The Republic of Cyprus joined the European Union on May 1st, 2004 and joined the Eurozone on January 1st, 2008. Cyprus enjoys an idyllic Mediterranean lifestyle, beautiful beaches, 340 days of sunshine a year and welcoming friendly people in a relaxed environment. The Cyprus nationality offers a high standard of living, modern transport, and infrastructure, excellent academic institutions, access to quality medical services, a stable government and a robust legal framework which is based on British law and fully harmonized with EU directives. Cyprus is a favored business destination for international companies for its strategically geographical location between Europe, Middle East and Africa.