South and North Cyprus governments
Some live in a country that used to be very large and lived under one regime (ea. USSR) and others live in a country that is very small and there are two factions. Cyprus falls in this last category. The country is divided in two: North Cyprus and South Cyprus. Politically these countries are very different from each other. They are also very different religiously. The reason behind this is that after so many centuries or millenniums of existence, people that invaded that territory settled in which explains why there is a different culture.
.But the two governments actually just started a little more the 30 years ago (1974) which is not so long ago but both are recognized. The Turkish Republic is located in the North and to the South you find the Republic of Cyprus.
It’s one thing to know that there are two governments in such a small country, but it is also important to know why they exist. You see, most people that stay in the northern part of the country are Muslims. To the South, you have the Greeks. So in the government what sets them apart? Let’s make comparisons: for starters, both the Northern and Southern government follow three branches (justice system, executive and legislative). Both the North and the South have Presidents but in the North, one has the chance of being the PM so they have two. In the South, they have a vice president. You can see another difference in the number of members at their ‘parliament’. 50 of them have this privilege in the North but there are more than 80 in the South. The final thing that distinguishes them is the fact that both have Supreme courts along with their lower courts with the exception that in the south, the Supreme Court is composed of 13 members.
To prove how different they are from one another, here are more examples. Well for starters, any powers they might have are totally independent from one another. If you have read about a holiday that you think might be interesting to go see, make sure you go in the right place because, they also have different holidays. As for their regulations, you know what? They are also different and they have to be followed to the letter or else… If you are a visitor, this last point is important because some laws will apply for someone from the north but will have no impact in South Cyprus. You should also take into consideration that to obtain a visa, it won’t be the same whether you travel to the North Cyprus or South Cyprus.
When visiting either North or South Cyprus, you should familiarize yourself with the policies that each side has to avoid any mishaps. You are a visitor and you need to comply with the rules. As I mentioned before they are different so don’t play smart if you visit both hemisphere (North and South). The best thing is to read about it in a book, the internet or in my opinion is that to get the latest about this country’s law, go directly to their embassies in your country.