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K.A Former Pupils Worldwide
If you are a former pupil of Kilmarnock Academy and you currently live or work in this country (or have lived in it for a period of time), then e-mail us at kaworldwide@kilmarnockacademy.co.uk with your details. The essential details are: your name; the years you attended Kilmarnock Academy; and where in the country you live or work (if you no longer live or work in this country, please state the years you were in residence there).
If you want to - and it does make things a lot more interesting - you can also provide us with a brief account of a favourite place or fond memory or favourite anecdote or local customs or local cuisine (or anything else about this country that you'd like to share with us). You can, if you wish, also include one or two photographs of places you lived in or visited during your stay in this country.
K.A. International - Worldwide Learning Network
If you know of a school in this country (possibly one that your own children have attended) that would be interested in developing links and engaging in joint projects with pupils at K.A., then please e-mail kainternational@kilmarnockacademy.co.uk with contact details. You can find out more information about this initiative by clicking here.
N. McIlvanney 2005
K.A Former Pupils in Cyprus
Name Years attended K.A. Area, City or Town of Residence
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K.A. Pupils' Postcards
If you are a pupil or former pupil of Kilmarnock Academy and you have visited this country, then e-mail us at postcard@kilmarnockacademy.co.uk with your details. The essential details are: your name; the years you attended Kilmarnock Academy; and where in the country you visited.
If you want to - and it does make this page a lot more worthwhile - you can also provide us with a brief account of a favourite place or fond memory or unusual experience or local customs or local cuisine or first impressions or lasting impressions. (You can, if you wish, also include one or two photographs of a place you visited in this country).
N. McIlvanney 2005
K.A Pupils' Postcards from Cyprus
Name Years attended K.A. Area, City or Town Visited
Christopher Harrigan S1 in 2004 Paphos
Cyprus has many exciting features such as the tomb of the kings, the aqua sur, the shops and many more excellent places .The particular place that I went to was Paphos. The airport is really nice there - I thought it was really hi-tech. There was a lot of new equipment and lots of nice café's and restaurants - and that was just the airport. The towns are amazing with row upon row of shops - designer shops, sports shops - and hundreds of restaurants. I stayed at my mum's friend's villa which has its own swimming pool but I wasn't worrying about anything as I had lots to look forward to.
The tomb of the kings must have been the highlight of my trip. There it was - kind of like a big desert but instead of being covered in sand it was covered in grass and with tombs all over the place. There were stairs leading into all the tombs and the further down the stairs you go, the darker it gets and in the tombs it's all damp and dull. In the walls there are big holes where the mummies must have been but they have been taken out for obvious reasons. There was one in particular that I can remember because it was two tombs in one. That was the one where you come down the stairs and the other one is linked by a little tunnel that you have to crawl through to get in but it had a light in it (I thought it would be much better and spookier without the light) But the best part of it all was the gift shop. It had lots of funny and some spooky things. It also had things such as postcards, toys, books, essentials, pictures and lots more.
The aqua sur was great - full of fun rides and lots of different stalls (and even a bar or two). The best ride was the biggest flume – it was a really dark green colour and that made it look even more scary, but I still went on it. It was a great experience. You just do the normal turn and so and then, before you know it, you're falling at a 150 degree angle. It was scary because I wasn't expecting it at all.
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Country
(long form)
Republic of Cyprus
Capital
Nicosia note: the Turkish Cypriot area's capital is Lefkosa (Nicosia)
Total Area
3,571.44 sq mi
9,250.00 sq km
Population
758,363 (July 2000 est.)
Estimated Population in 2050
841,102
Languages
Greek, Turkish, English
Literacy
94.0% total, 98.0% male, 91% female (1987 est.)
Religions
Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and other
4%
Life Expectancy
74.43 male, 79.1 female (2000 est.)
Government Type
republic
Currency
Greek Cypriot area: 1 Cypriot pound = 100 cents; Turkish Cypriot area:
1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus
GDP (per capita)
Greek Cypriot area: $15,400 - Turkish Cypriot area: $5,000 (1998)
Labor Force (by occupation)
Greek Cypriot area: services 66.6%, industry 23.2%, agriculture 10.2%
(1998); Turkish Cypriot area: services 55.4%, industry 21.6%, agriculture
23% (1997)
Industry
food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood
products
Agriculture
potatoes, citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables
Arable Land
12%
Exports
Greek Cypriot area: citrus, potatoes, grapes, wine, cement, clothing
and shoes; Turkish Cypriot area: citrus, potatoes, textiles (1998)
Imports
Greek Cypriot area: consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, food and
feed grains, machinery (1998); Turkish Cypriot area: food, minerals,
chemicals, machinery (1997)
Natural Resources
copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth
pigment
Current Environmental Issues
water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity
in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's largest aquifer, increased
salination in the north); water pollution from sewage and industrial
wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization
Telephones (main lines in use)
Greek Cypriot area: 405,000 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area: 70,845 (1996)
Telephones (mobile cellular)
Greek Cypriot area: 68,000 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area: 70,000 (1999)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
5 (1999)
History
Cyprus has always been an important trading post between the empires
of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and throughout history someone
has always wanted to take it from someone else. First the Mycenaeans
grabbed it, then the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians and Persians.
Alexander the Great took it off them, then Ptolemy snatched it from
him. Rome took over in 58 BC and kept the place in relative peace and
security until the 7th century, when the Byzantine and Islamic empires
started three centuries of bickering over it. In 1191, Richard the Lionheart,
on his way to the Crusades, dropped into Cyprus for a spot of conquering,
but the Cypriots caused him too much trouble (one of them killed his
hawk and he was forced to massacre a few villages in retaliation), so
he sold them to the Knights Templar. The Templars sold the island to
Guy de Lusignan, whose heirs hung in for three centuries, repressing
the culture and orthodox religion but doing wonders for the economy.
The Venetians
took over in 1489, but were booted out by the expanding Ottoman Empire
in 1571, which kept Cyprus for 300 years before handing it over to Britain.
In 1925
Cyprus became a Crown colony of the UK, but by then the Cypriots had
had just about enough of being a pawn for empire-builders, and agitation
for self-determination began. This laid the foundations for today's
Greek/Turkish conflict: while many Greek Cypriots wanted to form a union
with Greece (a movement known as enosis), the Turkish population was
not so keen. By 1950, the Cypriot Orthodox Church and 96% of Greek Cypriots
wanted enosis. In response, the British drafted a new constitution,
which was accepted by the Turkish population but opposed by the National
Organisation of Cypriot Fighters, who wanted enosis or nothing. They
began a guerrilla war against the British.
In August
1960, Britain granted Cyprus its independence. A Greek, Archbishop Makarios,
became president, while a Turk, Kükük, was made vice-president.
By 1964 Makarios was moving towards stronger links with Greece, and
intercommunal violence was on the rise. The United Nations sent in a
peace-keeping force. In 1967 a military junta took over the Greek government
and enosis went out the window - even the most fervent Greece-lovers
didn't want union with such a repressive regime. Greece didn't give
up, though: on 15 July 1974 a CIA-sponsored, Greek-organised coup overthrew
Makarios and replaced him with a puppet leader. Turkey responded by
invading and Greece quickly pulled out, but the Turks weren't placated
and took the northern third of the island, forcing 180,000 Greek Cypriots
to flee their homes. In 1983 Turkish Cypriots proclaimed a separate
state, naming it the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). No
country except for Turkey has recognised this 'state'.
Peace talks
have been held sporadically, but Cyprus remains divided. The United
Nations has been scaling down its presence in Cyprus, and small-scale
border scuffles are on the increase. The Republic's purchase of missiles
capable of reaching the Turkish coast has further soured relations between
the two sides. However, both Turkey and the Republic are making moves
towards full membership of the European Union, and this may force both
sides to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
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