonians, Semigallians (in Latvian: kursi, latga?i, si and zemga?i), as well as the Livonians (livi) speaking a Finno-Ugric language.

Across Europe, Latvia's coast was known for its amber. The ancient Balts traded Latvian amber with Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Even today it is frequently used in traditional Latvian jewellery.

At the end of the 12th century, traders from Western Europe often visited Latvia, setting out on trading journeys along Latvia's longest river, the Daugava, to Russia.

Christian missionaries arrived in 1180. As the Balts did not readily convert and strongly opposed the christening, German Crusaders were sent into Latvia to convert the pagan population. By 1211, Christianity had effective control with the foundation stone for the Dome Cathedral in Riga laid.

In the 1200s, a confederation of feudal nations called Livonia developed under German rule. Livonia included today's Latvia and Southern Estonia. In 1282, Riga and later the cities of C?sis, Limba?i, Koknese and Valmiera were included in the Hanseatic League. From this time, Riga became an important point in west-east trading. Riga, being the centre of the eastern Baltic region, formed close cultural contacts with Western Europe.

The 1500s were a time of great changes for the inhabitants of Latvia, notable for the reformation and the collapse of the Livonian state. After the Livonian War (1558-1583) today's Latvian territory came under Polish-Lithuanian rule. The Lutheran faith was accepted in Kurzeme, Zemgale and Vidzeme, but the Roman Catholic faith maintained its dominance in Latgale and continues to do so today.[citation needed]

The seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries saw a struggle between Poland, Sweden and Russia for supremacy in the eastern Baltic. Most of Polish Livonia, including Vidzeme, came under Swedish rule with the Truce of Altmark in 1629. Under the Swedish rule, serfdom was eased and a network of schools was established for the peasantry.

Larnaca

About Larnaca

Larnaca, (Greek: ?, Turkish: Larnaka) is a city of the Republic of Cyprus situated on the east coast of Cyprus. The major international airport, Larnaca International Airport is located in this city. In ancient times, Larnaca was known as Kition, or (in Latin) Citium. The biblical name Kittim, though derived from Citium, was in fact used quite generally for Cyprus as a whole, and occasionally by the Jews for the Greeks and Romans. Larnaca is colloquially known as "Skala" (Greek: ).

It has a population of 72,000 (2001) and is the island's second commercial port and an important tourist resort. To the north of the town lies the island's oil refinery, while to the south of Larnaca the International Airport is situated. The city of Larnaka is well-known for its picturesque sea-front which includes rows of palm trees (oi finikoudes, in the Cypriot dialect). Much of the activity is centred around the city promenade during the major festivals. The most important of these for the city of Larnaka is Kataklysmos or the Festival of the Flood, celebrated in early summer with a series of cultural events.

A famous Athenian general, Kimon, died at sea defending the city of Citium in a major battle with the Persians of Xerxes. On his deathbed, he urged his officers to conceal his death from both allied and Persians. The quote " " ("Even in death he was victorious") refers to Kimon. A statue of "Kimon the Athenian" stands proudly on the sea front promenade of modern Larnaca.

Like other cities of Cyprus, it has suffered repeatedly from earthquakes, and in medieval times when its harbour silted up (a sign that the island was deforested and overgrazed) the population moved to Larnaca, on the open seafront farther south. The harbour and citadel have now disappeared. Traces remain of the circuit wall, and of a sanctuary with copious terra-cotta offerings; the large cemetery has yielded constant loot to illicit excavation for more than a century.

Cyprus

About Cyprus

Cyprus (Greek: , Kýpros; Turkish: K?br?s), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: ?, Kypriaki? Dimokratía; Turkish: K?br?s Cumhuriyeti) is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean south of Turkey, west of the Levant, north of Egypt, and eastsoutheast of Greece.

Cyprus is the third-largest island and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, attracting over 2.4 million tourists per year. A former British colony, it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960 and became a Commonwealth republic in 1961. The Republic of Cyprus is a developed country and has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004. It adopted the euro on the 1st of January 2008.

In 1974, following a period of violence between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and an attempted Greek Cypriot coup d'état aimed at annexing the island to Greece and sponsored by the Greek military junta of 1967-1974, Turkey invaded and occupied one-third of the island. This led to the displacement of thousands of Cypriots and the establishment of a separate Turkish Cypriot political entity in the north. This event and its resulting political situation is a matter of ongoing dispute.

The Republic of Cyprus, the internationally recognized state, claimed sovereignty over 97% of the island of Cyprus and all surrounding waters, with the United Kingdom controlling the remaining three percent. The island is de facto partitioned into four main parts. The Republic of Cyprus exercises full effective control over approximately 59% of the island, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) controls over approximately 36% of the island, and the remaining approximately 5% of the land mass is split evenly between British-controlled Sovereign Base Areas and the UN-controlled Green Line.

Etymology

The name 'Cyprus' has a somewhat uncertain etymology. One suggestion is that it comes from the Greek word for the Mediterranean cypress tree (Cupressus sempervirens), ? (kypárissos), or even from the Greek name of the henna plant (Lawsonia alba), (kýpros). Another school suggests that it stems from the Eteocypriot word for copper. Georges Dossin, for example, suggests that it has roots in the Sumerian word for copper (zubar) or for bronze (kubar), from the large deposits of copper ore found on the island. Through overseas trade the island has given its name to the Classical Latin word for the metal through the phrase aes Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum. Cyprus is also called "the island of Aphrodite" , since the Greek goddess Aphrodite, of beauty and love, was born in Cyprus. The most common theory is that it came from their word for copper, Kypros, because the island had rich deposits of copper.

History

Cyprus is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, Adonis and home to king Cinyras, Teucer and Pygmalion. The earliest confirmed site of human activity is Aetokremnos, situated on the south coast, indicating that hunter-gatherers were active on the island from around 10,000 BC and more settled village communities existed at around 8200 BC. Important remains from this early-Neolithic period can be found at Mylouthkia, Shillourokambos, Kastros, Tenta and Khirokitia, where decorated pottery and figurines of stone quite distinct from the cultures of the surrounding mainland survive. The Mycenaeans reached Cyprus at around 1600 BC, with several Greek and Phoenician settlements dating from that period scattered all over the island.

Ancient Egypt soon followed becoming an important trade partner of the island, which reknown timber and copper, were sought after all over the ancient world. Following successive conquests at the hands of Egyptians and then Persians, Cypriots unsuccessfully revolted along with Ionian cities in 499 BC against Achaemenid Empire led by Onesilos. After several attempts with various results the island was brought under permanent Greek rule by Alexander the Great and later Ptolemies of Egypt until it's annexation by Roman Republic in 58 BC. Cyprus was one of the very first stops in apostle's Paul missionary journey. In 395 AD it became part of the Byzantine Empire, who lost it temporally to Arabs in 643 AD before reclaiming it in 966 AD.

Richard I of England captured the island in 1191 during the Third Crusade using it as a major supply base relatively safe from the Saracens. A year later Guy of Lusignan purchased the island from the Templars - who in the meantime had purchased it - to compensate the loss of his kingdom. Hamam Omerye, initially the church of St. Mary, stone built and with small domes, is a prime example of Augustinian architecture dating back from the French period. This 14th Century building is a true working example of Cyprus' rich culture and diversity, stone struggle, yet sense of freedom and flexibility. In 1571 however, Mustapha Pasha converted the church into a mosque, believing that this particular spot is where the prophet Omer rested during his visit to Lefkosia.

The Republic of Venice seized control of the island in 1489 after the abdication of Queen Caterina Cornaro, the widow of James II, the last Lusignan king of Cyprus. Using it as an important commercial hub, Venetians soon fortified Nicosia, the capital and most important city - with it's famous Venetian Walls. Throughout the Venetian rule, the Ottoman Empire continuously raided Cyprus. In 1539 Ottomans destroyed Limassol. Fearing the worse, Venetians fortified Famagusta, Nicosia, and Kyrenia.

A full scale invasion in 1570 under Piyale Pasha and 60,000 troops brought the island finally under Ottoman control, in a year long campaign, despite a stiff resistance by the inhabitants of Nicosia and Famagusta. The Ottoman applied millet system, allowed religious authorities to govern their own non-Muslim minorities but at the same time enforced the power of the Orthodox Church as a mediator between Christian Cypriots and the authorities granting it not only religious but political and economic (as a tax-collector and landowner) statures as well. Heavy taxation led to rebellions - between 1572 and 1668, around twenty-eight bloody uprisings took place - by both religious groups forcing the Sultan himself to intervene. The first large-scale census of the Ottoman Empire in 1831, counting only men, showed 14,983 Muslims and 29,190 Christians. By 1872, the population of the island had risen to 144,000 comprising 44,000 Muslims and 100,000 Christians.

In 1878, on the aftermath of the disastrous Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), administration but not sovereignty of the island, was ceded to British Empire, as a base in case of a renewed Russian aggression. By 1906 when the Famagusta harbour was completed Cyprus was a strategic naval outpost overlooking Suez Canal, the crucial main route to India. Following WW1 and Ottoman's alliance to Central powers, United Kingdom annexed the island. In 1923, under the Treaty of Lausanne, the nascent Turkish republic relinquished any claim to Cyprus and in 1925 it was declared a Crown colony. Once the island formally became a British colony, Greek Cypriots gradually became more assertive, ultimately demanding union with Greece. Many Cypriots, fought in the British Army during both world wars, under the promise that finally Cyprus would be united with Greece.

In January 1950 the Church organized a referendum boycotted by the Turkish Cypriot community with over 90% voting in favor of union with Greece. Restricted autonomy under a constitution was proposed by the British administration but eventually rejected. In 1955 EOKA was founded seeking an armed struggle for independence and union. At the same time TMT was established by Turks as a counterweight calling for Taksim. Turmoil on the island was met with force by British who started openly favouring Turks in police and administration, as part of a divide and conquer policy. Nevertheless Cyprus attained independence in 1960 after an agreement in Zürich and London between the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey which was later forced to Cypriots. Britain retained two Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekelia while government posts and public offices were allocated by ethnic quotas giving the 18% Turks a permanent veto, 30% in parliament and administration and granting the 3 mother-states guarantor rights.

Shortly the inter-communal violence broke loose, partially sponsored by both "motherlands" - with Turkish Cypriots shortly afterwards withdrawn in enclaves and Greek Cypriot leader archbishop Makarios III calling for constitutional changes as a mean to ease tensions. On 4 March 1964, a UN peacekeeping force was deployed in Cyprus and Dr Gala Plaza was appointed as a Mediator. He soon criticised the 1960 legal framework and proposed,to no avail, certain amendments. In 1974 the US-backed Greek junta - in power since 1967 - partly in a move to draw attention away from internal turmoil and partly unsatisfied with Makarios' policy in Cyprus, on 13 July attempted a coup to replace him with Nikos Sampson and declare union with Greece. Seven days later, Turkey launched an invasion of Cyprus allegedly to reinstate the constitution but which resulted in blooded conflict, partition of the island and mass ethnic cleansing. The overwhelming Turkish land, naval and air superiority against island's weak defenses led to the bringing of 37% of the land under Turkish control. 170,000 Greek Cypriots were evicted from their homes in the north with 50,000 Turks following the opposite path.