Sadly, there are a lot of global conflicts going on right now.

Most of them deal with land disputes or disagreements on how a group of people should be governed.

Between Israel-Palestine, Russia-Ukraine, North Korea-South Korea, and more, it's easy to feel like it's impossible to peacefully resolve a conflict on the international stage.

However, Cyprus is an example of a place that was mirred by post-WW2 conflict but was able to come to a peaceful agreement that, while still not a full solution, minimized casualties and promoted a great deal of stability to the island.

Amazing!

Perhaps they should be an example for other disagreements around the world.

I spent a few days on the island to get an up-close-and-personal view into the history of the conflict and present-day solution.

The Cyprus Problem

To sum up a very complicated decades-long conflict in a few sentences...

Cyprus is settled by two main groups of people: Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

Greeks and Greek Cypriots share very similar culture, as do Turks and Turkish Cypriots.

The Republic of Cyprus gained its independence from the UK in 1960 and for some years they had a unified government in which Greek and Turkish Cypriots coexisted.

However, shortly thereafter, a military faction of the mainland Greek government launched a coup d'état in Cyprus, hoping to bring the island fully under Greek control.

Mainland Turkey launched a military invasion into Cyprus to protect the ethnic Turkish Cypriots from falling under Greek rule.

The invasion led to hundreds of thousands of Cypriots getting displaced, as Turkey effectively moved all the Turkish Cypriots to the northern 1/3 of the island and expelled all the Greek Cypriots to the southern 2/3 of the island, before a cease-fire was reached.

In the ensuing peace agreement, the United Nations established a buffer zone between the two factions to help prevent additional flare-ups. Then, in 1983, the Turkish Cypriots in the north decided to declare themselves an independent nation: the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

So far, this independence has only been recognized internationally by one country: Turkey.

The Border

What makes the border between Cyprus and TRNC so interesting is that it runs right through the streets of Nicosia, the city which both entities consider to be their capital.

This makes Nicosia the only city in the world to be the capital of two different countries.

And, unlike the previous few decades, it's very peaceful at this point. So I decided to visit!

It is, without a doubt, the coolest border crossing I've ever been to. Walk around on the southern part of Nicosia and you feel like you're in Greece.

One street over however, you must show your passport, walk through the UN buffer zone that stretches about one block, and then on the other side you emerge and feel like you're in Turkey.

Despite only a few meters separating the two, you genuinely feel like it's two different worlds.

On the southern side, people speak Greek, use the Euro, and Greek food is available everywhere you look.

One block later, everyone speaks Turkish, uses the Turkish Lira, and drinks Turkish tea.

Greek and Turkish Cypriots are allowed to travel between the two as well, and many Greek Cypriots will go to the northern side of the island for cheaper food and good shopping.

The Turkish side is definitely less developed than the Greek side, but it was still extremely charming. Once you get outside of Nicosia, it boasts beautiful nature and beaches.

Conflict Complications

If people can move between the two areas and it's extremely peaceful, why don't the Cypriots try to reunite?

Or, why doesn't the rest of the world begin to acknowledge the sovereignty of the TRNC?

Well...it's complicated.

Most international proposals would rather see a reunification of Cyprus than give more recognition to the TRNC.

But this reunification would be very complex given the amount of people displaced by the conflict who would want to settle in their previous homes.

Both sides coexist well under the current agreements and thus any reunification is currently likely to create more problems than it solves. But it does create weird international situations.

Like the fact that the TRNC has no representation in the United Nations.

Or how the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the EU, is acknowledged by other EU member states as the government in charge of the entire island...but the northern part of the island officially uses the Lira as currency, not the Euro. And how, correspondingly, the Turkish part of the island has no EU representation.

It's weird. But if you're a geopolitics nerd like me, it's fascinating.

The Vibes

Greece is perhaps my favorite country I've ever visited, and the southern side of Cyprus is effectively an extension of that culture.

Amazing Greek food, ridiculously friendly people, beautiful beaches, and more were some highlights that I enjoyed during my time on the island.

Compared to Greece, the infrastructure is poorer, making it harder to get around, find accomodation, or explore the inland nature to where buses don't frequent.

In Nicosia, I met friendly travelers, expats, Greek Cypriots, and Turkish Cypriots. No hostility. Just warm smiles and happy people.

My time in Cyprus was short-lived, but incredibly wholesome. I know I'll be back at some point in the future.

If you're interested in strange border crossings and interesting history (and beautiful beaches), I'd highly recommend checking it out and exploring what it the island has to offer!