Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, with an area of 9,251 km2 and a population estimated 1,189,800 people in 2018. The strategic location of the island has played an important role in establishing Cyprus as a business hub since antiquity and as a very popular tourist destination. Cyprus has been a member state of the EU since 2004 and a member of the Eurozone since 2008.

While Greek is primarily the language used in public schools, English is taught everywhere throughout primary and secondary level. Catering to its diverse population, Cyprus has some 20 reputable English-speaking primary and secondary schools, providing excellent levels of education, as well as pre-school kindergartens for Greek, English, and Russian speaking toddlers.

Cyprus has a multilingual and highly educated workforce in Cyprus, with the highest percentage of university graduates per capita in Europe. Cyprus is the second top spender in education relative to GDP in the EU.

Apart from its tourist industry, Cyprus is probably best known for the development of an international financial center, offering international business facilities. The expansion of the international business sector in Cyprus is largely due to the country’s strategic geographical location, at the crossroads of three continents, its advanced professional services sector, its legal framework which is closely based on the English common law, as well as on the existence of a wide network of treaties with other countries for the avoidance of double taxation.