Nicosia (known locally as Lefkosia) is the centrally located capital of Cyprus and by far the largest city on the island. Its population hovers around 250,000 (a third of the total population of Cyprus). It is the administrative and financial hub of the island and a modern, dynamic capital with lots of shops, two modern shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment.
Nicosia is the world's last divided capital. The barbed wire and guardtowers of the Green Line cuts the town in two, with the northern side being the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the southern half being the capital of the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus.