Cyprus Economics

In an in-depth research paper on Economics in Cyprus, begin by discussing how it was a burden to Great Britain.

Economically, Cyprus was a burden to Great Britain in many ways.

1. Cyprus did not yield products of any major significance to the British
2. Investment in Cyprus was very low
3. The Cyprus market was very limited
4. Cyprus depended upon and hoped for Great Britain to establish and promote economic opportunities, which would have been an economic burden to the British

Cyprus was in contrary to most of the other British colonies in that the majority of colonies were not only self-sufficient but brought wealth to the British coffers.

British Rule and Cyprus

Perhaps, the major difficulty that faced British rule involved the ethnic problems that had plagued Cyprus for centuries. The two prominent groups in Cyprus, the Turks and the Greeks, had strong ethnic loyalty, each faction wanting to control the island. The Greek Cypriots took pride in their ancestry from Ancient Greece and believed that this made them superior. In fact, as Greek descendants, they felt that they were "the creators of the civilization which the whole world admired and Economics in Cyprus had become the foundation of modern European civilization" . They blamed "their long slavery under the Ottoman Empire" or the Turks on their current life conditions. The Greek Cypriots often distinguished among the British in terms of those who were interested in Greek culture and those who were not. Thus, the Greeks had strong opinions regarding the philosophical goals of their government and educational system.

Cyprus and the Strength of the Ottoman Empire

The Cypriot Turks, on the other hand, shared the same enthusiasm for their cultural heritage, as did the Greeks. Their traditions, however, were founded in the strength of the Ottoman Empire. Additionally, they maintained their own language as well as customs apart from the Greek Cypriots.

Thus, the rule of Cyprus was difficult for Great Britain on many levels. Conflict was generated through the colonization period. Most notably was the riot of 1931 when the Greek Cypriots burned down the Government House in the capital of Nicosia.