Even though Cyprus is a small country, with a population of slightly less than 800,000 and an area of 3,572 sq mi (about twice the size of Rhode Island), it has an illustrious history, with evidence of hunter-gatherers on the island as far back as 10,000 BC and villages in 8,200 BC. This predates even Greece's history. Because of its geographic location, in the far eastern portion of the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus has been a crossroads for many cultures including Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Assyrian, Persian, Turkish, Venetian, and British. At various times in its long history Cyprus has been colonized by each of these societies. Each culture brought with them their own culinary traditions, which the permanent residents absorbed and converted to suit their own culture and climate. Cyprus attained independence in 1960. Over a period of time, on this page, we will be introducing you to the wonderful products that these various cultures introduced to Cyprus. We will show you the traditional products and cuisine of Cyprus and we will demonstrate how modern Cyprus is taking these traditions and re-inventing them for the 21st century. Today Cyprus is part of the European Union, has adopted the Euro, and has the third highest GDP in the European Union, after that of Luxembourg and Malta. For a more complete history of Cyprus see the Wikipedia article. Photo: Aphrodite's Rock - According to Greek legend, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, emerged from Cyprus. Photo credit: Karla Guererri