This book is a collective publication, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, in which 34 distinguished academics and authors with research work on the subject participate.

It covers the historical conditions that led to the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus and the specific form that its unique constitution took, the conflicting path followed by the Greek and Turkish communities from the early years of the Republic, the prolonged crisis of the Cyprus issue, and the multiple - albeit unsuccessful - attempts to resolve it.

It also covers the creation and evolution of free political life after the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, the development of print and electronic media, language policy and political culture in the context of identity search, social and economic changes, the transition of Cyprus from a rural to an urban society, from an underdeveloped agricultural economy to today's developed service and information economy.

Finally, the book covers key areas of cultural development in the fifty-year journey of the Republic of Cyprus, with references (for purely practical reasons) mainly to the Greek community. It records significant achievements in literary production and new trends and expressive forms in the field of visual arts, as well as the development of education with the founding of the University of Cyprus as a highlight.